How do I design an open floor plan renovation for an older New Brunswick home?

Opening up the floor plan of an older NB home is one of the most transformative renovations you can make, but it requires a structural engineer's assessment before any walls come down — in NB's housing stock, virtually every interior wall you'd want to remove has some load-bearing function. Budget $150-$500 for an engineer's review before demolition, not after.

Most older homes in Moncton, Saint John, and Fredericton were built between 1900 and 1970 with a compartmentalized room layout — separate kitchen, dining room, and living room, each closed off from the other. These homes used multiple interior walls as structural elements, carrying floor and roof loads down to the foundation. When you remove one of those walls, that load has to go somewhere. An engineer will identify which walls are load-bearing, specify the beam size needed to carry the span, specify the posts or columns needed to support the beam ends, and confirm whether the foundation below can handle the new point loads.

A steel LVL (laminated veneer lumber) beam spanning 10-16 feet typically costs $2,000-$5,000 to supply and install, including temporary shoring during construction, the beam itself, and the posts or columns at each end. Add the engineer's drawings, building permit, and the drywall/finishing work afterward, and a single wall removal typically runs $5,000-$12,000 total. This is separate from any other kitchen or living room renovation work you're planning.

NB's climate adds layers of complexity that don't exist in milder provinces. Many older NB homes have plumbing, heating ducts, or electrical wiring running through the walls you want to remove. Relocating a drain stack or ductwork from a wall you want to open adds $2,000-$6,000 to the project. Factor this in before you commit to a layout. A good contractor will do a basic inspection before quoting — if they quote a wall removal without looking inside the wall cavity first, get a second opinion.

For homes in Fredericton's older neighbourhoods, Saint John's Victorian-era housing stock, or Moncton's century-old homes, the structural surprises compound. These homes sometimes have floor joists running in unexpected directions, double walls with hidden cavity purposes, or load-bearing configurations that don't match modern conventions. Never let anyone remove a wall in an older NB home based on guesswork. The engineer's fee is cheap insurance.

When planning the new layout, think about how the open space will feel in both NB's dark winters and its bright summers. Large openings between kitchen and living areas work best when the primary window exposure is to the south or west — south-facing open plans flood with winter light when you need it most. Consider where you'll add a kitchen island or peninsula to define the cooking zone without closing the space back in. Lighting design matters enormously in open plans; plan for pot lights, pendant lights over the island, and layered lighting zones before the ceiling is closed up.

A building permit is required for structural wall removal in NB — there are no exceptions to this. The permit process in Fredericton, Moncton, and Saint John typically takes 2-4 weeks for residential structural work. Start the permit process before you finalize your renovation start date, and make sure your contractor's quote includes permit fees. For detailed guidance on the renovation planning and permitting process, the New Brunswick Construction Network directory connects you with experienced local renovation contractors who handle this type of structural work regularly.

---

Looking for experienced contractors? The New Brunswick Construction Network connects homeowners with qualified professionals:

• Thirty Four Renovations
• Gionetterenovations