Residential Wall Removal Engineering Plans
Budget: $30 – $250 USD
Project: Residential Remodel — Bearing Wall Removal Between Kitchen and Living Room
Location: Tucson, AZ (Pima County)
Building: Single-story adobe home, built 1977
Jurisdiction: Pima County Building Department (IRC/IBC)
SCOPE OF WORK:
Design a replacement beam and supporting connections for the removal of one interior load-bearing wall separating the kitchen and living room to create an open-concept great room.
EXISTING CONDITIONS:
• Exterior walls: Adobe construction
• Interior bearing wall (being removed): Wood-frame — 2×4 studs with double top plate, drywall both sides, 4½" total thickness (confirmed from field)
• Roof structure: Flat/low-slope roof, no attic. 4×10 beams at 32" O.C. with 2×10 rafters per original 1977 framing plan. Plywood sheathing directly on beams. R-30 fiberglass batt insulation in shallow cavity.
• Skylight: One skylight added post-construction in kitchen ceiling — roof was previously cut and reframed around it.
• Sunken living room: Originally sunken, has been raised with a 4" concrete slab pour (level with adjacent rooms now).
FIELD MEASUREMENTS:
• Living Room: 27'-6½" × 19'-11"
• Kitchen: 20'-4" × 9'-10½"
• Dining Room: 12'-11" × 9'-9"
• Ceiling height — Kitchen/Breakfast nook: 8'-2"
• Ceiling height — Living room (kitchen side): 8'-11" (107")
• Ceiling height — Living room (hall bath side): 9'-2" (110")
• Bottom of existing beam (LR, kitchen side): 98½" (~8'-2½")
• Bottom of existing beam (LR, hall bath side): 101½" (~8'-5½")
• Note: 3" difference in existing beam heights across the living room — indicates stepped roof framing or beams at different levels.
SPAN:
• Clear span approximately 20 feet (full length of wall being removed)
• Possible intermediate support: Homeowner is considering a column at one end, concealed behind a refrigerator, to reduce the clear span. Final decision pending — design should address full 20' span and note reduced span option if column is used.
DELIVERABLES REQUIRED:
1. Beam sizing and selection (steel W-shape or glulam — homeowner prefers exposed glulam at ~7'-6" to 7'-8" if structurally feasible; if headroom is insufficient, steel recessed into roof framing is the alternative)
2. Structural calculations per IRC/IBC for:
o Gravity loads (dead + live roof loads)
o Beam sizing for the span
o Connection design — beam to bearing points at each end
o Column/post design at bearing points if applicable
o Foundation/footing adequacy check at concentrated point loads
3. Structural detail drawings:
o Beam plan and section
o Connection details (joist hangers / decorative brackets where existing N-S beams/rafters tie into the new beam)
o Bearing point details
o Temporary shoring notes for construction sequence
REFERENCE DOCUMENTS AVAILABLE:
• Original 1977 architectural plans (floor plan + roof framing plan)
• Field photos — exposed ceiling showing framing, ductwork, plumbing vent, and electrical routing above the wall
• Field measurements
NOTES:
• MEP elements (HVAC ductwork, PVC plumbing vent, electrical cables) currently run through the ceiling cavity above and across the bearing wall — rerouting will be coordinated separately and is not part of this structural scope.
• Interior wall is confirmed wood-frame, NOT adobe. The "8-inch bearing" notation on the 1977 plans refers to exterior adobe walls only.
• The shallow roof cavity limits beam depth — headroom constraint is the primary design driver.
For the images — here are the field photos from the homeowner that should go with this scope.
• IMG_0734 — Exposed kitchen ceiling, showing beams and roof sheathing
• IMG_0735 — Interior wall framing visible (2×4 studs, double top plate confirming wood-frame)
• IMG_0737 — Wider ceiling view with ductwork and plumbing vent crossing
• IMG_0738 — Ceiling cavity with electrical routing and junction box
• IMG_0739 — Close-up showing plywood sheathing above beams
• 1977 original plans (floor plan + roof framing plan)
Location: Tucson, AZ (Pima County)
Building: Single-story adobe home, built 1977
Jurisdiction: Pima County Building Department (IRC/IBC)
SCOPE OF WORK:
Design a replacement beam and supporting connections for the removal of one interior load-bearing wall separating the kitchen and living room to create an open-concept great room.
EXISTING CONDITIONS:
• Exterior walls: Adobe construction
• Interior bearing wall (being removed): Wood-frame — 2×4 studs with double top plate, drywall both sides, 4½" total thickness (confirmed from field)
• Roof structure: Flat/low-slope roof, no attic. 4×10 beams at 32" O.C. with 2×10 rafters per original 1977 framing plan. Plywood sheathing directly on beams. R-30 fiberglass batt insulation in shallow cavity.
• Skylight: One skylight added post-construction in kitchen ceiling — roof was previously cut and reframed around it.
• Sunken living room: Originally sunken, has been raised with a 4" concrete slab pour (level with adjacent rooms now).
FIELD MEASUREMENTS:
• Living Room: 27'-6½" × 19'-11"
• Kitchen: 20'-4" × 9'-10½"
• Dining Room: 12'-11" × 9'-9"
• Ceiling height — Kitchen/Breakfast nook: 8'-2"
• Ceiling height — Living room (kitchen side): 8'-11" (107")
• Ceiling height — Living room (hall bath side): 9'-2" (110")
• Bottom of existing beam (LR, kitchen side): 98½" (~8'-2½")
• Bottom of existing beam (LR, hall bath side): 101½" (~8'-5½")
• Note: 3" difference in existing beam heights across the living room — indicates stepped roof framing or beams at different levels.
SPAN:
• Clear span approximately 20 feet (full length of wall being removed)
• Possible intermediate support: Homeowner is considering a column at one end, concealed behind a refrigerator, to reduce the clear span. Final decision pending — design should address full 20' span and note reduced span option if column is used.
DELIVERABLES REQUIRED:
1. Beam sizing and selection (steel W-shape or glulam — homeowner prefers exposed glulam at ~7'-6" to 7'-8" if structurally feasible; if headroom is insufficient, steel recessed into roof framing is the alternative)
2. Structural calculations per IRC/IBC for:
o Gravity loads (dead + live roof loads)
o Beam sizing for the span
o Connection design — beam to bearing points at each end
o Column/post design at bearing points if applicable
o Foundation/footing adequacy check at concentrated point loads
3. Structural detail drawings:
o Beam plan and section
o Connection details (joist hangers / decorative brackets where existing N-S beams/rafters tie into the new beam)
o Bearing point details
o Temporary shoring notes for construction sequence
REFERENCE DOCUMENTS AVAILABLE:
• Original 1977 architectural plans (floor plan + roof framing plan)
• Field photos — exposed ceiling showing framing, ductwork, plumbing vent, and electrical routing above the wall
• Field measurements
NOTES:
• MEP elements (HVAC ductwork, PVC plumbing vent, electrical cables) currently run through the ceiling cavity above and across the bearing wall — rerouting will be coordinated separately and is not part of this structural scope.
• Interior wall is confirmed wood-frame, NOT adobe. The "8-inch bearing" notation on the 1977 plans refers to exterior adobe walls only.
• The shallow roof cavity limits beam depth — headroom constraint is the primary design driver.
For the images — here are the field photos from the homeowner that should go with this scope.
• IMG_0734 — Exposed kitchen ceiling, showing beams and roof sheathing
• IMG_0735 — Interior wall framing visible (2×4 studs, double top plate confirming wood-frame)
• IMG_0737 — Wider ceiling view with ductwork and plumbing vent crossing
• IMG_0738 — Ceiling cavity with electrical routing and junction box
• IMG_0739 — Close-up showing plywood sheathing above beams
• 1977 original plans (floor plan + roof framing plan)