What Size Beam Do I Need to Remove a Load-Bearing Wall?

What Size Beam Do I Need to Remove a Load-Bearing Wall?

You’ve got the open-concept dream in your head already. The cramped kitchen disappears, the living room finally breathes, and the whole main floor feels like one bright, connected space. Then somebody says the words “load-bearing wall”, and the mood shifts. Suddenly the question becomes painfully practical:

What size beam do I need to remove this wall?

Do you just throw in a big LVL and hope for the best? Do you hire a structural engineer for every single opening? Do you trust your contractor’s “we always use this size” answer? If you’ve ever googled “what size beam to remove a load bearing wall” or “how big of a beam to replace a load bearing wall”, this is exactly the problem you’re bumping into.

Let’s walk through how beam sizing really works for wall removals, why there is no universal magic size, and when it makes sense to bring in a pro for residential beam sizing.

Why There’s No Universal Beam Size for Wall Removal

It would be nice if there were a chart that said, “For a 16-foot opening, always use this beam,” and you could walk away confident. Real life is messier.

When you ask “what size beam do I need to remove a wall”, what you’re really asking is: how much load is that wall carrying, how far does the new beam span, and what material am I using to bridge that gap?

The answer changes when the span changes. A beam size to remove a load bearing wall over a 10-foot opening is not the same as for a 20-foot opening. A LVL beam span for a 20 foot opening has very different demands than a 10-foot kitchen pass-through. It changes again if the beam is carrying only a floor versus a floor and a roof. It changes if there’s another wall sitting above it. It changes with joist direction, spacing, and how the loads actually flow into the beam.

Think of a beam as a mini bridge inside your house. Asking “what size beam to remove a load bearing wall” without any context is like asking “what size bridge do I need” without saying whether you’re driving a bicycle or a loaded semi-truck across it. The phrase sounds simple, but the details matter.

What Actually Controls Beam Size When You Remove a Wall

If you strip away the jargon, beam sizing for wall removal boils down to a small set of questions:

What is the clear span between supports once the wall is gone? Are we talking about 8 feet, 12 feet, 16 feet, or a full 20-foot opening? People often search for things like “size of beam for 20 foot span” or “size of beam for 16 foot span” because they instinctively know span matters. They’re right. The longer the span, the bigger and stronger the beam usually needs to be.

What is the beam actually carrying? Is the wall supporting only the floor above? Floor and roof together? An attic or storage space? Maybe even another partial wall? A structural beam for an open concept kitchen has a different demand if it’s carrying only one floor versus multiple levels and a heavy roof.

How wide is the tributary area? In other words, how much floor and roof area actually feeds into that line where the wall used to be? This is what residential structural beam calculations are really doing behind the scenes—turning that area into a load per foot that the beam has to carry.

What material are you using? Is it a LVL beam for a load bearing wall, a PSL, sawn lumber, or a steel beam for removing a load bearing wall because wood is getting too deep or heavy? The allowable stress and stiffness of the material changes the required size.

How much deflection are you willing to accept? It’s not just about whether the beam breaks. It’s about whether it sags enough that the drywall cracks and floors feel bouncy. That’s where beam deflection and sag in open concept remodels can quietly ruin a beautiful design if no one checks it.

Once you know span, loads, tributary width, and material, you’re finally in a position to talk about an actual LVL beam size for wall removal or the right simple steel beam for a residential span.

Read More: Who Do I Hire to Size a Beam for My House?

LVL vs Steel: Which Beam Makes Sense for Wall Removal?

When people think about removing a load-bearing wall, they usually imagine wood or steel. The classic question is LVL vs steel beam for wall removal.

LVL (laminated veneer lumber) is incredibly common in houses. A LVL beam span for a 20 foot opening might be possible if the loads are modest and you’re okay with some depth. LVLs are familiar to most framers, easy to handle with a crew, and work well with typical floor framing. If someone talks about “putting in a triple LVL” or asks about LVL beam span for 20 foot opening, they’re usually trying to solve the problem in an all-wood system.

Steel beams enter the conversation when spans get long, headroom gets tight, or the depth of a wood member becomes ridiculous. A steel beam for removing a load bearing wall can often be shallower for the same span and load, which matters if you’re trying to keep a flat ceiling line. A simple steel beam for a residential span can also be a cleaner visual line if you leave it exposed as part of the design.

Neither is automatically better. LVL vs steel for wall removal is a tradeoff between depth, weight, cost, connection details, and what your local suppliers and trades are comfortable with. The important thing is that whichever material you pick, someone still has to do the beam sizing correctly so you’re not guessing.

How Beams Get Sized in Real Residential Projects

So how does someone actually size a beam when you remove a wall?

In residential work, a lot of beam and header sizing leans on prescriptive beam sizing methods built into the code and manufacturers’ design tools. The International Residential Code (IRC) includes IRC span tables for beams and headers that cover common cases. Engineered wood manufacturers supply manufacturer design tools like ForteWEB and BC Calc that do member selection when you feed them the right loads and geometry. For simple steel, designers use standard wide-flange shapes and straightforward residential structural beam calculations from recognized references.

In a typical open concept project, the process might look something like this in plain language. You figure out what floor and roof loads that wall was carrying. You determine the tributary width of the floor and roof feeding into the new beam line. You calculate the uniform load per foot. Then you run that through a beam design tool or manual check to see what size LVL, glulam, or steel beam can safely span the distance within allowable stress and deflection limits. You do this for the specific conditions in that house—not just what someone used in a different house three years ago.

That’s the difference between “we always use this” and an actual beam sizing process.

Can My Contractor Size the Beam, or Do I Need an Engineer?

This is where people often get stuck on the question: “can my contractor size a beam?” Some contractors are very thoughtful and use the tools we just talked about. Others choose beams by feel, habit, or what’s sitting in the yard.

There’s also confusion around “do I need an engineer to size a beam” and “do I need a structural engineer to remove a load bearing wall”. The answer is: sometimes yes, but not always.

If your beam falls clearly within prescriptive limits—one or two stories, simple spans, typical residential loads—then prescriptive beam sizing using the code and manufacturer software may be acceptable in your jurisdiction. In that world, a designer or drafting professional who knows how to apply those tools can provide a beam and header sizing service without acting as the structural engineer of record.

On the other hand, if you are dealing with unusual loads, stacked bearing lines, long spans that push the limits, or a building department that specifically says “we need engineered design and sealed calculations,” then you’ve crossed into the territory where a licensed structural engineer needs to be involved.

The key is not to guess. The right person to size your beam depends on the complexity of your situation and what your building department expects.

Who Actually Sizes Beams for Houses?

If you’re a homeowner, it’s natural to wonder “who sizes beams for houses?” and, more specifically, “who sizes beams for houses in Richmond?” You hear different answers from different people. Some say “your contractor does.” Some say “you must hire a structural engineer for everything.” Others point you to an architect or designer.

The reality is layered. Contractors often initiate the conversation because they’re the ones opening walls. Architects and drafters frame up the design, adjust openings, and call out preliminary sizes. Structural engineers step in when the problem goes beyond prescriptive methods or when the code requires a sealed design.

In between those roles, there’s a very practical niche: a dedicated beam sizing service in Richmond VA and surrounding areas that focuses on house-scale problems. A service like that applies code-based methods and manufacturer tools to typical projects, and then coordinates with a licensed engineer when a project clearly needs full engineered design.

If your project is in Virginia, you might be looking specifically for residential beam and header sizing Virginia—someone who understands local jurisdictions and residential construction, not just theory.

What About Local Requirements and Permits?

Beam sizing doesn’t live in a vacuum. Your building department cares very much about how you remove a load bearing wall. If you’re searching for phrases like “remove load bearing wall Richmond VA”, you’re already aware that local rules matter.

Some reviewers are comfortable with IRC span tables for beams and headers and manufacturer calc printouts when spans and loads stay within the prescriptive envelope. Others want to see sealed calculations from a structural engineer for any major structural change, no matter how simple it looks. That’s why it helps to have someone on your side who knows when prescriptive methods will fly and when they won’t.

If you hand in a drawing full of guesses, you put your contractor and your permit at risk. If you hand in a set that’s been sized using proper tools and, when needed, backed by an engineer, you dramatically reduce friction with the reviewer.

How a Dedicated Beam & Header Sizing Service Fits In

This is exactly the gap my Beam & Header Sizing service at Slate Drafting is meant to fill.

If you’re planning to remove a load bearing wall, open up a kitchen, or create a long opening on your main floor, you can bring the question here instead of throwing it into the void. I look at your span, what the beam supports, how the framing runs, and what jurisdiction you’re in. I treat “what size beam to remove a load bearing wall” as a real design problem, not a guess.

When the situation fits prescriptive methods, I size the beam and give you a clear recommendation—whether that’s a LVL beam size for wall removal, a header size for removing a wall over big windows, or a simple steel beam for a residential span where wood is no longer practical. When the situation clearly needs full engineering, I explain why and coordinate with a structural engineer through a formal arrangement instead of leaving you wondering what to do next.

You don’t have to figure out alone whether your project belongs in the prescriptive bucket or the engineered bucket. You don’t have to decide blindly whether your contractor’s suggestion is enough. You get a clear, code-informed path forward.

So, What Size Beam Do You Need?

By now you’ve probably realized there is no single answer to the question “what size beam do I need to remove a load-bearing wall?” The right beam size is not a magic number pulled from a forum or a friend’s project. It’s a function of span, loads, tributary area, material, and deflection limits, filtered through the lens of your local building department’s expectations.

The good news is you don’t have to become a structural engineer to make a good decision. You just need someone who lives in this space, understands prescriptive design, and knows when to say, “This is simple” versus “This needs a PE.”

If you’re in Richmond, Henrico, Chesterfield, or nearby in Virginia and you’re staring at a wall you’d love to remove, you’re exactly the person this service was built for. You can keep wondering if your contractor’s “triple LVL” is enough, or you can get deliberate about beam sizing and open up your space with a lot more confidence.

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