If you are building a new home, putting an addition on an existing home, or replacing your roof down to the rafters, you will need a new roof frame. Roofs are framed out of lumber and pieced together in a series of triangles designed to bear the load. They can be pieced in many different configurations from simple to elaborate and create a variety of different looks and ceiling heights.
Most homes today have roofs made of trusses 1, which are made offsite and delivered for installation. A 1,500sq.ft. roof has an average cost range of $14,500 to $18,400, with most homeowners spending around $16,000 on a 1,500 sq.ft. cross-gable roof on a two-story home.
New roof framing costs | |
---|---|
National average cost | $16,000 |
Average range | $14,500 - $18,400 |
Minimum cost | $11,000 |
Maximum cost | $20,000 |
The majority of roofs are framed using wood trusses 1, with a few using wood with steel bracing. However, it is also possible to build larger roofs using steel framing. Steel has a much higher cost than wood - nearly twice as much for materials. While lumber may have a cost of $4 per board foot 2, steel may be as much as $8 a board foot 2.
Steel framing, however, provides more stability for longer runs as well as for taller roofs. Cathedral ceilings and other tall roofs and interiors require steel bracing as part of the roof even when using wood because they require additional stability. Steel could, therefore, be used to create stronger roofs with more elaborate angles and pitches, potentially using less material. If you plan to use the attic space, want to use less material, and have higher ceilings, a steel frame may provide the needed versatility. Otherwise, wood frames or wood frames braced with steel can often accomplish the job for a considerably lower price.
While the majority of today’s roofs are built using trusses 1, most roofs were originally built using rafters. Rafters are large pieces of lumber that are constructed and fit on-site to form the roof. They offer customization and versatility, but they also require an expert carpenter and command much higher prices than trusses 1 because they require more labor to produce. Because they are built on-site, they also take significantly longer to install, and it is easier to introduce errors into the building design.
Rafters allow for taller ceilings than some trusses 1, which can be a benefit if you plan on finishing the attic. However, they also produce shorter runs, meaning that the home will have interior load-bearing walls 3 and cannot support an open floor plan as easily.
Trusses 1 are factory-built using precision computer-aided technology, so there is less room for error. They are built in a controlled environment and can be installed in a day, so there are fewer weather-related delays. Trusses 1 cost less to build and install, and there are many different types of trusses 1 available, including ones up to 40-foot runs that are perfect for open floor plans. Using steel bracing makes it possible to create trusses 1 that allow for the use of cathedral ceilings, different roof styles, and finished attics.
While rafters can be built on-site to nearly any specification, trusses 1 come in many set types. There are more than 25 different styles of available trusses 1, which allows for several types of roofs, including mixed-type roofs and custom designs. A few truss 1 types are more popular:
The type of truss 1 directly ties to the kind of roof you want your home to have. Just as hipped roofs require hip trusses 1, you need a specific truss 1 to accommodate many different designs.
Common roofs include:
When using a truss 1 roof, the framing process is actually fairly simple and straightforward. The trusses 1 are ordered about three to four weeks before they are needed. They are factory-built and assembled with computer-aided technology to the exact specifications of your home and roof size. They will be delivered to the site on a flatbed truck.
A crane is needed to lift the individual truss 1 pieces into place, where they will be balanced and nailed into the frame of the home. The entire process can be done in less than a day once the trusses 1 arrive, which is the biggest benefit of using this roofing system.
Labor is one of the smallest portions of the cost to build a truss 1 roof. Material costs, including the factory assembly ($11,000 - $12,500), the cost of the crane ($500 - $700), and other incidental costs ($80 - $200) make up the bulk of the project costs. Labor is typically charged by the hour at a rate of around $25 an hour for a total of about $2,500 - $3,000 of the $16,000.
Keep in mind that very tall buildings, large properties, and complex roofs cost more because they involve more material and labor. Costs also increase for roofs with a very steep pitch 4 and that need premium materials, such as steel braces.
There are often additional fees associated with the roof-framing process, including disposal of excess materials. This is usually nominal and adds around $70 - $200 to the project.
If you have a very complex roof, you may want to hire a designer to make drawings and plans for the roof. This adds about $50 - $100 an hour for the work.
The two basic ways to frame a roof are to use rafters, which are hand-built on-site, or trusses 1, which are factory-made and delivered.
Trusses 1 are significantly cheaper than rafters for material and labor.
Most trusses 1 are sold at a cost of around $4 a board foot 2 but may be higher or lower, depending on the material.
Cost to frame a new roof varies greatly by region (and even by zip code). To get free estimates from local contractors, please indicate yours.