Tearing Down These Walls Could Be Deadly—So Why Are Homeowners Still Doing It in 2025?

The Shocking Reality Behind America’s Load-Bearing Wall Removals

Picture this: You walk into your kitchen and there’s a gaping hole where a wall used to be, but instead of the open-concept space you dreamed of, you’re staring at a sagging ceiling and hearing ominous creaking sounds from above. The chance that your home will outright fall down is slim, but it has happened. There may be extreme shifting in the house and you may notice things like a sagging or dropped ceiling, sagging or dropped floor, doors, and windows sticking, drywall cracks, or loud cracking noises. These signs frequently appear after removing the load-bearing wall. Despite these terrifying possibilities, homeowners across America are still knocking down walls at an alarming rate. The average cost to remove a load-bearing wall is $5,700, but the price ranges from $1,400 for a wall in a single-story home to upward of $10,000 for a wall in a multi-story home.

Why This Trend Is Exploding Despite the Dangers

In fact, 63% of homeowners would prefer to remodel their home rather than move to one that has already been renovated, according to a new survey of 1,000 homeowners from Clever Real Estate. The numbers are staggering – renovation spending is expected to hit massive heights this year. According to the Harvard University Joint Center for Housing Studies, spending on home renovations is expected to reach $509 billion in 2025, exceeding a record $487 billion in 2023 — and signaling that U.S. homeowners may be slowly but surely expanding the size and scope of home projects. But here’s the scary part: many of these homeowners are diving into structural changes without fully understanding what they’re dealing with.

The Cost of Getting It Wrong Can Be Catastrophic

When structural engineering goes wrong, the consequences are far more severe than a blown budget. Sagging ceilings, cracked walls, and even total structural failure are risks if load-bearing walls are removed improperly. Mistaking one for a non-load-bearing wall during renovation can lead to sagging ceilings, cracked walls, or, in the worst cases, catastrophic collapses. Real-world examples paint an even grimmer picture. City inspectors found the contractor did work “contrary to DOB approved plans,” causing a partial collapse of a load-bearing shared wall. The aftermath? Entire families displaced for months, living in hotels while their homes remain condemned.

The DIY Disaster That’s Taking Over Social Media

According to a recent survey, about 51% of homeowners are planning on either beginning or continuing home renovation projects. Working with trusted contractors is generally recommended, especially for more advanced tasks, but plenty of homeowners still enjoy getting their hands dirty and doing the work themselves. Social media has transformed home renovation into entertainment, with countless videos showing dramatic wall removals that get millions of views. Some homeowners or property owners may be tempted to remove a load-bearing wall by themselves, without consulting a professional or following safety guidelines. This can be a dangerous and costly mistake, as it can compromise the safety and integrity of the structure. The problem is that these viral transformations rarely show the months of engineering work and permits that should happen beforehand.

What Makes These Walls So Deadly

Load-bearing walls are critical to a home’s structure. They support the weight of floors, ceilings, and roofs, distributing it down to the foundation. Removing them requires careful planning and reinforcement. Think of your house like a house of cards – each load-bearing wall is a crucial support that keeps the entire structure from collapsing. When internal load bearing structural elements fail, a building will collapse into itself and exterior walls are pulled into the falling structure. This scenario may be caused by construction activity, an earthquake, or fire, and may result in a dense debris field with a small footprint. The engineering behind these walls isn’t just about following building codes – it’s about physics and the fundamental forces that keep your home standing.

The Hidden Costs That Nobody Talks About

The price tag for load-bearing wall removal goes far beyond the initial quote you might get. The total cost of removing a 10-foot load-bearing wall typically ranges from $10,000-$15,000. This includes structural work, beam installation, and finishing touches like drywall, paint, and flooring. But that’s just the beginning – if something goes wrong, emergency repairs can cost exponentially more. There are also many secondary expenses that homeowners should think about when removing a wall. Aesthetically, things like replacing wood trim, wood flooring, carpet or other floorings, repainting the newly created room, respraying textured ceilings, and patching drywall are important to consider. On top of this, there may be labor expenses affiliated with moving electrical outlets, switches, plumbing pipes, and heating vents.

Professional Help Isn’t Optional – It’s Life-Saving

Removing a load-bearing wall is not a DIY job. A professional must calculate the right size beam, secure permits, and follow building codes to prevent structural damage or collapse. The process requires a team of specialists working together like an orchestra. Since removing a load-bearing wall can seriously impact the structure of your home, you’ll want to hire a licensed general contractor to manage the project. Not only do they have a deep understanding of building code and the expertise to undertake large construction projects, but they’ll also manage a team of subcontractors, which could include plumbers, electricians, and structural engineers. Hiring a structural engineer for load-bearing wall removal calculations runs $300 to $1,000. It’s a small price to pay when you consider the alternative.

Why 2025 Could Be the Most Dangerous Year Yet

The perfect storm is brewing in 2025, and it’s not just about renovation trends. Despite rising costs and various uncertainties, the NKBA predicts larger professional-led renovations will be increasing 2.9% in 2025, opposed to DIY renovations – which are only projected to increase 0.6%. However, the economic pressures are pushing more homeowners toward DIY approaches, even for complex structural work. More than 3 in 4 homeowners (78%) went over budget on their last project, with 44% exceeding their budget by at least $5,000 and 35% exceeding their budget by at least $10,000. Nearly two-thirds of homeowners (63%) have gone into debt to pay for a renovation. When budgets are tight, the temptation to skip professional consultations becomes dangerous. With construction costs continuing to rise and labor shortages affecting the industry, more homeowners might be tempted to take shortcuts that could prove fatal.