Structural Changes

When deciding upon your floor plan, you may want to move or remove walls, windows, doors, and/or soffits to create a better kitchen. Rely on professional help to determine the feasibility and related costs.

Your General Contractor or Architect will bring in a Structural Engineer when removing a load-bearing wall or reframing an exterior wall for new windows or doors. The Structural Engineer will calculate the load and decide what has to be installed into the space--a header or a beam. Most cities require a stamped blueprint that is submitted to the building department for approval. Some of the materials used for support are "Structural Steel I Beams", "Glulam" (finished engineered lumber), or "Microlam" (non-finished engineered lumber of thin pieces of plywood glued together vertically).

Walls can be removed easily when they are non load-bearing. However, when removing a load-bearing wall, you must build an alternative support system. Wall studs are removed and the beam can either be positioned under the ceiling or inserted into the ceiling with joist hangers. To decide whether a wall is a load-bearing wall, you need to view the floor joists from below to see where the supporting beams are located.

Removing windows and doors will affect the exterior of the home, but can offer better lighting, access, and interior traffic flow. Removing soffits can be easy if they don't contain any electrical or plumbing elements. However, if they are hiding a maze of wires and pipes, now is the time to find out so you can plan accordingly.

If you are a DIY'er, there are construction directions available on-line, in hard copy, and in video formats. Visit our DIY'er section in our Planning Phase for these resources.