Taking out the wall between the kitchen and living room or joining two small rooms: it is one of the most popular alterations in Dutch homes, and one of those where things can go badly wrong. A load-bearing wall carries the floor, the storey or the roof above you; if you remove it without diverting the forces elsewhere, you get cracks, sagging floors and, in the worst case, a risk of collapse. In this article you will read how to recognise a load-bearing wall, why a structural engineer must always do the calculations, which rules apply and in what order the work is carried out.
How do you recognise a load-bearing wall?
You only know for certain after an assessment by a structural engineer or an experienced contractor. There are, however, clues you can check yourself.
- Direction of the floor joists or floor slabs. Floor joists and most system floors span from wall to wall. The walls on which the joists rest, so the walls at right angles to the direction of the joists, are load-bearing. In the attic you can often tell the joist direction from the floorboards; they run at right angles to the joists.
- The building drawing. For most homes, the municipality, the municipal archive or the regional archive holds building drawings from the building file. Load-bearing walls are drawn thicker or hatched on them, and the span direction of the floors is indicated. This is the most important source; request the file before you start making plans.
- Thickness and material. A wall of half-brick masonry or sand-lime brick of about ten centimetres or thicker is more often load-bearing than a light partition wall of gypsum blocks, aerated concrete or a timber frame. Knock on the wall: a dull, solid sound points to brick or stone, a hollow sound to a light wall. This is a clue, not proof; light walls can also provide stability.
- Position above one another. If exactly the same wall stands on the floor above, or a roof truss, a chimney or a stairwell rests on it, there is a good chance the wall has a load-bearing function. In terraced houses, the party walls between homes and often a central wall are load-bearing.
If in doubt, assume the wall is load-bearing until an expert has established otherwise.
Why a structural engineer must always do the calculations
Removing a load-bearing wall is in effect redirecting a play of forces. The weight that the wall transferred across its full width must, after demolition, be directed via a steel beam or a portal frame of steel or concrete to two points: the bearings on either side of the opening. This creates point loads that are sometimes many times greater than the original distributed load. The masonry under that bearing, the lintel, the floor and ultimately the foundation must be able to carry it. In homes with shallow foundations or on old timber piles, that is not a given.
The structural engineer calculates the load that will occur, chooses the profile and length of the beam, determines the bearing surfaces and any piers or columns, checks the foundation and describes how the structure must be propped during demolition. The result is a structural calculation with drawing, which you also need for the municipality or the quality assurer, for your insurer in the event of damage and when selling the home. A contractor who says a calculation is not necessary because they have "done this a hundred times already" is asking you to bear the risk of their estimate.
Which rules apply under the Omgevingswet?
Since the introduction of the Omgevingswet (Environment and Planning Act) on 1 January 2024, a building activity is assessed in two parts. The spatial part concerns whether the renovation fits into the municipality's omgevingsplan (local zoning plan); an internal renovation that does not change the volume or appearance of the home is usually permit-free in spatial terms. The technical part concerns structural safety and the other requirements of the Besluit bouwwerken leefomgeving (Bbl, the Dutch Building Decree). An intervention in the load-bearing structure falls fully within it.
For that technical part, depending on the type of building and the timing, either an omgevingsvergunning (environmental permit) for the technical building activity or a building notification under the Wet kwaliteitsborging voor het bouwen (Wkb, the Quality Assurance for Building Act) applies. For buildings in consequence class 1, such as single-family houses on their own plot, it is then not the municipality but an independent quality assurer (kwaliteitsborger) who checks the design and execution. The Wkb already applies to new construction in consequence class 1; for renovations, its introduction is phased and has been postponed several times. So always check the current situation via the permit check in the Omgevingsloket (the national permit portal) and, if in doubt, with the municipality. More background can be found in Quality Assurance Act: what the Wkb means for your renovation and in When do you need a permit?.
For a rijksmonument (national monument) or a building in a protected townscape or village view, an opening is rarely permit-free. With an apartment, the building does not usually fall into consequence class 1, so the municipality carries out the structural check.
VvE permission for apartments
If you live in an apartment, you own the apartment right, not the structure. Load-bearing walls, floors and facades are common property; for an intervention in them you need permission from the Vereniging van Eigenaars (VvE, owners' association) through a decision of the meeting, with the majority prescribed by the deed of division regulations. Without that decision, the VvE can demand restoration to the original state, even years later.
Neighbours and shared walls
A party wall between two terraced houses is often a mandelige muur (jointly owned party wall): the common property of both neighbours, regulated in Book 5 of the Dutch Civil Code. You may not simply make an opening in such a wall; you may build against it and insert beams or anchors up to half its thickness, provided you cause no damage. Even if the wall coming out is not shared, the work affects the neighbours: vibrations, dust, construction traffic and the risk of cracks in their home. Inform them in advance and, in the case of a shared wall, have a pre-construction structural survey of their home carried out. How to go about that is explained in Renovating and the neighbours: rights, duties and good agreements.
Dust, asbestos and safety
Demolishing a brick wall produces a lot of fine dust. A good contractor works with plastic dust screens and a construction vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter, and keeps the rest of the home sealed off. Homes built before 1994 may contain asbestos, for example in sealing cord around chimney flues, in window sills, in vinyl flooring or in the adhesive under tiles. If there may be asbestos in or on the wall that is coming out, an asbestos inventory by a certified company is needed first, and removal by a certified remediation contractor, with a notification to the municipality. Never drill through or demolish it yourself if in doubt; rijksoverheid.nl explains which rules apply.
Step-by-step plan: how the work proceeds
- Request the building drawing and engage a structural engineer. The structural engineer assesses whether the wall is load-bearing and produces the calculation and the drawing of the beam, bearings and propping plan.
- Arrange the notification or permit. Via the Omgevingsloket you check what applies to your home and submit the notification or application, including the calculation. For an apartment, you first arrange the VvE permission; for a shared wall, you make agreements with the neighbours.
- Choose a contractor and record the quote. Request quotes based on the structural drawing, so that all parties price the same work. Record who supplies the beam, who does the plastering and who arranges the removal of rubble. Read how to read a building quote.
- Prepare. Empty the rooms, put up dust screens, map out the pipes and cables in the wall (electrics, water, central heating) and have an installer reroute them.
- Propping. Props and a needle beam are placed on both sides of the wall to temporarily support the floor above, exactly according to the propping plan. Too few props or props in the wrong place is the most common cause of damage.
- Make the opening. The wall is removed in sections, from top to bottom. Often a bricklayer builds piers or fits concrete padstones that spread the point load.
- Install the beam. The steel beam is placed on the bearings, levelled and fixed; the space between the beam and the existing structure is tightly packed with mortar. Only once that has cured may the props be removed.
- Finishing. The beam receives fire-resistant boxing, the wall and ceiling junctions are repaired and a plasterer finishes everything smoothly. Then follow floor repairs, painting and connecting the rerouted pipes and cables.
- Completion notice and file. With a building notification under the Wkb, you report the work as completed and receive a file from the quality assurer; keep it together with the calculation and the invoices for a sale or a later renovation.
Who does what?
- Structural engineer: assesses the structure, calculates, draws and supplies the propping plan. Preferably hired directly by you, so that the advice is independent.
- Contractor: coordinates, props, demolishes, installs the beam and takes care of dust control and removal of waste. Check their KvK (Chamber of Commerce) registration, insurance and references for comparable openings.
- Bricklayer: builds bearings and piers and repairs masonry.
- Installer: reroutes electrics, water and central heating before demolition begins.
- Plasterer: finishes the beam, walls and ceiling.
Red flags
- A contractor who wants to start without a structural calculation or says that the notification to the municipality "is not necessary" without substantiating it.
- A beam placed on the existing wall without the bearing and foundation having been assessed, or no propping plan.
- A quote without company details or without a breakdown of demolition, structure and finishing.
- An apartment without a VvE decision, a shared wall about which the neighbours have not been informed, or an old home in which nobody has checked for asbestos.
On VerbouwPro you post your wall opening free of charge, and contractors, bricklayers and plasterers from your region with a verified profile and reviews respond. Add the structural drawing to your job description, and you will receive quotes that are comparable right from the start.