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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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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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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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