Are there ways to determine if a wall is load bearing?

Question

Other than looking up blue prints, which many homeowners may not have, are there ways to determine if a wall is load bearing?

Methods I can think of might include:

• Going up in the attic to check if ceiling trusses run perpendicular to the wall
• If the wall is an exterior wall

Any others?

Answer 1

The methods you describe are probably the best, but if you can actually see the wall, a load bearing wall will generally have a double top plate but a non-load bearing wall usually won't.

Answer 2

For many houses, a wall running down the middle of the house, parallel with the roof ridgeline is nearly always load bearing. You also may have easier access to the basement to check joist direction.

Answer 3

If the wall is above a basement or open crawlspace, you can look from below to see if it is on a bean or above a support post. If it is not, it still does not mean it is not load bearing, but it can help to understand the structure.