Brett Field
A load-bearing wall holds up the roof, floor or walls above it, so you cannot take it out without replacing that support. You can look for signs that point to a load-bearing wall, but only a structural engineer can confirm it for certain.
Below are the signs builders and engineers look for, which walls are usually load bearing, and the Queensland rules for removing one. This is general information, not structural advice for your home. Have an engineer check before you touch a wall.
Can you tell if a wall is load bearing yourself?
You can often make a good guess, but you cannot be sure without a professional. A load-bearing wall carries weight from the roof or the floor above and passes it down to the footings. A non-load-bearing wall (a partition) only divides the space and holds up little more than itself.
The catch is that some walls carry load in ways you cannot see from the room, such as a beam hidden in the ceiling or a point load from a roof truss. That is why guessing is a starting point, not an answer. The safe path is to check the signs below, then get a structural engineer to confirm before any wall comes out.
What are the signs of a load-bearing wall?
The clearest sign is the direction of the floor joists or roof members above. A wall that runs across them (at a right angle) usually carries them. A wall that runs the same way as the joists often does not. Here is how the two compare.
| Sign | Often load bearing | Often not load bearing |
|---|---|---|
| Joists or trusses above | Run across the wall | Run parallel to the wall |
| Position in the house | External wall, or a central spine wall | Short partition in a room |
| What is below | Sits over a beam, wall or footing below | Sits on the floor sheet only |
| Thickness | Thicker, or doubled-up studs | Thinner single-stud partition |
| Age | Part of the original build | Added in a later change |
No single sign is proof. A thin wall can still carry a point load, and an added wall can end up holding something it was never meant to. Treat the signs as clues that add up, not a verdict.
Which walls are usually load bearing?
External walls are almost always load bearing, because they carry the roof and often the floor above. Inside the house, the wall that runs down the middle of the home, roughly parallel to the long external walls, is often a load-bearing spine that the floor or ceiling joists span onto.
Short walls that box in a room, a robe or a hallway are more often partitions. In a brick-veneer Gold Coast home, the inside walls are usually timber stud frames, and any of them can be structural, so the frame type alone does not tell you. The original build is more likely to be load bearing than a wall added in a later renovation.
How can you be sure a wall is load bearing?
Ask a structural engineer. They can read the original plans, look in the roof space and under the floor, and work out what each wall carries. If you want to remove or open up a wall, the engineer designs the beam or lintel that takes over the load and sizes the posts that carry it down.
This step is not optional for a structural wall. Getting it wrong can crack ceilings, jam doors or, at worst, drop part of the roof or floor. The engineer's drawing is also what a building certifier needs before the work is approved.
Can you remove a load-bearing wall in Queensland?
Yes, but it is structural building work, so it needs an engineer's design and a licensed builder, not just a handy weekend. In Queensland, the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) says building work valued at more than $3,300, including labour, materials and GST, must be done by a licensed contractor. A carpenter's licence covers framing and carpentry; the structural beam work usually needs a builder with the right class.
Taking out a non-load-bearing partition is a much smaller job. It is still worth checking it carries nothing, and that there are no pipes, wires or ducts inside it, before it comes down. Our guide to a kitchen or bathroom renovation in an apartment covers the extra body corporate rules if you are in a unit.
Do you need council approval to remove a wall?
Changing a load-bearing wall is a major structural change, and the QBCC says "making major structural changes" is the kind of work that needs a building certifier to approve it. The certifier checks the engineer's design against the National Construction Code and inspects the work. On the Gold Coast, most home building work is privately certified.
Removing a non-structural partition generally does not need building approval, but the rule turns on whether the wall is structural, which is exactly why the engineer's check comes first. This is general information, not legal advice. Your certifier or council has the final say for your home.
What does Field Carpentry do with internal walls?
We build new timber stud walls, frame new door and window openings, and take out non-load-bearing partitions as part of a renovation. For a load-bearing wall, we work from a structural engineer's design and the right licensed trades do the beam work. We never guess a wall is safe to remove. See our carpentry page for the framing and fit-out we do, and our guide to stud spacing in Australia for how new walls are framed.
Where does this information come from?
Checked on 3 November 2026: the Queensland Building and Construction Commission on building work and the $3,300 licence threshold and on who approves structural changes. The signs of a load-bearing wall are standard building practice that a structural engineer confirms on site. We will review this guide again every three months.
See our carpentry work, or check what your job will cost.
