Taking out a wall that’s holding up the house.
Removing or altering a load-bearing wall always needs a building permit, because it changes the structure carrying the house. The beam, the posts and the load path are designed and sealed by an outside licensed professional. We prepare the permit drawings and coordinate that design, so it’s one submission for you to manage, not two.
Is this wall carrying load?
- 01Do floor joists rest on top of the wall?
- 02Do roof trusses bear on the wall?
- 03Does another wall sit directly above it?
Start with what sits above it.
Answer yes, no or not sure. There are no wrong answers.
- Floor joistsOpen
- Roof trussesOpen
- Wall aboveOpen
A self-check, not a structural assessment. Don’t cut into a wall on the strength of it.
Why this always needs a permit.
Any wall carrying weight from above is load-bearing, whether that weight is floor joists, roof trusses or another wall. Removing or cutting into one changes how the house carries its own load.
Municipalities across the region treat this as a structural alteration. A building permit backed by stamped structural drawings is required. It isn’t optional, and it isn’t something a homeowner or contractor can self-certify.
Structural: coordinated, not ours.
The structural design is licensed work. We coordinate it for you. We don’t perform it.
- 01
Beam and posts
The replacement beam size, its material, and how the load transfers down to the foundation through new posts.
Prepared byAn outside licensed professional
- 02
Stamped structural drawings
The beam, the post locations and the connection details, under seal.
Prepared byAn outside licensed professional
- 03
Permit drawing package
Floor plans, elevations and the Building Code compliance notes your municipality needs alongside the stamped design.
Prepared byNorthpoint
How it goes, step by step.
Feasibility check
Confirm the wall is load-bearing and what it’s carrying.
Structural design
The beam and post solution, from an outside licensed professional, coordinated by us.
Permit drawings
The full package, prepared around the stamped structural design.
Submission and approval
Filed with your municipality.
Pre-drywall inspection
A building inspector reviews the beam and posts before they’re covered up.
Timeline, honestly.
Often one to three weeks
For a straightforward beam and post installation.
Usually the longer part
The stamped drawings and the permit itself typically add more time than the physical work does.
A planning range, not a quote, until we’ve looked at the specific wall and span.
Pick the question closest to yours.
Do I Need a Permit?
A self-check before you call anyone.
Alterations & Layout Changes
Permit drawings for renovations and layout changes to an existing home.
Process
Feasibility check, drawings, coordination and permit submission, in order.
Tell us which wall. We’ll coordinate the structural work and draw the rest.
We confirm what the wall is carrying first, then prepare the permit drawings around the stamped design.