Residential Remodeling (B-2) · Lesson 5 of 5

Removing a Bearing Wall: Sizing the Replacement Girder From CRC Table R602.7(2)

"Removing a Bearing Wall: Sizing the Replacement Girder From CRC Table R602.7(2)" is lesson 5 of 5 in the Residential Remodeling (B-2) Learning Hub. It opens with "The Beam Is Regulated: Start With the CRC Girder Tables" and works through 5 short steps, then a worked example you can check yourself against.

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Steps in this lesson

  1. The Beam Is Regulated: Start With the CRC Girder Tables
  2. Reading Table R602.7(2)
  3. Interpolate the Building Width
  4. Jack Studs and Lateral Bracing
  5. Bearing at the Ends and the Load Path Below

The worked example in the course applies this lesson to a realistic job in 6 steps, from "Needed span and interpolation" through "Check the bracing note".

What you'll be able to do

  • Explain the main idea of "Removing a Bearing Wall: Sizing the Replacement Girder From CRC Table R602.7(2)" in plain language you can use on the exam.
  • Apply this step with confidence: "Interpolate the Building Width".
  • Apply this step with confidence: "Jack Studs and Lateral Bracing".
  • Apply this step with confidence: "Bearing at the Ends and the Load Path Below".
  • Test yourself on the worked example and the quick-check quiz inside the classroom.
Wall Removal: Girder From Table R602.7(2) House 30 ft wide, one floor above floor joists bear on top of girder 4-2 x 10 GIRDER jack NJ 1 jack NJ 1 opening 8 ft 0 in = 96 in wall removed here each end bears 1 1/2 in min on wood (R502.6) load path continues to the foundation TABLE R602.7(2): ONE FLOOR ONLY SIZE 24 ft 36 ft 30 ft 3-2 x 10 8-1 6-7 7-4 FAIL 4-2 x 8 7-11 6-5 7-2 FAIL 3-2 x 12 9-6 7-9 8-7 1/2 OK NJ 2 4-2 x 10 9-4 7-8 8-6 OK NJ 1 30 ft = halfway, so average (note c): 4-2 x 10: (112 + 92) / 2 = 102 in = 8-6 102 in is at least the 96 in needed Note e: cripples bearing on top = x 0.70 102 x 0.70 = 71.4 in: fails, so the girder must be designed 4-2 x 10 GIRDER, ONE JACK STUD AT EACH END (OR 3-2 x 12, TWO JACK STUDS) Spans in feet-inches; No. 2 grade DF-L, hem-fir, SP or SPF; building width interpolated (note c) Source: 2025 CRC Table R602.7(2) notes b-e; R502.5; R502.6; R602.7.5 CC
The diagram for this lesson, exactly as it appears in the Learning Hub.

The first steps of this lesson

Step 1: The Beam Is Regulated: Start With the CRC Girder Tables

A bearing wall that is removed must be replaced by a girder and jack studs that carry its load to the foundation. 2025 CRC R502.5 says the allowable spans of girders and headers made of dimension lumber may not exceed the values in Tables R602.7(1), R602.7(2) and R602.7(3). For a bearing wall inside the house use Table R602.7(2), Girder Spans and Header Spans for Interior Bearing Walls; Table R602.7(1) is for exterior bearing walls. Anything the tables do not cover is an engineered element under R301.1.3. Temporary shoring of the floor above while the wall is open is trade practice, not a quoted code rule.

Step 2: Reading Table R602.7(2)

The rows are grouped by what the girder supports (One floor only, Two floors), then by size written as plies, such as 4-2 x 10 (four 2x10s). The columns are building width of 12, 24 or 36 feet, measured perpendicular to the ridge (note c), and each shows the maximum Span in feet-inches and NJ, the number of jack studs required at each end. Spans assume No. 2 grade Douglas fir-larch, hem-fir, Southern pine or spruce-pine-fir (note b). Lumber sizes in the code are nominal unless stated otherwise (R301.8).

The remaining 3 steps, the worked example and the quiz are in the course. This is a preview. The full lesson, with the step-by-step explanations, a worked example and a quick-check quiz, is inside the classroom.

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