A beam should be used in place of a load-bearing wall. The cost of installing a steel beam ranges from $1,300 and $5,000, depending on the size and kind of steel beam you pick, as well as the labor required to install it. A beam is the most efficient way to divide up a floor plan into smaller rooms. Beams can also be used to create open spaces within a room or between multiple rooms. The first step in choosing the right type of beam for your home is to determine how much weight it will need to bear. If you're building a new house, this would be easy to figure out; but if you have an existing structure, weigh the available beams to make sure they can support their own weight as well as what kinds of loads you expect to put on them. Next, look at the space where you want to mount the beam. Certain areas of a house (such as near heaters, air conditioners, and other heavy appliances) require special attention when mounting a beam. You may need to leave extra space beneath the beam to allow for plumbing or other utilities that could not otherwise be run under the beam. Once you know where you're going to mount the beam, measure the distance between the outer edges of the supports you'll be using for it. This is called the bearing length.