Load Bearing Wall Removal in Spokane
Engineering coordinated. Permits pulled. Beam installed. Finished out. One contractor.
What Makes a Wall Load Bearing
Not every wall in your home carries structural load — but some do, and those are the ones that require proper planning, structural knowledge, and safe load transfer to handle correctly.
A load bearing wall transfers weight from the structure above — roof, floors, framing — down to the foundation. Removing one without understanding what’s carrying load above it — and properly transferring that load to the structure below — is how you end up with a ceiling that sags, a floor that bounces, or worse. Permits are required in most jurisdictions, and for good reason: this work needs to be done right.
Spokane homes built between the 1920s and 1980s almost always have load bearing walls between the kitchen and main living area. It’s how they were built. It’s also exactly what WallBeGone was designed to remove.
What’s Actually Involved
Structural Engineering
Every load bearing wall removal requires a licensed structural engineer to specify the replacement beam — size, bearing points, post requirements, footing conditions. We coordinate that directly. Their fee is included in your contract.
City of Spokane Permit
Structural work requires a building permit. We handle the application, submit the engineering documents, and schedule the inspection. You don’t touch the building department.
Temporary Shoring
Before the wall comes down, we shore the ceiling to carry the load during demo. This is a non-negotiable step. Proper temporary shoring prevents settling, structural damage, and injury during demo. There’s no shortcut here.
Beam Installation
Beam size depends on span and load — typically a glulam (GLB) or LVL beam, seated on properly sized posts that transfer load to the foundation below. We install it right the first time.
Finish Work
Once the beam is in and inspected, we discuss finish scope with you. If you want it to look like the wall was never there — ceiling patched, floor patched, texture matched, paint done — we can do that. If you’re planning to renovate the space and just need it ready for the next trade, we can leave it there. Finish scope is your call, and it’s priced separately so you’re not paying for work you don’t need.
Why We Recommend Opening the Wall First
Most contractors wait for a structural engineer to visit the site before touching anything. We take a different approach when conditions allow — and it protects you.
Before an engineer produces a final design, we recommend opening the wall. Not always, and not without your authorization — but when we can’t determine what’s carrying load, what’s in the ceiling above, or what the footing situation looks like from the outside, the most accurate information comes from inside the wall.
Here’s why that matters to you: engineers design from the information we give them. If that information is based on assumptions — what’s typically in a 1960s Spokane home — the design reflects those assumptions. When we open the wall first, the engineer designs from reality. That means a tighter beam spec, fewer change orders, and no surprises mid-project.
This step is your call, not ours. We’ll tell you what we can and can’t determine from the outside, give you our recommendation, and you decide. If you move forward with a full install, the exploratory demo fee is credited in full toward your project. If the news inside the wall changes what you want to do, you’ve spent a small amount to get real information before committing to a larger one.
What It Costs
Most load bearing wall removal projects in Spokane fall between $12,000 and $35,000 depending on:
- Span length and beam size required
- Number of stories above the wall
- Footing conditions (foundation reinforcement sometimes required)
- Finish scope — paint, flooring, trim
We price with clear allowances for structural unknowns. You know what the number is before we start, and you know exactly what would change it.
Why WallBeGone
Most general contractors don’t specialize in this work. They’ll quote it high because they’re uncertain, or they’ll skip the engineering and permit because it’s easier. Either way, you end up paying more or getting work done wrong.
WallBeGone does one thing: load bearing walls. We’ve built the systems around it — engineer relationships, permit process, shoring protocol, beam installation, and clean finish work. It’s faster, cleaner, and done right.
Ready to open up your floor plan?
Send us your wall situation — a couple photos and rough dimensions is enough to start. We’ll assess it and tell you what’s involved.