Homeowners · Builders · Renovators
Load-bearing wall removal and beam design in Hobart
Opening up a kitchen or living area means taking the load a wall carries and putting it somewhere else. We work out what the wall supports, size the steel or LVL beam, posts and footings, and give your builder drawings to build from.
Engineering only
We size the beam, posts and footings. Any licensed builder can do the work.
Fixed quote in 1–2 business hours
Get a fixed quote for your beam design
Send photos of the wall from both sides, the room size and a photo of the roof space above it.
From $550 + GST. No obligation. Or call 03 6146 4747
In short
Removing a load-bearing wall usually needs a structural engineer to size the replacement beam and check the posts and footings that carry its load to the ground. Our beam designs in Hobart start from $550 + GST, with drawings and a Form 35. Photos, room measurements and a look at the roof and ceiling framing are usually enough for a fixed quote within 1–2 business hours.
- Fee
- From $550 + GST, fixed before we start
- We need
- Photos, the opening width and the roof and ceiling framing
- You receive
- Beam, post and footing design, drawings and a Form 35
Before you start
How can you tell if a wall is load bearing?
You can tell a wall is load bearing by what sits on it and what sits under it, which means looking in the roof space and the subfloor, not just at the room. A wall is load bearing when it carries roof, ceiling or floor loads down to a footing.
- It runs across the ceiling joists, often near their middle or where they join
- Roof struts or a strutting beam bear on it in the roof space
- A line of stumps, bearers or a footing sits directly beneath it
- Another wall stands on it in a two-storey house
- It used to be an outside wall before an extension was added
- It is solid brick or stone, as internal walls often are in older Hobart houses
A wall that carries no roof load may still matter. In timber-framed houses, some internal walls are bracing walls that stiffen the house against wind. Removing one without replacing that bracing elsewhere weakens the house, so it needs checking too.
Key takeaways
- The roof space and subfloor show whether a wall is load bearing. The room alone doesn't.
- The beam is only half the job: posts and footings carry its load to the ground.
- Some walls carry no roof but still brace the house against wind.
- Your building surveyor confirms the approval category and asks for a Form 35.
Quick photos that help
Lift the manhole, take a torch, and photograph the roof framing above the wall. Add a photo of each side of the wall, and of the subfloor or slab edge below it if you can.
What we need
What does an engineer need to design the beam?
An engineer needs to know the opening you want, what the wall carries and what the beam's ends will stand on. Photos and measurements cover most of it, and the quote says if a visit is needed.
Photos of the wall
Both sides of the wall, the ceiling along it, and any cornices or cracks nearby.
Measurements
Room sizes, ceiling height, wall thickness and the width of the opening you want.
Roof and ceiling framing
Which way the joists run, any struts landing on the wall, and whether the roof is tiled or sheet metal.
What's above
A second storey, a hot water cylinder or tank, or solar panels on the roof over the wall.
What's below
A concrete slab, or a timber floor on stumps, with photos of the subfloor where the posts will land.
Plans, if you have them
Original or renovation plans and any earlier engineering help, but they aren't essential.
Beam options
Steel beam or LVL beam: which is better?
Neither is better everywhere: steel carries more load in a shallower depth, while LVL is lighter and fixes like timber. The span, the load and the space you have decide it.
| Compare | Steel beam | LVL beam |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Long spans, heavy loads, second storeys and masonry walls | Shorter spans and moderate roof or ceiling loads |
| Depth | Shallower for the same load, so easier to hide in the ceiling | Deeper for the same load |
| Handling | Heavy; usually needs lifting gear and is cut to length off site | Lighter; carried in and cut on site like timber |
| Fixing | Bolted connections, timber packers and plates to the framing | Nailed, screwed or bolted like other timber |
| Watch for | Corrosion protection where it's exposed or near damp masonry | Must stay dry; not for exposed or damp positions |
General engineering practice. Your design names the exact member, size and connections.
Posts and footings: where does the load go?
Each end of a new beam puts a concentrated load on a post or wall, and that load has to reach the ground. A load that was spread along the wall now arrives at two points, which the floor or slab below was never designed to carry.
On a concrete slab, a post usually needs a new pad footing cut into the slab. In a house with a timber floor, it needs new stumps or piers under the posts, sized for the load and the ground. On reactive clay, the footing must suit the site class.
Your builder props the ceiling and roof while the wall comes out. Our drawings show the beam, posts, footings and connections, and note the propping where the sequence matters.
Approvals
Do you need approval to remove a load-bearing wall in Tasmania?
Often you do, but your building surveyor confirms the category for your job. Tasmanian building work is sorted into low risk, notifiable and permit work by the Director's Determination, and where a wall removal falls depends on the building and what else is changing.
If the work needs a building surveyor, they assess it and issue a Certificate of Likely Compliance. Our design goes with that application, with a Form 35 (Certificate of the Responsible Designer).
Two things change the picture. Places on the Tasmanian Heritage Register need Heritage Council approval as well (see heritage and older homes). And if a wall has already come out without an engineer, we can assess what was built and design any fix, and certify it where it complies (see Form 35 and Form 55 certificates).
Not sure where your project sits? Our guide to building approvals in Tasmania explains the categories.
Wall removal and beam design
For a typical single wall in a single-storey house. Your fixed quote reflects the number of walls, the loads above and whether a site visit is needed.
- Steel or LVL beam sized and specified
- Posts, footings and connections designed
- Drawings your builder can price and build from
- A Form 35 for your building surveyor
How it works
How does a wall removal design work?
Three steps from your photos to drawings your builder and surveyor can use.
Send photos and measurements
The wall from both sides, the roof space above and the room sizes, using the form on this page.
Get a fixed quote
Within 1–2 business hours, saying what's included, whether a visit is needed and the delivery date.
Receive the design
Beam, posts, footings and connections on drawings, with calculations and a Form 35.
Planning a bigger change? Wall removals often come with an extension or renovation, and we can design both together.
Related services
Often needed alongside a wall removal
Extensions & renovations
Structural drawings for extensions, renovations, second storeys and granny flats, working with your architect or building designer.
Learn more
Heritage & older homes
Condition reports and repair designs for sandstone, brick and timber homes, with the structural drawings heritage approvals ask for.
Learn more
Form 35 & Form 55 certificates
Form 35 designer certificates with our designs, and Form 55 certificates for assessable items, as-built and retrospective work.
Learn moreFAQ
Wall removal and beam design FAQs
Still unsure? Call 03 6146 4747 or send photos for a fixed quote.