No mystery, no upsell ladder. Here's exactly what happens from the moment you book to the moment your contractor starts cutting, including the part where we tell you that you didn't need us.
Most jobs run this exact path. The only branch is at step four, where about a third of walls turn out to be partitions and the project simply ends.
Address, a couple of photos if you have them, and roughly what you're hoping to open up. You get a real reply within one business day, not an autoresponder. If your wall check came back mixed or bearing, mention it and we'll come prepared.
Send the property address and describe the wall or proposed opening. We will confirm the assessment scope, access requirements, and scheduling in a written quote.
45 to 75 minutes for a typical wall. We check joist direction and bearing, what's stacked above, what's supporting below, span lengths, and the condition of what's already carrying load. Basement, crawlspace, and attic access matter more than opening drywall. We can usually work entirely from those.
Nobody makes you wait three days to learn whether your wall is structural. You hear it on site, in plain language, with the reasoning. If it's a partition, that's the end of the engagement. Written confirmation lands in your inbox the next day and you go swing a hammer.
Beam sizing for your actual loads and span, post and bearing details at both ends, footing verification or a new footing detail, and a temporary shoring plan so the ceiling stays where it is while the wall comes out. All of it sealed, stamped, and formatted for your permit office.
If your jurisdiction requests an engineer’s review of completed work, send the approved details and written requirement. We will discuss the necessary assessment and documentation.
Permit reviewers are looking for specific things. Contractors are looking for different specific things. The package covers both, which is why it doesn't come back with comments.
Plenty of jurisdictions want a permit for any wall removal, structural or not, because of what's inside the wall. Electrical, plumbing, and HVAC in a partition all have their own inspection requirements. Our letter confirming non-bearing status is usually what unlocks the simpler permit path.
Walls don't always carry uniformly. A wall might pick up joist ends across two-thirds of its length and carry nothing across the last third, or support a point load from a post above at exactly one spot. This is extremely common in houses that have been added onto, and it's why partial openings are sometimes much cheaper than full removals.
Most people assume removing a bearing wall means living with a big drop-down bulkhead. Often it doesn't. If there's enough joist depth to work with, the beam can be flush-framed up into the floor system with hangers, leaving a flat ceiling. It costs more in labor and it isn't always possible, but it's worth asking about before you resign yourself to a soffit.
An engineer stands in your house, reads the load path, and tells you straight: this wall goes, or this wall stays and here's what it costs to open it anyway.
Is It Load Bearing is the residential-structural arm of Scapular Engineering, LLC. The same PE seals load-bearing letters here, manufactured-home certifications at Midwest MFG Inspection, and aluminum-wiring certs at STL Alumiconn. One license, one $2M policy, one phone number.
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