Removing load bearing walls on parlor floor - cost?

Our architect approved the removal of the front to back walls on our garden and parlor levels without additional support. The width of our house is 16’8″ and we do not have walls on the upper two floors, the rooms are wall to wall. Obviously, getting an architect’s perspective is wise with these decisions. The cost should be minimal if you don’t need additional support. It would just be the cost of demo/removal/carting, patching and finishing the ceiling and floors. I would suspect no more than $3k. However, if you have plumbing and electric running through those walls then its a “horse of a different color”. Definitely figure that out first, good luck. If it all works out you will love the open feel of the room provided by removing the walls.

monaco

in General Discussion 7 years ago

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Guest User | 7 years ago

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We want to demolish two walls on our brownstone parlor floor — the one that runs front to back of the house (parallel to the stairs) and the one going side to side in roughly the middle of the house, separating the front room rom the dining room/kitchen space in back. What is the cost, in the worst case scenario, if these are load bearing walls and we need to install a header (headers?), ideally without a post. Do the headers add $10k? $25k? Any advice appreciated. (The house is only 15 feet wide, fyi.)

randolph | 7 years ago

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i am not an engineer but I think in a 15′ house you might be able to get away with removing those two walls and not adding any additional support. impossible to say without knowing more about existing conditions.

yudashasom | 7 years ago

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The front to back wall carries the load for the walls on the upper floors – it can’t just be removed without adding steel or engineered beam. I don’t know the cost of that but $10-25k sounds about right.