Structural Modifications in Spokane
Egress windows, new openings, widened doors and windows, and structural framing repairs. If it’s structural, we handle it.
Not every structural project is a full wall removal. Sometimes it’s a single opening — a window that needs to widen, a door that needs to move, an egress window for a bedroom that currently doesn’t meet code.
These projects all share the same requirements as larger structural work: a proper header or beam sized for the span and load, a permit, and installation done to code. The scope is smaller but the structural principles are identical.
What We Do
Egress Window Installation
Bedrooms in finished basements are required by code to have egress windows — minimum size openings that allow exit in an emergency. We cut the opening, install the proper header, install the window, and handle the permit. This is one of the cleaner structural scopes we do — contained, well-defined, and high-value for the homeowner both for code compliance and resale.
Widening Existing Door or Window Openings
Want a wider doorway between rooms? A bigger picture window? Widening an existing opening requires removing the existing header, temporarily shoring the framing above, and installing a properly sized header for the wider span. We handle it.
Adding a New Door or Window Opening
Where there’s currently solid wall, we can create a new opening. This involves cutting the opening, installing king studs, jack studs, and a properly sized header, and framing for the new unit. Permit required in most cases.
Structural Framing Repairs
Sagging floors, failed joists, compromised rafters — we’ve handled all of these. We don’t do foundation work and we aren’t a roofing company, but structural framing failures in floors, walls, and roofs are in our wheelhouse. We assess it, tell you what’s actually wrong, and fix the structure.
When Engineering Is and Isn’t Required
This is something homeowners — and some contractors — don’t always understand clearly, so we’ll say it plainly.
Not every structural modification requires a licensed structural engineer. For many common openings — standard door and window headers, single-story applications, spans and loads within the range of published code tables — the building code itself specifies what size header is required. A competent contractor who knows the code book can size the header correctly without a separate engineering package.
Engineering IS typically required when:
- Spans are longer than standard code tables address
- Two-story load paths are involved
- There are concentrated loads above the opening (a post, a beam, a heavy roof condition)
- The Authority Having Jurisdiction requires it for the permit
Engineering is often NOT required when:
- It’s a standard door or window opening in a single-story application
- The span and load fall within published code tables
- The local AHJ accepts contractor-specified headers per code
We assess this on every job. We’ll tell you upfront what the permit path looks like and whether engineering is part of it. We don’t add engineering when it isn’t needed, and we don’t skip it when it is.
What It Costs
Structural modification costs vary significantly by scope:
- Egress window installation: typically $4,000–$10,000 depending on excavation, well installation, and finish work
- Widening an existing opening: typically $1,500–$4,000 depending on span and load condition
- New door or window opening: typically $4,000–$10,000 depending on size and finish scope
- Structural framing repairs: assessed case by case
Have a structural scope that doesn’t fit a standard category?
Tell us what you’re dealing with. We’ll tell you if it’s something we do and what it would take.