I live in a very rural area where contractors are scarce. All experts are building half million to million dollar summer homes on our lake so I understand those jobs take precedence. (More money while the building boom is going on.) I finally found a plumber today, but he said the wall would need to be moved because he doesn't do that kind of work. He did not look in the attic, but I knew we had to see if that wall was load bearing.

Minimum requirement between a tub pony wall and a toilet is 21". I am trying to get a few more inches, but I can't lose my coat & vacuum closet. The toilet will not be turned because it is too far from the side wall and it is too expensive to dig out concrete. (Built in 1966. One problem will lead to another so I don't want to chance moving the toilet.)

Sketch: I figured for a 5" pony wall including drywall. (We have one already, and it is 4 7/8". I have 26" interior depth (drywall to door) for the coat closet. I think 28" is recommended for coats. My coats are currently in a walk-in clothes closet and the lower sleeves touch the back wall. I could leave my bigger and heavier coats there since we don't seem to have much of a winter now.

If I move only light jackets to the new coat closet, can I get by with 22" - 23" depth? That depth would mean the coat sleeves might touch the back wall and the door, but it would give me an extra 3" - 4" clearance for the toilet. Opinions???

Another question: The back closet wall contains the plumbing for the shower/tub. That wall needs to be moved back about 12" - 13" for the tub to fit. Then the drain needs moved, too.

In the attic, there is an old 1966 roof under a 1980-1990 roof....a roof on top of a roof! When I looked at the joists, there are no braces where the closet area is. The 39" wide back closet wall runs perpendicular to the joists. The 13" side wall runs parallel to the joists. I see two 2x4s stacked on the top walls all the way around the room. (We don't have any house plans. Original owners just cobbled it together from 800 sf cabin to a 3500 sf house.) The walls next to the shower/closet wall used to be exterior walls, but now only one wall is exterior. I am assuming that both are still load bearing, but I don't know about the closet/shower wall.

Old exterior wall that is now interior. In the attic it goes up to the roof, so it is load bearing. Two 2x4s stacked.

Back closet wall/shower wall that needs moved back 13". The side wall to the left needs a 13" section removed. Two stacked 2x4s at ceiling level, but probably used to even up the rest of the walls' height????

Door has two stacked 2x4s.

Inside wall next to a 1966 bedroom. Has two stacked 2x4s.

Back exterior wall, load bearing. On the left wall you can see the water lines coming into the house on the interior load bearing wall. PEX added due to a leak.

Back wall of the closet. The ceiling drywall was missing so we added it. Will be easy to remove. We plan to put a plumbing access panel here.

Sketch: The dotted lines portray where the closet wall currently is. I wish I did not need the pony wall, but I have a tub with only one skirt. I am planning on using glass from the pony wall going up. This is a windowless bathroom so the clear glass will help with light. The plumbing in concrete will need to be moved with the closet wall, and the drain will need to be moved about 21" and turned from a shower to a tub drain. I believe all other clearances are good. I just noticed the grid lines did not scan. The long wall is 144" and short wall is 90".

Attic: Load bearing wall that used to be exterior. No braces at all above the closet.

Is it possible for that 39" wide closet wall to be load bearing? I can remove a section of ceiling drywall in the closet to get a better look, but the ducts may be in the way. Or would it be better to remove a section in the bathroom?

Advice would be greatly appreciated since I can't get a GC's opinions. Thanks.