Home Improvement Interior Remodel Walls & Ceilings

5 Signs To Tell If a Wall Is a Load-Bearing Wall

Major home remodels often require the removal of walls. If your plans include removing or altering a wall, you must determine if the wall is load-bearing or non-load-bearing. Any part of a load-bearing wall that is removed must be replaced with suitable structural support, such as a beam and/or columns to bear the same load that was supported by the wall.

Load bearing wall with exposed ceiling and wooden structures

The Spruce / Margot Cavin

Load-Bearing Wall

Load-bearing walls support the weight of a floor or roof structure above and are so named because they can support a significant amount of weight. By contrast, a non-load-bearing wall, sometimes called a partition wall, is responsible only for holding itself up, plus a few lightweight items like shelves, pictures, and interior doors.

Several clues can help point you in the direction of whether the wall bears weight or not. These signs are visual and can be done without removing the drywall or other invasive measures.

These clues do not need to be found in combination, and not all clues are absolutes. These signs are a preliminary, planning-stage check before having a contractor or structural engineer come in and assess the building.

Wall Is Perpendicular to the Joists

If the wall runs perpendicular (at a 90-degree angle) to the joists, there is a good chance that it is a load-bearing wall.

When the wall runs parallel to the floor joists, it typically is not a load-bearing wall. In some instances, a bearing wall might be parallel to the joists. The wall may be aligned directly under a single joist or it might bear on blocking adding between two adjacent joists.

Wooden joints exposed in ceiling of load bearing wall

The Spruce / Margot Cavin

Wall Is a Partial Wall With a Beam

If the wall is a partial wall with a beam running alongside it, the wall might be a load-bearing wall. A partial wall is one that stops short of an adjacent wall. The beam will often be a ceiling projection (downward) that runs directly into the partial wall. The builder may have installed a microlam beam to span the opening and carry the load above.

Fire stove in front of microlam beam of partial wall

The Spruce / Margot Cavin

Wall Is an Exterior Wall

If the wall is an exterior wall, it almost always is a load-bearing wall.

Exterior walls form the perimeter, or outer footprint, of a house. Where there are windows and doors, the walls include beams, or headers, spanning across the tops of the openings. Posts on either side of the openings support the beams. In essence, these headers are partial wall replacements since they carry the weight that a wall would have carried.

Tip

Homes that appear to have no supporting exterior walls still do have support in the form of steel or wooden columns interspersed between the windows. Because window glass and the exterior view take visual precedence, it is easy to miss the fact that substantially sized columns are in place.

A house will rarely have an entire stretch of an exterior wall that is non-load-bearing. It is possible to build a house this way, but it would come at a high financial cost since I-beams or large laminated structural beams need to be used.

Balcony HDR
© by Martin Deja / Getty Images

Wall Is a Masonry Wall

If the wall is a masonry wall, it may, in some cases, be a load-bearing wall.

A masonry wall is one that is made of concrete blocks, brick, or other structural masonry products. Not all masonry is structural and capable of bearing loads. Manufactured stone veneer cannot support loads. As the name suggests, it is a decorative veneer, very lightweight, and prone to crumbling under stress.

Foundation walls, which are typically built of structural masonry materials like concrete block or poured concrete, are load-bearing. Their primary role is to support the weight of the house. 

Masonry wall behind fire stove as load bearing wall

The Spruce / Margot Cavin

Wall Has a Support Structure Below It

If there are supports (usually hidden) below the wall that appear to be structural, then the wall above will likely be structural, as well, and capable of bearing loads.

If the wall is on the first floor of the house, and there is a basement or crawlspace below, you can check in the lower level for these supports. You may find another wall or other supporting member (piers, beams, columns, jack posts, etc.) directly below and following the same path as the wall above.

Tip

If there is no support structure below the wall, the wall might be non-load-bearing. If the wall is, in fact, load-bearing and there is no support structure, this portion of the house is in danger of collapse.

Construction Site: Neat Clean Crawlspace, Floor Joists, and Pony Wall
Double_Vision / Getty Images

Warning

Consult with a building professional, such as a carpenter, architect, or structural engineer, to confirm that a wall is load-bearing or non-load-bearing. In most municipalities, a permit will be required before removing a load-bearing wall.

FAQ
  • What is the difference between a beam and a joist?

    A beam is a thick primary load-bearing device of a roof or wall. A joist is thinner and, in groups, forms a structure's skeleton. Beams often support joists.

  • Are there any disadvantages to removing a load-bearing wall?

    Removing a load-bearing wall can cause structural damage to your home, including drywall cracks. Removing a load-bearing wall is usually very expensive, in particular, because consulting with a contractor or a structural engineer is necessary.

  • Do I need a professional to remove a load-bearing wall?

    You may be able to remove your own load-bearing wall. But hiring a professional to remove the load-bearing wall is best. This will help you avoid expensive, frustrating mistakes along the way that might cause severe structural damage to your home.