Removing or Moving a Wall in Portland: Permits and Structural Review

An open floor plan starts with a wall coming out. Portland Permitting and Development lists moving, removing or adding walls as alterations that need a building permit. The only interior walls exempt from a permit are non-structural partitions that do not enclose habitable space, such as a closet wall.

Is the wall bearing?

A bearing wall carries floor, ceiling or roof load to the foundation. Signs that a wall may be bearing include joists or rafters that land on it, a wall directly above or below it, and a location near the middle of the house running perpendicular to the joists. None of these is proof. The answer comes from looking at the framing, and when there is doubt, from an engineer.

What a bearing wall removal involves

• A beam sized to carry the load the wall carried, either dropped below the ceiling or flush within the joists.

• Posts at each end of the beam, sized for the concentrated load.

• A load path to the foundation. The load from each post has to reach a footing, which can mean new footings in a crawlspace or basement.

• Temporary shoring while the wall is removed and the beam is set.

What the permit drawings show

• Existing and proposed floor plans, with the wall to be removed marked.

• The beam, posts and footings, with sizes and connections.

• Structural calculations where the beam is not covered by prescriptive tables.

• Any electrical, plumbing or mechanical runs that move, which need their own trade permits.

Other permit triggers on the same project

• Widening or adding exterior openings. Replacing windows and doors is exempt only when the openings are not widened or reduced.

• Projects large enough to count as a Major Residential Alteration and Addition.

• Kitchen and bath work that adds plumbing fixtures or circuits.

Why it pays to permit it

Unpermitted wall removals show up on home inspections as sagging floors, cracked drywall above openings or undersized headers. A permitted removal leaves a record a buyer, lender or insurer can rely on.

Common questions

Do I need a permit to remove a wall in Portland?

Yes. The City lists moving, removing or adding walls as work that needs a building permit. Only non-structural partitions that do not enclose habitable space are exempt.

How do I know if a wall is load bearing?

Look for joists or rafters landing on the wall and walls directly above or below it, but confirm with someone who can read the framing. An engineer settles it when there is doubt.

Do I need an engineer to remove a bearing wall?

Usually. A beam outside prescriptive tables, a long span or a point load to the foundation needs structural calculations.

Can I remove a non-bearing wall without a permit?

Only if it is non-structural and does not enclose habitable space, such as a closet wall. Walls that define a room generally need a permit.

How SASHKOV handles it

• Reviews the framing and confirms what the wall carries.

• Brings in the structural engineer for the beam, posts and footings under one SASHKOV contract.

• Prepares the permit drawings with the structural details and trade work.

• Submits the permit and carries it through framing and final inspection.

Where a building requires a licensed architect or engineer of record, SASHKOV brings them into the contract.

Need the drawings and the engineer together? See Permit and Construction Documents. For larger remodels, read Who Does What on a Permit.

Planning an open floor plan? Send the address and a photo of the wall, and SASHKOV will scope the permit and timeline in business days.