We just bought a new house, and my wife wants to remove the wall behind our dining table which has an opening in it. I'm trying to figure out if this wall is load bearing or not. The only structure above it is the roof. A general contractor I spoke with said it's probably not load bearing, but he suggested opening it up to inspect what's behind the wall, like any load bearing posts. My real estate agent recommended getting a structural engineer to take a look for us. What are your thoughts? I've included some pictures to help: https://imgur.com/a/ot2QYLi
3 Answers
Definitely get a structural engineer involved. Just from a photo, it's tough to say if that wall is load bearing or not. The contractor might want you to open it up because if it is load bearing, then you'll pay him for the work either way! Better to make sure first.
A qualified contractor can help determine this easily. If there's crawl space access, they can check for footings that might hint at load-bearing structures. They can also check in the attic for trusses and their support points. Unless you have the original house plans on hand, an engineer would need to check things out in similar ways. In some areas, you might not even need stamped plans for the work. I've seen load-bearing walls converted to beams with just a standard framing inspection here in Central CA.
Have a structural engineer inspect it. They can provide a stamp of approval which could be handy if you sell the house later. Also, is there no attic space above? That might change things!