What does an open floor plan cost in Dallas–Fort Worth?

Most open floor plan projects with DFW Wall Removal are priced by how many walls come out and whether they carry load. Removing a partition wall costs far less than replacing a load bearing wall with a beam.

Number of walls: Each wall removed adds framing, patching and, if it’s structural, a beam.

Load bearing or not: A structural wall needs engineering, a beam, posts and a permit. A partition wall usually needs only removal and patch work.

What’s inside the walls: Kitchens and baths put plumbing, gas and wiring in interior walls, and all of it has to be rerouted first.

Flooring: When two rooms had different floors, joining them can mean new flooring across the whole space.

You get a written price before any work starts, and it doesn’t change unless you change the scope.

Which walls can come out?

Almost any interior wall can be removed. The question is what it takes. A wall that only divides rooms can come out in a day with simple patch work. A wall that carries the ceiling, the roof or a second floor needs a beam sized by an engineer.

We check the attic, the joist direction and the rooms above before we quote, so you know which walls are structural and what each one costs before you decide.

Do I need a permit for an open floor plan?

Yes, when a load bearing wall is involved. The City of Dallas requires a permit to remove any wall or structural element, and most DFW cities follow the same rule. We pull the permit, submit the engineer’s plan and schedule the inspection.

Even a partition wall can need a permit if it hides electrical or plumbing work that has to move. We tell you up front which permits your project needs.

Flush or dropped beam in an open plan?

In an open floor plan, the beam is the one piece of structure you’ll see every day, so it’s worth deciding how it should look.

Flush beam: Set up into the ceiling, so the ceiling reads as one flat surface across the old rooms. It’s the cleanest look and takes more framing work.

Dropped beam: Hangs below the ceiling like a header. It costs less, and with a wood wrap it can become a design feature over a kitchen island.

The engineer confirms which option your framing allows. Read more about beam options on our load bearing wall removal page.

Keeping some separation: half walls, columns and islands

If you want the openness without losing all definition, a half wall, a pair of columns or a kitchen island can mark the edge of each room. Where the beam needs posts, we can wrap them as columns that frame the space instead of hiding them in a wall.

What happens to the kitchen during the job?

When the wall between the kitchen and the living room comes out, the kitchen is part of the work area for a few days. We protect cabinets, counters and appliances, and we cap and reroute any plumbing, gas or wiring that ran inside the wall.

If you’re also remodeling the kitchen, open the wall first. Cabinets, countertops, lighting and flooring should go in after the beam and the ceiling patch are done.

Floors, ceilings and finishing the new space

Where a wall stood, you’ll have a strip of missing ceiling and a gap in the floor. We close the ceiling, match the texture and leave it ready for paint.

Floors are the bigger decision. If both rooms share the same flooring, we patch the strip. If they don’t — carpet in the living room, tile in the kitchen — you can continue one floor across the whole space. We include that option in the estimate.

HVAC, lighting and outlets in an open layout

Opening rooms changes how air and light move through the house. A return vent or supply duct in the wall may need to move, and switches and outlets on the old wall have to be relocated.

We plan those changes before the work day and list them in your written price, so the new room has light switches where you walk in and outlets where you need them.

Open floor plans in DFW homes

Many homes across Dallas, Plano, Richardson, Carrollton and Frisco were built in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s with a formal living room, a formal dining room and a closed kitchen. Those layouts made sense then; today most families want one space where they can cook, eat and see each other.

The wall between the kitchen and the family room is the one we’re asked to remove most. In two-story homes it often carries the floor above, so it needs an engineered beam. In single-story homes it may carry ceiling joists and part of the roof.

How long does it take?

Most walls come out in one day of work. Engineering and the city permit come first and set the overall timeline. Projects with several walls or kitchen rerouting take a few days more.

Day one

Floor protection, shoring, wall removal and beam install.

The next days

Rerouting, ceiling patch, texture and floor patch.

Inspection

The city inspector checks the framing and closes the permit.

Living at home while we work

Most families stay home during the project. We seal the work area with plastic, protect the floors and keep a path through the house. Plan for noise on the work day, and for the kitchen to be out of use for a short time if the wall touches it.

What to ask before you hire

Who designs the beam? You want a licensed engineer’s name on the plan.

Who pulls the permit? The contractor should, in their name.

Is the contractor insured for structural work? Our $1M policy covers load bearing work specifically.

What’s in the price? Engineering, permit, beam, rerouting, ceiling and floor patch should all be listed.

What’s the warranty? Ask for it in writing, with the number of years.

Backed by our 12-year written warranty

Every structural opening we build carries a 12-year written warranty. If the beam, the posts or the framing around them don’t hold up, we come back and make it right. The warranty transfers to the next owner if you sell.

How to tell if the wall you want gone is structural

Only an engineer can confirm it, but you can look for clues. In the attic, check the ceiling joists above the wall: if they run across it and overlap or splice on top of it, the wall is probably carrying them.

A wall near the middle of the house, a wall with another wall stacked directly above it on the second floor, or a wall that lines up with a beam below is also likely structural. Send us photos of both sides of the wall and the attic above it, and we’ll tell you what we see.

Opening a wall in a two-story house

In a two-story home, the wall between the kitchen and the living room often supports the floor joists of the bedrooms above. That doesn’t stop the project; it changes the beam. The engineer sizes it for the floor load and specifies posts that carry that load down to the slab.

We check the second floor for walls, tubs or heavy furniture sitting over the opening, because they add load the beam has to carry. That’s also why a flush beam is sometimes harder in a two-story house: the joists above may need to be cut and hung from the new beam.

Planning furniture and lighting for the new room

An open space works best when you know where the sofa, the table and the island go before the wall comes out. That tells us where outlets, switches and ceiling lights should land, and whether a post at the end of the beam will get in the way.

We can add recessed lights or a new ceiling box while the ceiling is open, which is easier and cheaper than adding them later.

Permits, inspections and selling your house

When you sell, buyers and their inspectors look for permits on structural changes. A permitted, engineered opening backed by a transferable warranty answers those questions up front, instead of becoming a problem during the sale.

Why DFW Wall Removal

We’re a family-owned company that does one thing: take out walls safely. Owner Ernando Teixeira oversees every job, and a licensed engineer signs off on every beam. We’ve removed hundreds of walls.

Book your open floor plan estimate

Call (469) 436-5680 or text us photos of the rooms you want to open. Estimates are free, on-site or by photo. We serve Dallas, Plano, Frisco, Richardson, Carrollton, Fort Worth and nearby cities. Open Mon–Fri 6 AM–6 PM and Sat 6 AM–3 PM.

Reviewed by Ernando Teixeira, owner · Updated October 2026