How to Determine if a Wall is a Load Bearing Wall

If you are about to do a major house renovation, it is important to know which wall is a load-bearing wall and which one isn't. Load-bearing walls are ones that hold or transfer the weight load of a structure from one section to another. If you take down a part or all of a non-load-bearing wall, then what's left of the structure will stay intact. But if you take down all or part of a load-bearing wall, part or all of the structure will most likely collapse. So it's very crucial to know which one is which.

Here are several ways to determine if your wall is a load-bearing wall. Identifying load-bearing walls is more difficult in newer structures than in older ones. Most of the older structures use all of the exterior walls as load-bearing walls, while some much newer homes use only the front and back walls to bear the structure's load. Never attempt to do a renovation without knowing this important information, as collapsing walls can be fatal.

Step 1  - Check the Basement

The best place to start looking is the lowest part of your home, in the basement. If you don't have a basement, start at the concrete pad.

Step 2  - Check the Walls

Look for the walls that sit on the foundation walls. They support the weight of the roof and are load-bearing walls. Any exterior wall that rests on the foundation sill is considered a load-bearing structure.

Step 3 – Check the First Floor

While you're in the basement, look that the first floor joists. Find the walls that run parallel to those joists. Those are non-load-bearing walls.

Step 4 – Check the Center of the House

On the 1st and 2nd floors of the house, locate any wall that sits comparatively in the center of the house and parallel above the center basement beam. Those are most likely load-bearing walls.

Step 5 – Check Perpendicular Walls

Most often, any wall that runs perpendicular to floor joists will be a load-bearing wall, while those that lay parallel to floor joists are not.

Step 6 – Check the Posts or Columns

Another visual cue of load-bearing walls are those that end in large posts or columns. Some columns simply appear to be decorative, but it probably helps support the weight of other walls and portions of the roof above.

Step 7 – Consult a Professional

If you have any doubt at all as to which walls in your home are load-bearing walls, consult with a professional prior to modifying your existing structure. Modifying or moving a load-bearing wall without proper bracing can cause not only structural damage and collapsing wall events, but can be fatal to those inside the home.