How Much Does a Structural Engineer’s Letter Cost?

Short answer: our load-bearing wall removal letter is a fixed fee of $1,000, delivered in 3 business days. Rush turnaround adds 30% and a hard deadline adds 50%. A bigger scope, such as several walls or a whole floor, may need full structural drawings, which start at $1,699.

What a structural engineer’s letter is

A structural engineer’s letter is a short document, sealed by a licensed Professional Engineer, that shows how a specific change will be supported. For a wall removal it names the new beam, the posts that hold it up, how they connect, and the calculations behind them. Building departments accept it as the structural part of a permit application for a simple opening.

What is included in the fixed fee

• Review of the wall, what is above it and the loads it carries.
• Beam, post and connection design, with calculations.
• A sealed letter you can hand to the building department.
• Notes on temporary shoring and the footings under new posts.

The fee is fixed, and we confirm the scope and price in writing before work starts. You pay 30% to start, 30% when you review the preview and 40% after final delivery.

What can change the price

• How many walls or openings. A single opening is a different job from several walls in one house.
• What is above the wall. A second floor, heavy roof or point loads need more design work than a single-story roof.
• The span. Long openings may need steel instead of a wood beam.
• Your deadline. Rush adds 30%, a hard deadline adds 50%.
• Whether the building department wants full drawings instead of a letter.

When a letter is not enough

For a single opening in a house, a sealed letter with beam calculations is often enough. Bigger changes, such as removing several walls, opening up a whole floor, or long spans that need steel, may need full structural drawings. The building department decides, and we tell you which one your project needs before you pay.

What you need to send

• A photo of the wall and the ceiling or floor above it.
• A rough floor plan with measurements, or a sketch.
• What is above the wall: a second floor, an attic or a roof.
• The size of the opening you want.

Do you need a permit?

In almost every jurisdiction, yes. Read do you need a permit to remove a load-bearing wall for what the building department usually asks for, or see the load-bearing wall removal letter page for the full detail.

This article is general information. Your building department decides what it needs for your project. Checked October 2026.