A load-bearing wall carries weight from above, such as floor joists, rafters, a beam end or another wall, down to a beam, wall or footing below. The strongest clues are joists or rafters landing on top of it, a beam, wall or post directly beneath it in the basement, and walls stacked above it. Exterior walls are almost always bearing. Only confirmation of the framing above and below is conclusive.
- Follow the load: if something rests on the wall and something under it carries it down, it is bearing.
- Walls perpendicular to joists near mid-span are usually bearing; parallel walls usually are not, but there are exceptions.
- Wall thickness, a double top plate and 2x4 or 2x6 studs do not tell you whether a wall is bearing.
- Truss roofs usually leave interior walls non-bearing, except where a girder truss or point load lands.
- Before removing any wall you are unsure about, open the ceiling or get an engineer to confirm.
01 /What is a load-bearing wall?
A load-bearing wall is a wall that supports weight from above and passes it down to the structure below. The weight can be floor joists, ceiling joists, rafters, the end of a beam, a post, or another bearing wall on the floor above. A non-bearing wall, also called a partition, supports only itself and can in principle be removed without affecting the structure, although it may still hold wiring, plumbing, ducts or bracing.
Bearing walls are part of the house's load path. Take one out without replacing its support and the joists above lose a support point, doubling their span. The floor above sags, and in bad cases framing cracks or fails. That is why moving or removing walls is structural work that municipalities generally regulate; Calgary, for example, lists structural changes such as moving or removing walls on any floor of a house as needing a building permit.
02 /How can you tell if a wall is load-bearing?
Work through these clues from the basement up. Several pointing the same way make a strong case; only seeing the framing above and below the wall settles it.
- Look directly below it in the basement
A beam, a foundation wall, a line of posts or a bearing wall directly under the wall is the strongest clue. Houses are built so loads stack.
- Check which way the joists run above
Look from the basement at the floor joists, or in the attic at ceiling joists. A wall running perpendicular to the joists, especially near the middle of their span, is often where they rest or lap.
- See whether joists land or lap on it
Joists that end, overlap or are spliced over the top of a wall are bearing on it. Joists that pass continuously over a wall may still bear on it, so this clue is strongest when you can see ends or laps.
- Look for walls stacked above
A wall on the second floor directly over the one in question, or a post above it, sends load down through it.
- Check the roof framing
In a stick-framed (rafter) roof, interior walls under the ridge or supporting ceiling joists are often bearing. In a truss roof, look for a heavier girder truss or trusses bearing on the wall.
- Note the wall's position
A wall running down the middle of the house, parallel to the ridge, is a classic bearing location in older houses.
- Look for original drawings
Permit drawings or builder plans usually show bearing walls, beams and point loads. Your municipality may hold records of past permits.
- Exterior walls
Treat exterior walls as bearing. They carry the roof and floors and also brace the house against wind.
03 /Are load-bearing walls always perpendicular to joists?
Usually, but not always. Walls perpendicular to the joists are the ones joists typically rest on, so most interior bearing walls run that way. Walls parallel to the joists usually carry nothing, because the joists run alongside them. The exceptions are the ones that catch renovators out.
| Situation | Why it bears load |
|---|---|
| A post or beam end lands on the wall | A point load from above comes down through a few studs |
| A doubled joist or flush beam sits on top | The wall supports that member along its length |
| Joist direction changes between rooms | The wall is perpendicular to the joists on one side |
| A wall stacked on it above carries roof load | The upper wall's load passes straight down |
| It braces the house (shear wall) | Resists wind or racking even if it carries no gravity load |
| Short walls around stairs and openings | Headers and trimmers often bear on them |
Direction changes are common. Joists often run front to back in one part of a house and side to side in another, especially where additions or stairs meet. Always check the joists directly above the wall you care about, not just those at one end of the house.
04 /Which clues are myths?
Several popular tests do not tell you whether a wall is bearing:
- Thickness. A thicker wall is usually a plumbing wall (2x6 studs to fit a drain stack) or an old plaster wall, not necessarily a bearing one. A load-bearing wall can be a standard 2x4 stud wall; most interior bearing walls in houses are.
- A double top plate. Many framed walls, bearing or not, have doubled top plates, and some bearing walls in older houses do not.
- Knocking. A solid sound means dense framing or plaster, not load.
- Doors and windows. Bearing walls can and often do have doorways and windows; the header over the opening carries the load around it. The size of the header is a better clue; cut joists and renovation damage explains how headers work and what goes wrong when openings are added.
- Age of the house alone. Older houses often have more bearing walls, but renovations may have added beams or moved walls since.
Brick is its own case. In an older solid-masonry house, the thick brick walls are load-bearing. In most modern houses, brick on the outside is a veneer, a single layer tied to a wood-framed wall that carries the load. Removing or cutting either kind of brick wall is engineering work. The brick wall and chimney guide shows how to tell the two apart.
05 /How do trusses and older houses change the answer?
In a house with an engineered roof truss system, the trusses usually span from exterior wall to exterior wall, so the interior walls below the roof are often non-bearing. The exceptions are girder trusses, which carry other trusses and land on specific walls or posts, trusses designed with an interior bearing point, and floors below that bear on interior walls regardless of the roof. Truss layouts are typically documented by the truss manufacturer; if you have them, they show bearing points.
In older houses built with rafters and ceiling joists, a central bearing wall often supports the ceiling joists where they lap, and sometimes struts from the rafters. Removing it can let the ceiling joists sag and, if they were also acting as ties, let the rafters spread and the ridge drop. The roof and truss guide explains this failure.
06 /How many load-bearing walls does a house have?
It varies with the size, age and framing of the house. A typical Canadian bungalow has its exterior walls plus one interior bearing line running roughly down the middle, carried in the basement by a beam on posts or a foundation wall. A two-storey house usually has that central line on each floor, stacked. Wider houses, houses with long clear spans, and houses with additions may have more; houses with engineered floor joists and trusses may have fewer interior bearing walls.
Finding the bearing lines is also the first step in planning an open concept. A bearing wall can be removed or shortened, but only by replacing its support with a beam and posts that carry the load to the foundation. That is covered in removing a load-bearing wall, and the planning costs are in the structural repair cost guide.
Not sure about a wall? Send a request with photos of the wall, the ceiling or attic above and the basement below. StructuralRepair.ca is part of HAUSE Home, an independent information and service-request network; the desk replies with next steps and, where available, a local engineer or contractor.
FAQQuestions people ask
Are all walls load-bearing?
No. Exterior walls almost always are, and most houses have one or more interior bearing lines, but many interior walls are partitions that carry no load from above.
Can a load-bearing wall run parallel to the joists?
It can. A parallel wall may carry a post, a beam end, a doubled joist or a wall above, or brace the house. Most bearing walls are perpendicular to the joists, but parallel walls are not automatically safe to remove.
Can load-bearing walls have doors and windows?
Yes. Openings in bearing walls are spanned by headers that carry the load to studs at either side. Enlarging an opening means a bigger header and is structural work.
Are load-bearing walls thicker?
Not reliably. Thicker interior walls are often plumbing walls or plaster. Most interior bearing walls in houses are ordinary 2x4 stud walls.
How are load-bearing walls marked on blueprints?
Structural or framing plans usually show bearing walls, beams, posts and point loads, often with notes or distinct line types. Check the legend; if plans are old or incomplete, confirm on site.
Can I remove a load-bearing wall?
Yes, with a beam and posts that replace its support, carried down to proper footings, usually designed by an engineer and built under a building permit.