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I thought to open the rear of my garage so I can drive through the garage to my backyard where I can do routine maintenance.

The contractor that came out to look at it said the wall is a shear wall and quoted me 30k just to make the opening because engineers have to be involved. The house is just a 2 story track home in California built in 2007. Can someone chime in on whether this is doable lot cheaper, with possibly DIY? I can screw wood together and weld steel if that's what's needed. Thank you in advance.

John
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    you can screw wood together and weld steel under the direction of a structural engineer – jsotola Dec 25 '22 at 05:47
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    Opinion: get an engineer to assess the loads and issues. – Solar Mike Dec 25 '22 at 07:25
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    It might be cheaper to construct a drive around the home instead, if space permits. – Criggie Dec 25 '22 at 19:53
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    'just a **2 Story** '. If the second story is over the garage you may have structural elements tying all the from the roof to the foundation footings passing through that back wall. Two story makes it a much more complicated issue. – user2448131 Dec 25 '22 at 20:21
  • If you laminate three 2" wide, 24" tall LVLs, I'm pretty sure you can span just about w/e you want, if it's tie plated to the 8x8s its sitting on. ... This shows just all LVLs (x2, 16" or 18" tall, I'm guessing) : https://www.proremodeler.com/simpson-strong-tie-strong-wall-sb using Simpson Strong-Walls. Don't need an engineer; just someone who knows all the California earthquake code (by heart, because that's what they do) and therefore the hardware required. – Mazura Dec 25 '22 at 22:53
  • I just did a furnace for somebody for about 15k. They had quotes for 45,000 and 100,000. *Trying to make a 1 or 2 car garage opening through a shear wall* ... then let's fckn do it (VTC). Pictures of the drywall removed and the outer cladding off the sheathing? 30k to make a hole? No. 30k to make a hole and put doors and fix the siding and the drywall? Maybe. – Mazura Dec 25 '22 at 23:06
  • You don't have to weld steel. You can go old-school and hot-rivet, Huck bolts, or just Grade 8 bolts with torque wrenches. – Harper - Reinstate Monica Dec 25 '22 at 23:06
  • Can you Post any diagrams? – Robbie Goodwin Dec 27 '22 at 00:03

2 Answers2

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The back wall provides the bracing that keeps the garage from collapsing sideways like a house of cards. You're taking about removing some of that. You need advice on how to retain the needed strength. This isn't something that can be answered without examining exactly how the building is now constructed and analyzing how forces are distributed through it.

If you want the structure to remain standing, get an engineer to tell you how to do so.

keshlam
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    (Anyone can build a bridge, if necessary by filling the entire gap with rocks. An engineer can tell you how to build a bridge that will meet all the interlocked requirements.) – keshlam Dec 25 '22 at 17:18
  • and Russia did exactly that to get across the blown bridge at Nova Kakhovka dam. The bridge went over a lock channel, easy to fill in. – Harper - Reinstate Monica Dec 25 '22 at 23:02
  • Well, in that case the requirements didn't include price or long-term durability...I mean, you could surround the garage with external bracing to replace the internal, fairly cheaply, and that would probably last a short time... – keshlam Dec 25 '22 at 23:34
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It's probably do able cheaper. But the contractor can't give you a precise quote without knowing the scope of work needed, so you get their worst case guess.

Someone needs to pay an engineer and then there will probably be a portal frame designed by the engineer, and that can be quoted by a structural steel fabricator, and installing it can be quoted by the contractor.

A contractor is not going to contract an engineer for hundereds of dollars just to provide a quote for work that may not even go to them.

If you are competent to weld up structural steel then by all means do your own quote for the portal frame, and tell the contractor that you will provide that part.

Jasen
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    Note that the Simpson Strong-Frame system likely can be used here, which would allow the OP to obtain the frame without needing to provide a skilled field welder... – ThreePhaseEel Dec 25 '22 at 17:03
  • thank you all for replies! Very grateful. I contacted structural engineer locally. He wanted blueprint so I requested that from the builder and the city. I will update! – John Dec 26 '22 at 23:50