By QED Consulting Engineers — structural & civil engineers, Notting Hill, Melbourne
Removing a load-bearing wall means the load that wall carried has to be transferred to a beam — designed by a structural engineer and supported on adequate footings or posts. You'll usually need a building permit too. Done properly, it's how you open up a home safely; done without engineering, it's a real risk.
Here's what's involved.
How do you know if a wall is load-bearing?
A load-bearing wall carries weight from the structure above — the roof, upper floor or ceiling — down to the foundations. Walls running perpendicular to floor or ceiling joists, walls under a beam or wall above, and most external walls are commonly load-bearing. But it isn't always obvious, and the safest approach is to have an engineer confirm before anything is removed.
Why you need a structural engineer
When the wall comes out, its load doesn't disappear — it has to go somewhere. A structural engineer works out the loads, designs a beam (steel or timber) to carry them across the new opening, and specifies the supports and footings at each end. They also provide the drawings and computations your building surveyor needs.
This is everyday work for our residential structural engineering team across Melbourne.
The beam and its supports
The replacement beam must be sized for the span and the load above it. The engineer also checks what sits beneath each end of the beam — the posts or walls and the footings below them — because concentrating the load onto a point that isn't strong enough simply moves the problem.
Do you need a permit?
Usually, yes. Structural work like removing a load-bearing wall typically requires a building permit, with the engineer's documentation forming part of the application. Your building surveyor confirms what's required.
What about temporary support during the work?
While the wall is removed and the beam installed, the structure above needs temporary propping so nothing moves. A good builder, working to the engineer's design, manages this carefully.
Opening up your floor plan? Talk to a Melbourne structural engineer before any wall comes out.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if a wall is load-bearing? Walls perpendicular to the joists, walls beneath a beam or upper wall, and most external walls are often load-bearing — but have an engineer confirm before removing anything.
Do I need an engineer to remove a load-bearing wall? Yes. The load must be transferred to an engineered beam on adequate supports, and your building surveyor needs the engineer's documentation.
Do I need a permit to remove a load-bearing wall? Usually, yes — it's structural work. Your building surveyor confirms the permit requirements.
What size beam do I need? That depends on the span and the load above, which the engineer calculates. It can't be reliably guessed.
