FHB Logo Facebook LinkedIn Email Pinterest Twitter Instagram Plus Icon Close Icon Navigation Search Icon Navigation Search Icon Arrow Down Icon Video Guide Icon Article Guide Icon Modal Close Icon Guide Search Icon Skip to content
Subscribe

In every issue you'll find...

  • Expert insights on techniques and principles
  • Unbiased tool reviews
  • Step-by-step details to master the job
  • Field-tested advice and know-how
Subscribe Now!
Subscribe
  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Videos
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House
  • Podcast
  • Join
  • Log In
Subscribe

Fine Homebuilding Project Guides

Framing

Guide Home
Chapter
  • Introduction to Framing
  • Framing Tools, Techniques, and Materials
  • Framing Floors
  • Framing Walls
  • Framing Stairs
  • Framing Roofs
  • Efficient Framing Methods
  • Timber Framing
Design

Framing Tricky Truss Roofs

When building houses with trusses made for hips and valleys, careful planning and job-site organization are key to an efficient installation.

By Paul Johnson, Nathan D. Young Issue 225

Synopsis: Over three-quarters of the roofs on new homes in the United States are built with trusses. For gable roofs, you simply need lots of the same kind of truss. For roofs that include hips and valleys, however, you may need trusses in dozens of different configurations. Paul Johnson and Nathan Young, building contractors in Portland, Ore., explain in this article their process of installing trusses for a house with a complex roof. They stress that before the trusses even arrive at the job site, it’s important to make a plan for delivery that ensures that there is adequate space for the delivery truck and that identifies the spot where the trusses will be unloaded. The truss company includes a plan with the truss package that should be followed carefully. The builder, however, will need to decide where to start. Johnson and Young usually begin with a girder truss, then proceed with the installation in sections. They provide guidance for installing blocking, stick-framing certain areas, shopping for a truss supplier, and modifying a truss. A color-coded photo illustrates the types of trusses Johnson and Young used on one project: hip, girder, jack, and valley.


It’s estimated that nearly 80% of the roofs on new houses are framed with trusses rather than conventional rafters. The reason for this is simple: roof trusses are faster to install, which lowers labor costs and results in quicker occupancy. In seismically active areas, such as the Pacific Northwest region where we build, using trusses is generally the simplest way to build a complex roof that satisfies code and local inspectors. It has also been our experience that perhaps one framing crew in a dozen could efficiently stick-frame the complicated roof of a custom home like the one shown here.

On this job, the architect sent his detailed roof plan to the truss company, which used computer software to design the individual trusses and to plan the layout. Once the foundation was in place, a representative from the truss company checked the site for factors that would complicate delivery and took final measurements of the foundation. The truss package was delivered 10 days later.

Make a plan for delivery

Depending on their length, trusses may arrive on a flatbed truck that has an on-board crane, or they may be delivered on a semi and unloaded with a separate crane.

On this project, they came on a 60-plus-ft. flatbed with an on-board crane. Even with this big truck, the trusses still stuck out the back by 10 ft., which meant that the truck was blocking a lane in the street. Further complicating matters, the truck driver, who was also the crane operator, had to navigate around trees to get the trusses off the truck, which prolonged the delivery process.

It wasn’t a problem on this job, but the parking area for the truck needs to be wide enough to accommodate the stabilizers for the crane. Because the truck is heavy, the truss company may require a damage waiver to protect it from lawsuits if the truck breaks a paved driveway. We often use scraps of LVLs under the stabilizers to help spread the load when the truck is on concrete or asphalt.

worker constructing a roof The truss company is responsible for getting the trusses to the job and will set the bundled trusses on the ground, or on the wall plates if they can reach, but they won’t spend the time to set individual trusses. On most residential projects, this isn’t a problem, but on commercial and large residential jobs with especially long or tall spans, it’s worth the cost of hiring a crane to set individual trusses while the framers brace them. We’ve also been on jobs where the delivery truck can’t get the trusses on the roof because of their size or because of poor access. In these situations, we bring in a smaller crane or an all-terrain forklift to lift trusses individually or in bundles.

Precise layout and understanding of the truss plan is the key to making a truss roof with hips and valleys that come together. A good truss manufacturer provides a detailed layout, bracing instructions, and all the necessary hardware. However, you’ll need a basic understanding of roof framing for the plan to make sense. Fortunately, truss and stick-frame roofs share much of the same terminology.

framing truss roofs magazine spread


For more photos and information on framing tricky truss roofs, click the View PDF button below. 

From Fine Homebuilding #225

Sign up for eletters today and get the latest how-to from Fine Homebuilding, plus special offers.

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters
View PDF
Previous: Rolling Roof Trusses Next: Elegant Eaves for a Truss Roof

Guide

Framing

Chapter

Framing Roofs

Log in or create an account to post a comment.

Sign up Log in

Become a member and get full access to FineHomebuilding.com

Framing

Framing

Trusted, in-depth guidance from the pros for framing a durable, code-compliant house

View Project Guide

View All Project Guides »

Become a member and get unlimited site access, including the Framing Project Guide.

Start Free Trial

Introduction to Framing
  • House Framing Concepts, Tips, and More
Framing Tools, Techniques, and Materials
  • Tools
  • Techniques
  • Framing Lumber
  • Steel
Framing Floors
  • Floor Framing
  • Engineered Floors
  • Floor Sheathing
Framing Walls
  • Wall Framing Basics
  • Layout
  • Wall Assembly
  • Raising and Straightening Walls
  • Framing Rough Openings
  • Blocking
Framing Stairs
  • Stair Layout
  • Building Stairs
Framing Roofs
  • Roof-Framing Basics
  • Roof Design
  • Laying Out and Cutting Rafters
  • Framing Valleys
  • Working with Trusses
  • Dormers
  • Special Situations
Efficient Framing Methods
  • Advanced Framing
  • Double-Stud Walls
Timber Framing
  • Timber-Frame Construction
  • Timber-Frame Design

Fine Homebuilding

Follow

  • twitter
  • facebook
  • instagram
  • pinterest

Newsletter

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

Membership & Magazine

  • Online Archive
  • Start Free Trial
  • Magazine Subscription
  • Magazine Renewal
  • Gift a Subscription
  • Customer Support
  • Privacy Preferences

Taunton Network

  • Green Building Advisor
  • Fine Woodworking
  • Fine Gardening
  • Threads
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Careers
  • Copyright
  • Terms of Use
  • Site Map
  • Do not sell my information
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility
  • California Privacy Rights

© 2022 The Taunton Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

X
X
This is a dialog window which overlays the main content of the page. The modal window is a 'site map' of the most critical areas of the site. Pressing the Escape (ESC) button will close the modal and bring you back to where you were on the page.

Main Menu

  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Video
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Reader Projects
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House

Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk

Webinars

  • Upcoming and On-Demand

Account

  • Log In
  • Join

Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk

Webinars

  • Upcoming and On-Demand

Popular Topics

  • Kitchens
  • Business
  • Bedrooms
  • Roofs
  • Architecture and Design
  • Green Building
  • Decks
  • Framing
  • Safety
  • Remodeling
  • Bathrooms
  • Windows
  • Tilework
  • Ceilings
  • HVAC

Magazine

  • Current Issue
  • Past Issues
  • Magazine Index
  • Subscribe
  • Online Archive
  • Author Guidelines

All Access

  • Member Home
  • Start Free Trial
  • Gift Membership

Shop the Store

  • Books
  • DVDs
  • Taunton Workshops

More

  • FHB Ambassadors
  • Reader Projects
  • Podcast
  • Customer Support

Account

  • Log In
  • Join

Newsletter

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

Follow

  • twitter
  • facebook
  • instagram
  • pinterest

Join All Access

Become a member and get instant access to thousands of videos, how-tos, tool reviews, and design features.

Start Your Free Trial

Subscribe

FHB Magazine

Start your subscription today and save up to 70%

Subscribe

We hope you’ve enjoyed your free articles. To keep reading, become a member today.

Get complete site access to expert advice, how-to videos, Code Check, and more, plus the print magazine.

Start your FREE trial

Already a member? Log in