ENGINEERING CERTAINTY. DELIVERED.
Removing a wall can transform a home, creating larger living areas, open-plan kitchens and more flexible spaces. But before demolition begins, it’s important to establish whether the wall forms part of the building’s structural system.
Engineering On Demand provides specialist Load Bearing Wall Removal Perth services for homeowners, builders and renovators. We can assess the existing structure, determine what the wall is supporting and engineer the structural elements required to create the new opening safely.
Depending on the existing building and proposed alteration, the solution may involve a new steel or timber beam, structural posts, connections, strengthening or modifications to the supporting structure below.
We can also assist with the engineering drawings and documentation required to support the applicable building approval process.
Yes. A load-bearing wall can be removed, but the loads it currently supports must be transferred through an appropriately designed replacement structure.
The wall may be supporting roof framing, ceiling loads, an upper floor, other walls or a combination of structural elements. Once that wall is removed, those loads still need a safe path through the building and ultimately into the foundations.
This commonly involves installing a structural beam over the new opening. Depending on the loads and existing construction, additional posts, connections, strengthening or footing work may also be required.
WA’s Building Regulations are important here. The exemption available for certain renovation and alteration work specifically excludes removing or altering an element that contributes to the support of another building element.
Engineering On Demand can assess the proposed Load Bearing Wall Removal Perth project and design the structural solution before demolition begins.
Determine what the wall supports.
Engineering documentation for approval.
designs that work on site and on paper.
The approval requirements depend on the work being undertaken and the existing building, but structural wall removal should not be treated in the same way as a minor non-structural renovation.
Current WA Government guidance states that a Building Permit is generally required for renovation and alteration work. The Building Regulations provide exemptions for certain minor work, but removal or alteration of an element supporting another building element is specifically excluded from the relevant renovation exemption.
A Wall Removal Approval Perth project may therefore require structural drawings and engineering documentation to support the applicable Building Permit pathway.
The relevant local government assesses the Building Permit application and can confirm its specific submission requirements.
Engineering On Demand can establish the engineering requirements and prepare the structural documentation needed to progress the proposed alteration.
The roof, ceiling, floor and other structural loads currently transferred through the wall.
Roof trusses, rafters, beams and bearing locations can determine how the wall is loaded.
In multi-storey homes, upper-floor framing and walls can introduce significant additional loads.
The replacement beam needs adequate strength and stiffness for the proposed opening and loads.
The beam reactions need to transfer safely through the supporting structure and ultimately into suitable foundations.
The new structural solution needs to integrate with the building that is already there.
A Load Bearing Wall Engineer considers the entire structural system—not just the beam that will replace the wall.
Removing a load-bearing wall changes how loads move through the building. Loads that were previously distributed along the wall may become concentrated at the ends of a new beam.
The engineering therefore needs to consider the beam, its supports, connections and the structure below.
Engineering On Demand can design a practical solution around the proposed opening while considering how the new structure integrates with the existing home.
Structural Wall Removal is about more than selecting a beam.
The engineer needs to understand what the existing wall supports, calculate the loads that need to be transferred and design a new structural load path around the opening.
Depending on the building, this may involve a steel or timber beam together with posts, connections, strengthening and consideration of the structure supporting each end.
The objective is to create the opening you want without compromising the structural performance of the building.
The building approval process considers the proposed structural alteration and applicable building requirements.
Where approval is required, structural engineering drawings and calculations may form part of the information needed for the Building Permit process.
WA Government guidance states that Building Permits are generally required for building work involving renovation and alteration, subject to the exemptions contained in the Building Regulations.
For structural wall removal, the important distinction is that Schedule 4’s relevant renovation exemption excludes removal or alteration of an element contributing to the support of another element.
DON’T REMOVE THE WALL FIRST — Establish whether the wall is structural and design the replacement support before demolition begins.
Removing the wall between a kitchen, dining room and living area is one of the most common structural alterations undertaken during residential renovations.
Before demolition, the existing structure needs to be understood.
If the wall supports roof or floor loads, an appropriately designed beam and supporting structure can allow the opening to be created while maintaining a safe structural load path.
Open-plan renovations often involve removing substantial sections of the existing internal structure.
As the opening becomes wider, beam spans and structural reactions can increase. This can influence beam depth, material selection, connections, posts and supporting foundations.
Engineering the opening early allows these requirements to be incorporated into the renovation rather than discovered after demolition.
The structure above the wall is just as important as the wall itself.
Roof trusses, rafters, beams and other framing elements can transfer loads onto internal walls.
Reviewing the existing roof structure helps establish whether the wall is structural and what replacement support is required.
Removing a wall from the lower level of a two-storey home can involve loads from the upper floor, walls and potentially the roof above.
The engineer needs to understand how those loads currently travel through the structure before designing the new opening.
Steel beams are commonly used for Structural Wall Removal where substantial loads need to be carried across larger openings.
The appropriate beam depends on the span, loads, support conditions, available structural depth and required performance.
Where practical, the structural solution can also be developed around the desired architectural finish.
Designing the beam is only part of the solution.
The beam reactions need to be transferred through suitable supports. Depending on the building, this may involve existing walls, new posts, columns or other structural elements.
Replacing a load-bearing wall with a beam can change distributed loads into concentrated reactions at the beam ends.
The structure below those support points may therefore need to be considered to ensure the loads can be transferred appropriately to the foundations.
Where a Building Permit is required, structural engineering documentation may form part of the approval package.
Engineering On Demand can prepare structural drawings and supporting engineering documentation for the proposed alteration and assist with the relevant approval process.
If a wall has already been removed, the existing alteration can be assessed to determine how the building is currently supported.
Further investigation may be required to establish what structural members were installed and whether additional engineering, strengthening, documentation or approval work is necessary.
For the accordion, use these questions.
Yes. A load-bearing wall can generally be removed where an appropriate replacement structural system is designed to carry and transfer the loads previously supported by the wall.
The roof framing, floor framing, existing beams, wall positions and other structural elements may need to be reviewed. The appearance or thickness of the wall alone isn’t always enough to determine its structural function.
Where a wall supports other structural elements, engineering is typically required to determine the loads and design an appropriate replacement beam, supports and connections.
Structural wall removal may require a Building Permit. WA’s renovation exemption does not include removal or alteration of an element contributing to the support of another building element. The particular approval requirements should be confirmed for the project.
The relevant Schedule 4 renovation exemption specifically excludes removal or alteration of an element that contributes to supporting another element. WA Government guidance also states that Building Permits are generally required for renovation and alteration work, subject to applicable exemptions.
A non-structural partition may be very different from a load-bearing wall. If there is uncertainty about whether the wall supports another part of the building, its structural function should be established before demolition.
Yes. Steel beams are commonly used to create large openings where appropriate. The required beam depends on the loads, span, supports and existing construction.
Sometimes. This depends on the existing roof or floor framing, available space and structural requirements.
Potentially. Whether a clear span is practical depends on the width of the opening, loads, beam size and available support at each end.
It can. A replacement beam can create concentrated loads at its support points, so the structure and foundations below may need to be considered.
Engineering On Demand can provide structural assessment, engineering design and drawings and assist with documentation required for the applicable Building Permit process.
The existing alteration can be assessed to establish how the building is currently supported and whether further investigation, strengthening, engineering documentation or approval work is required.