load bearing wall

[Unregistered-patrician]

We bought a house @ 7 years ago. I am wanting to open up the living room dining room and kitchen as 1 room. right now they are pretty much open – there is a wall that runs between the kitchen and dining room. At the end of that wall is where the refrigerator is. this is an L shaped wall.

What i would really like to do is remove the walls. Put cabinets and a counter across where the 3 rooms meet (Like a breakfast bar….). put an island in where my sink is now move the refrigerator to the other side of the room…… I need to know how to find out if the wall i want to get rid of is load bearing……

This is a 1 story house. cement slab built in the mid 70’s – so . . . . no crawl space no basement…………would a general contractor be able to tell…. would i need a permit for this type of remodel???? Where do i start????/

[tomh]

A general contractor could very quickly tell if the wall is load bearing. Generally, if the wall runs parallel with ceiling joists or trusses, it is not load bearing. A wall that runs perpendicular to the ceiling joists may be load bearing. It is fairly easy to tell from above the wall if you have access. Permit requirements vary, but since you are not adding living space, this is a remodel. Generally permits are not required.

A registered designer or architect could also determine the construction of the house, identify load-bearing members, and develop a plan. This could give you what you need to proceed DIY or to bid the job to contractors. Remember that there will be a lot of work involved in the floors, walls and ceiling to bring these two rooms together seamlessly.

[Author]

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