Most contractors size a replacement beam off a span table and hope the point loads work themselves out below. Lebra Engineering & Design does it differently: one firm calculates the real load path — from the roof and floors above, through a sized beam, down through new posts to a footing that can carry it — and stamps the package your building department will actually approve.
PE-reviewed · a written proposal typically within 1 business day. Rush review available once a wall’s already open.
Tell us what’s coming down and we’ll tell you what has to go in its place.
Take out a load-bearing wall and that load does not disappear — it has to travel somewhere. An undersized header sags, cracks the drywall above it, and shows up as a dip in the floor upstairs a year later. An oversized one costs more than it needs to and can eat into your ceiling height for no reason. Massachusetts building departments know the difference, and most require a registered design professional’s stamp on the calculation before they will sign off on the permit.
We do not size a beam off a span table built for a generic house. We take the actual loads above the wall — the roof, the floor, whatever bears on it — and calculate the beam, the posts below it, and whether the existing footing can take the new point load or needs to be built up. That is the package a building official can actually approve, and the one your framing crew can build from without guessing.
We talk through the wall, the room, and your timeline.
We confirm what is actually carrying load and what sits above it.
The beam, the posts, and the footing path, sized for your house.
A permit-ready structural package, not just a beam size on a sticky note.
Available for a site visit if something unexpected turns up once the wall’s open.
Every day a job sits waiting on an engineer is a day your crew isn’t earning and your client is watching the calendar. Our online booking calls back within 30 minutes during business hours. Send a photo of the wall and the framing above it, and in most cases we can turn around a stamped beam size before your crew needs to frame.
A calculated beam and load path, not a size picked off a span table.
Built for active job sites, not open-ended timelines.
A permit-ready package your building department will recognize.
Available if something unexpected shows up once the wall’s open.
Structural design and stamped calculations for removing a load-bearing kitchen wall and installing a sized replacement beam.
Beam and post design opening a first-floor kitchen and dining wall into one shared space.
Steel flitch beam design removing a mid-span basement support wall without losing ceiling height.
Illustrative examples of the project types we handle across Massachusetts. Not specific client engagements.
"I was accorded military discount in addition to affordable pricing and overall great experience. Great team! Marcelo handheld me through the whole process.."
"I've worked with George and Marcelo on several projects now, and have nothing but GREAT things to say about them. They have been responsive to our clients questions and their plans are clear and very easy to understand. I highly recommend them and as a bonus, they also provide land surveying, so I can work with them as a one stop shop!"
"As a remodeling contractor, having a structural engineer I can actually count on makes all the difference, and that's exactly what we've had with Marcelo and George at Lebra Engineering & Design. We've worked with them for over three years and they're our go-to on every project that needs structural support. They're responsive, efficient, and — most importantly — genuinely available when we need them. Remodels never go exactly to plan, and more than once we've hit a surprise after demo that meant rethinking the structural approach. Every time, Marcelo and George have jumped in quickly to help us modify the plan and keep the job moving. That kind of reliability is hard to find. Highly recommend them to any contractor or homeowner who needs structural engineering done right."
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We’ll review your wall, the framing above it, and outline the fastest path to a stamped, permit-ready beam design.