Once you’ve reached your house’s lowest point, look for walls whose beams go directly into the concrete foundation. Your house’s load bearing walls transfer their structural strain into a sturdy concrete foundation, so any walls that interface directly with the foundation should be assumed to be load bearing walls and should not be removed. Additionally, most home’s exterior walls are load bearing. You should see this at the foundation level - whether wood, stone, or brick, nearly all exterior walls will extend right into the concrete.
Except for in unfinished rooms, most beams will be behind drywall, so be ready to consult construction documents or contact the builder if you cannot find them. Beams are often easiest to find in an unfinished basement (or attic) where portions of the structure are exposed.
Again, because most walls’ supports are behind drywall, they can’t be seen. To determine whether certain floor joists in your house run perpendicular to a given wall, you may need to remove a number of floorboards in the floor above the wall so you have an unimpeded view to look down at the supports.
However, if there is an unfinished space like an empty attic without a full floor, the wall probably is not bearing a load.
Some of these structural features may appear decorative, but be skeptical - often, painted columns or narrow, embellished wooden structures can conceal beams that are highly important for a building’s structural integrity. [3] X Research source
This method can give you a clue of where non-load bearing walls might be, but you can’t be sure without checking the walls themselves. If you’re unsure, check with the builder to be sure that this was the type of construction used.
It’s not at all uncommon for homeowners not to possess a copy of their home’s original blueprints. Luckily, blueprints for your home may be found: At the county clerk’s office In the possession of the original owners In the possession of the original builder and/or contracting company Finally, it’s possible to commission a re-drawing of your home’s blueprint from an architect. This, however, can be costly.
If you’re unsure about your home’s history of renovations, contact previous owners and builders for more information.
Home inspections typically cost several hundred dollars. [4] X Research source This rate can vary depending on the market and the size of the house - some high-end estimates can be as high as $1,000.
