Is it normal for a beam install to cost this much compared to a door removal?

The $6,000 quote for the beam support isn't actually that far off if it includes the engineering and the structural header itself. When you're dealing with a load-bearing wall in a raised ranch, you aren't just swapping a wall for a piece of wood. You're redistributing the entire weight of the floor above down to the foundation. If you don't get a **structural engineer** to sign off on the size of that beam, you risk the upstairs floor sagging or your drywall cracking throughout the house in six months.

Whatever you do, keep the uncle away from this. Anyone who says they can properly shore up a house, pull a permit, and install a structural beam in a single day for cheap is likely skipping the critical safety steps. If you go with the contractor you trust, make sure he’s getting a spec letter from an engineer first. In many jurisdictions, you can't even close out the permit for a structural change without that stamped calculation. Since you have a baby on the way, the last thing you want is a lingering permit issue or a structural failure while you're sleep-deprived. Honestly, given the December deadline and the fact that you're already second-guessing the loss of that extra bedroom, putting the drywall back up is a perfectly valid move. It’s the fastest way to get your house back to a livable state before the baby arrives. You can always revisit the open-concept plan in a few years when you've had time to live with the house and see if you actually need that third bedroom for a nursery or a quiet guest space. There is no shame in hitting the undo button to reduce your stress right now.

Oh my gosh, I just joined this forum becuase we are obsessed with upgrading our house too!! That sounds so stressful but also kind of exciting to change the layout! If you do end up keeping the wall and just putting the drywall back like that other person said, are you going to keep the two old door frames or upgrade them to somethig fancy? I've been looking at those super cool hidden pivot doors or maybe even double barn doors for our basement project. Do you think those would fit the vibe of a raised ranch better than standard ones?

If you decide to hit the undo button and put the wall back, please don't just reuse those old, hollow slabs. Since you have a baby coming, soundproofing is going to be your best friend. We swapped our bedroom doors for Jeld-Wen ProCore solid mineral core doors and the difference in noise reduction is insane. You can have the TV on or guests over in the living area and the nursery stays actualy quiet. It’s way better than a standard door if you're allready doing the drywall work anyway.

Exactly, going back to a wall is the smart move for peace of mind right now. But if you do follow the advice on solid core doors for the nursery, don't forget to check your hinge weight ratings. Those heavy mineral core slabs will pull right out of a standard pine frame if you just use those tiny 1-inch screws that come in the kit. Make sure you use at least one 3-inch screw per hinge that bites all the way into the framing studs behind the jamb. It prevents the door from sagging and dragging on the carpet three months after the baby arrives.

If you're going to stick with the wall and those two door frames, don't even think about the cheap contractor-grade stuff. If you want a clean, modern look for that new living area, look into the Masonite Livingston series. They have a great 3-panel profile that looks high-end but won't break the bank. Since you're allready down to the studs, swap those old frames for some heavy-duty 4-9/16" finger-jointed pine jambs. It’ll give those solid core doors a rock-solid foundation so they don't sag and ruin your reveal lines after six months.