Truss prices run $60 to $500 per wood roof truss and $150 to $700 per steel truss for the material alone, and roof truss cost installed runs $5 to $14 per square foot of roofing area, or $7,500 to $35,000 on average to frame a roof with trusses, according to the HomeGuide roof truss price guide (January 21, 2026). For steel truss prices by span, see our metal roof trusses guide. By span, HomeGuide lists a 30 foot truss at $120 to $330 and a 50 foot truss at $300 to $790 before installation, and a scissor truss for a vaulted ceiling at $120 to $500. At retail in October 2026, Menards listed a 30 ft residential common truss (5/12 pitch) at $193.99. The spread reflects truss type, span, lumber and plate material, engineering, and freight from the truss plant.
By The Roofing Brief Team. Last reviewed: October 2026.
Three inputs set a truss quote: the span, the truss type, and the design loads printed on the stamped truss design drawing. Under IRC Section R802.10.1, those drawings must be approved by the building official before installation and must ship with the trusses, and they list the snow and live loads, the design wind speed, the lumber grade of every member and the connector plate size and gauge. Our roof trusses overview covers the broader truss framework, and our roof decking replacement cost guide covers the decking that sits on top of the truss system.
Truss prices by span: 20, 24, 30, 40 and 50 foot trusses
The table lines up three published price sets for the spans people search most: HomeGuide’s national wood truss ranges (January 2026), Menards retail listings for stock wood trusses seen in October 2026, and the SteelBarnTruss.com price list for bolt-together 4:12 steel gable trusses with a 1 ft overhang. Stock retail trusses are built to one load rating and pitch; a truss engineered for your snow load and roof shape will price differently.
| Span | Wood truss, HomeGuide range (Jan 2026) | Wood truss, Menards listing (Oct 2026) | Steel gable truss, 4:12 (SteelBarnTruss.com) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 ft | Not listed separately | Stocked (20 ft residential common, 5/12) | $306.64 | Menards; SteelBarnTruss.com |
| 24 ft | $100 to $300 | Stocked (24 ft residential common, 5/12) | $330.00 | HomeGuide; SteelBarnTruss.com |
| 30 ft | $120 to $330 | $193.99 (residential common, 5/12); $257.99 (post-frame, 4/12) | $360.64 | HomeGuide; Menards; SteelBarnTruss.com |
| 40 ft | $280 to $500 | $232.99 (residential common, 4/12) | $600.00 | HomeGuide; Menards; SteelBarnTruss.com |
| 50 ft | $300 to $790 | Not stocked online | Not listed (list tops out at 42 ft, $630.00) | HomeGuide; SteelBarnTruss.com |
Two reads from the table: a 50 ft span is engineered-truss territory, which is why only HomeGuide’s survey range covers it, and steel trusses jump from $390.64 at 35 ft to $540.00 at 36 ft on the SteelBarnTruss.com list because the design switches to 2-inch angle on both chords.
The five major truss types in 2026
Five truss geometries cover much of residential and light commercial construction. Each suits a span range and a load condition, and price varies by type because lumber length and connector plate count differ across geometries. Published span guidance differs by source: Walker Lumber’s truss type guide lists king post trusses up to 25 ft, queen post 25 to 40 ft, Fink 20 to 60 ft, Howe 30 to 70 ft and scissor 20 to 50 ft, while HomeGuide notes that most standard roof trusses have a 4:12 to 6:12 pitch and span up to 40 feet. The truss design drawing for your loads sets the real limit. The truss versus rafter tradeoff and the broader span guidance live in our roof trusses and rafters comparison.
King post truss: the simplest truss geometry, with a single vertical post in the center connecting the top chord apex to the bottom chord midpoint and a diagonal web member on each side. King post trusses span up to about 25 feet in Walker Lumber’s guide, which makes the king post the usual answer to “the simplest truss,” and longer or more heavily loaded spans move to queen post or Fink geometry. King post trusses are most commonly used on porches, garages, and small accessory structures. HomeGuide prices king post trusses at $60 to $160 each before labor.
Queen post truss: the next-larger geometry, with two vertical posts dividing the truss into thirds and creating a central horizontal member at the bottom of the apex peak. Walker Lumber lists queen post spans of 25 to 40 feet, which covers many single-story residential applications. Queen post trusses are less common in modern U.S. residential construction than Fink trusses but still see service on garages, accessory dwelling units, and small homes. HomeGuide does not price queen post trusses separately; its span table puts a 24 foot truss at $100 to $300 and a 30 foot truss at $120 to $330 before installation.
Fink truss: a common residential truss geometry. Fink trusses use a W-shaped web pattern (sometimes called a W-truss) that distributes loads efficiently across typical house widths, which is why they are a frequent spec on single-family homes. HomeGuide prices Fink trusses at $120 to $260 each before installation.
Howe truss: the longer-span truss geometry that Walker Lumber lists at 30 to 70 foot spans, used on residential homes with larger floor plates, commercial light construction, and any application where the span exceeds Fink’s structural efficiency range. Howe trusses use vertical compression members and diagonal tension members in a pattern that handles longer spans with less material than scaling up a Fink would require. HomeGuide does not price Howe trusses separately; its span table puts a 40 foot truss at $280 to $500 and a 50 foot truss at $300 to $790 before installation. For low-slope and commercial roofs, our flat roof trusses guide covers the parallel-chord geometry that carries those spans.
Scissor truss: the vaulted-ceiling truss geometry, with bottom chords angled upward toward the apex to create a sloped interior ceiling. Scissor trusses are the structural solution for great rooms, foyers, and any interior space where the ceiling follows the roof slope rather than running flat. HomeGuide prices scissor (vaulted) trusses at $120 to $500 each and cathedral trusses, which are part flat and part vaulted, at $250 to $550, both before installation.
| Truss type | Typical span | Common use | Material price per truss | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| King post | Up to 25 feet (Walker Lumber) | Porches, garages, small accessory structures | $60 to $160 | HomeGuide, Jan 2026 |
| Queen post | 25 to 40 feet (Walker Lumber) | Garages, accessory dwelling units, small homes | Not listed; 24 ft truss $100 to $300, 30 ft $120 to $330 | HomeGuide span table, Jan 2026 |
| Fink | 20 to 60 feet (Walker Lumber) | Typical single-family homes | $120 to $260 | HomeGuide, Jan 2026 |
| Howe | 30 to 70 feet (Walker Lumber) | Larger floor plates, light commercial | Not listed; 40 ft truss $280 to $500, 50 ft $300 to $790 | HomeGuide span table, Jan 2026 |
| Scissor | 20 to 50 feet (Walker Lumber) | Great rooms, foyers, cathedral ceilings | $120 to $500 | HomeGuide, Jan 2026 |
| If your project is | Choose | Threshold, price and source |
|---|---|---|
| A shed, garage or porch spanning up to about 25 ft | King post | Up to 25 ft (Walker Lumber); $60 to $160 each (HomeGuide) |
| A house 20 to 60 ft wide with flat ceilings | Fink (W) truss | 20 to 60 ft (Walker Lumber); $120 to $260 each (HomeGuide) |
| A vaulted great room or foyer | Scissor truss | 20 to 50 ft (Walker Lumber); $120 to $500 each (HomeGuide) |
| A clear span of 30 to 70 ft or a heavy load | Howe truss, engineered | 30 to 70 ft (Walker Lumber); 50 ft trusses $300 to $790 (HomeGuide) |
| A usable room in the attic | Attic (room-in-attic) truss | Building at least 40 ft wide; $100 to $400 each (HomeGuide) |
| An R-49 ceiling with full insulation over the wall plate | Raised (energy) heel truss | IECC R402.2.1 lets R-38 count as R-49 at full height; $70 to $580 each (HomeGuide) |
| A steel barn or carport, 20 to 42 ft | Bolt-together steel gable truss, 4:12 | $306.64 (20 ft) to $630.00 (42 ft) (SteelBarnTruss.com) |
Stock vs engineered: where the price split happens
Stock trusses follow a truss plant’s standard geometries, span ranges, and load ratings, which keeps fabrication fast. Menards’ stock residential common trusses, for example, are sold by span and pitch with one load rating in the product name (a 30 ft, 5/12 pitch truss rated 62#), so a stock truss fits only where your local design loads are at or below that rating.
Engineered trusses are designed and fabricated to the specific building’s geometry, span, and load conditions. The truss manufacturer’s structural engineer produces a stamped drawing, and the design and manufacture of metal-plate-connected wood trusses must follow ANSI/TPI 1 under IRC R802.10.2. The drawing must show the design wind speed and exposure, top and bottom chord live and dead loads, each lumber member’s size, species and grade, and each connector plate’s size, gauge and location (IRC R802.10.1). Engineered trusses are required when the building geometry does not match a stock spec, when the load conditions are unusual (heavy snow load, seismic, point loads from rooftop equipment), or when the architectural design includes truss features (cathedral ceilings, dropped soffits, attic storage) that stock specs do not accommodate.
Engineered trusses cost more than standard ones at the same span because of the design work and the custom-cut lumber and plate work, but we found no current published figure for the premium that we could verify, so ask the truss plant to quote both options. Before an existing roof’s trusses are removed or modified, HomeGuide puts a structural engineer’s roof inspection at $150 to $600.
Whichever kind you buy, bracing is part of the price: IRC R802.10.3 requires trusses to be braced to prevent rotation and provide lateral stability as the construction documents and truss design drawings specify. Most residential projects use a mix of standard and engineered trusses: standard trusses across the bulk of the roof, with engineered trusses or beams handling openings around chimneys, hip ridges, valley intersections, and architectural ceiling features. HomeGuide puts the installed cost of framing a roof with trusses at $10,000 to $28,000 for a 2,000 square foot roof and $12,500 to $35,000 for a 2,500 square foot roof.
The major truss manufacturers and connector plate suppliers in 2026
The U.S. truss market has two layers: the connector plate manufacturers, who make the metal plates and license design software to truss plants, and the truss plants themselves, which buy lumber, cut it, plate it, and ship the finished trusses. Two of the best-known plate suppliers are MiTek and Alpine, and the plate type, size and gauge they supply has to appear on every truss design drawing under IRC R802.10.1.
MiTek: founded in 1955 on the Gang-Nail connector plate, the first punch-tooth metal plate for wood trusses, which engineer John Calvin Jureit invented and patented. MiTek says it has been a Berkshire Hathaway company since 2001. Its connector plates and truss design software are widely used by U.S. truss plants.
Alpine, an ITW company: Illinois Tool Works (ITW) acquired Truswal Systems in 2004 and Alpine Engineered Products in 2006, and formed ITW Building Components Group in 2007, according to Alpine’s company history. Alpine supplies connector plates, truss design software, and plant equipment.
The connector plate brand is not usually visible to the building owner, because the truss plant chooses the plate system that matches its software licensing and fabrication setup. The owner can still check the work on paper: the IRC R802.10.1 drawing that ships with the trusses lists the plate size and gauge at each joint and the lumber grade of each member, so a building inspector can compare the delivered trusses to the stamped design.
Truss plants themselves are regional, because freight on finished trusses is costly over long distances. Builders FirstSource, which describes itself as a leading U.S. supplier of structural building products, value-added components and services to the professional market, makes roof trusses at its own manufacturing facilities. ProBuild is no longer a separate operator: Builders FirstSource completed its acquisition of ProBuild on July 31, 2015, per the company’s announcement. Regional independents fill in the gaps.
Lumber grades and species: where the material cost lives
Truss lumber in 2026 is typically Southern Yellow Pine (SYP) in the eastern U.S. and Douglas Fir or Hem-Fir in the western U.S. The lumber grade for truss applications is most commonly No. 2 or better, with stress-graded MSR (Machine Stress Rated) lumber specified on longer-span and higher-load applications.
Lumber is a large share of a truss’s material cost, and truss prices follow the lumber market. The Bureau of Labor Statistics producer price index for wood trusses (series WPU08220109) peaked at 404.1 in March 2022, fell to 261.7 by September 2025, and stood at 284.8 in September 2026 (preliminary), up 8.8% in a year but still 29.5% below the 2022 peak. A quote that is several months old may not hold. The rest of the per-truss price goes to connector plates, fabrication labor, plant overhead, freight to the job site, and the truss plant’s margin.
Machine Stress Rated (MSR) lumber costs more than standard No. 2, which matters most on long-span trusses where lumber is a larger share of the price, and engineered long-span trusses often specify MSR lumber to control deflection. On commercial and low-slope framing, the trusses often carry a steel deck: our metal deck roofing guide covers the gauge and span of that decking.
Snow load and seismic: where the engineered premium gets paid
Truss engineering load assumptions vary substantially by U.S. region. High snow load, seismic design categories, and hurricane wind exposure each push a truss off a standard spec and into a stamped custom design. A truss engineered for Buffalo snow, Los Angeles seismic, or coastal Florida wind is a heavier and costlier truss than the same span in a low-load market.
Snow load: ground snow loads in the U.S. range from near zero in much of the Sun Belt to 100 pounds per square foot or more in parts of the Mountain West, and they are high around the Great Lakes snowbelt. Trusses engineered for high snow load need heavier members and plates than the same span in a low-snow zone, so the same 36 foot truss engineered for Atlanta and for Buffalo are different, differently priced products. Our guide to roof snow load design requirements walks through the ASCE 7 math.
Seismic load: the seismic design categories in the IBC and IRC drive engineered truss specs on the West Coast, in parts of the Mountain West, and in parts of the Mississippi Embayment. Seismic loading is largely about the connection between the truss and the bearing wall, so it shows up as connection hardware such as hurricane clips, hold-downs, and straps.
Wind load: hurricane-zone wind loading in coastal Florida, the Gulf Coast, and the East Coast hurricane belt drives some of the most demanding truss specs in the U.S., and the Florida Building Code’s High-Velocity Hurricane Zone provisions (Miami-Dade and Broward counties) add requirements beyond the rest of the state. Our 2026 Severe Weather Roof Damage Report covers the broader hurricane-zone roof framework that the truss engineering feeds into.
Installation cost: $100 to $600 per truss installed
Truss installation on residential work is often a crane-set operation, with trusses lifted from the truck to the bearing walls and braced in place by the framing crew. HomeGuide puts installed roof trusses at $100 to $560 per truss in new construction and $130 to $600 per truss during a roof replacement.
HomeGuide’s January 2026 line items for setting trusses:
Labor to set and install: $40 to $60 per truss, or $1 to $4 per square foot.
Equipment and crane rental: $200 to $700 per day.
Removing old trusses (replacement jobs): $30 to $50 per truss, plus $100 to $1,000 or more in disposal fees.
Because equipment and crane rental is charged by the day, its per-truss share falls as the crew sets more trusses per day. At HomeGuide’s $200 to $700 per day, setting 19 trusses a day (the 38-truss example below over 2 days) works out to $10.53 to $36.84 per truss, and setting all 38 in one day halves that to $5.26 to $18.42 per truss (Roofing Brief arithmetic).
Truss attic storage and energy heel: the upgrades that change the math
Two truss design features change the cost picture and the building’s long-term usability: attic storage trusses that clear an interior cavity, and energy heel trusses that raise the bearing edge for full-depth eave insulation. HomeGuide prices attic trusses at $100 to $400 each and raised heel (energy) trusses at $70 to $580 each, both for the material alone.
Attic storage trusses: trusses designed with a clear interior cavity at the bottom chord level that can be used as conditioned or unconditioned attic storage. The trade-off is structural: the cleared cavity reduces web bracing efficiency, which means heavier lumber sections and more connector plate hardware than a standard truss at the same span. HomeGuide notes that room-in-attic trusses suit buildings at least 40 feet wide.
Energy heel (also called raised heel) trusses: trusses with a vertical extension at the bearing edge that creates additional cavity space for insulation at the eave. Under IECC Section R402.2.1, R-38 can satisfy an R-49 ceiling requirement where the full-height insulation extends over the wall top plate at the eaves, which a raised heel makes possible without compressing the insulation. Our attic ventilation guide covers the broader framework that the energy heel feeds into.
Worked example: truss package for a gabled home
The table applies HomeGuide’s January 2026 unit prices to an example gabled home with 30 standard Fink trusses and 8 scissor trusses over a vaulted great room. It is a Roofing Brief estimate using published unit costs, not a quote, and it leaves out truss design drawings, freight, bracing lumber, and contractor markup, so treat it as a floor.
| Line item | Unit cost (HomeGuide, Jan 2026) | Quantity | Estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fink trusses, material | $120 to $260 each | 30 | $3,600 to $7,800 |
| Scissor trusses, material | $120 to $500 each | 8 | $960 to $4,000 |
| Labor to set and install | $40 to $60 per truss | 38 | $1,520 to $2,280 |
| Equipment and crane rental | $200 to $700 per day | 2 days | $400 to $1,400 |
| Subtotal | $6,480 to $15,480 |
For comparison, HomeGuide’s installed whole-roof figures of $5 to $14 per square foot of roofing area ($12,500 to $35,000 for a 2,500 square foot roof) run higher than the build-up above because they include more of the framing labor and the items the table leaves out. For a building owner working with a builder or designing a custom home, the truss type decision (Fink vs scissor vs attic storage) drives both the immediate truss package cost and the long-term usability of the upper floor or attic space. Our broader 2026 Roofing Cost Report covers the full residential roof framework, and our commercial roofs overview covers the structural decisions on the commercial side.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a roof truss cost in 2026?
HomeGuide (January 2026) puts wood roof trusses at $60 to $500 each and steel trusses at $150 to $700 each for the material alone, and framing a roof with trusses at $5 to $14 per square foot installed, or $7,500 to $35,000 on average. A 30 foot truss runs $120 to $330 and a scissor truss for a vaulted ceiling $120 to $500 before installation.
How much does a 30 ft or 50 ft truss cost?
HomeGuide (January 2026) lists a 30 foot wood truss at $120 to $330 and a 50 foot truss at $300 to $790 before installation. At retail in October 2026, Menards listed a 30 ft residential common truss (5/12 pitch) at $193.99, and the SteelBarnTruss.com price list shows a 30 ft, 4:12 steel gable truss at $360.64; its list stops at 42 ft ($630.00).
What is the simplest roof truss?
The king post truss is the simplest: one vertical post from the apex to the bottom chord with a diagonal web on each side. Walker Lumber’s truss guide lists king post spans up to about 25 feet for garages and sheds, and HomeGuide prices king post trusses at $60 to $160 each before labor.
What is the most common residential truss type?
The Fink truss is a common residential geometry. It uses a W-shaped web pattern that distributes loads efficiently across typical house widths, and HomeGuide prices it at $120 to $260 per truss before installation. King post trusses are also common on short spans such as porches and garages because they use the fewest components.
What is the difference between stock and engineered trusses?
Stock trusses follow a truss plant’s standard geometries, spans, and load ratings, which keeps fabrication fast. Engineered trusses are custom-designed to the building’s exact geometry and loads with a stamped structural drawing, and IRC R802.10.1 requires that drawing to list the design loads, lumber grades and connector plates and to be approved by the building official before installation. Engineered trusses cost more at the same span; ask the truss plant to quote both, because we found no current published figure for the premium that we could verify.
How much does truss installation cost?
HomeGuide puts installed roof trusses at $100 to $560 per truss in new construction and $130 to $600 per truss during a roof replacement. Its line items are $40 to $60 per truss for labor to set and install, $200 to $700 per day for equipment and crane rental, and $30 to $50 per truss to remove old trusses.
What is an energy heel truss and does it cost more?
An energy heel, or raised heel, truss has a vertical extension at the bearing edge that leaves room for full-depth insulation over the wall top plate. Under IECC Section R402.2.1, R-38 can then satisfy an R-49 ceiling requirement. HomeGuide prices raised heel (energy) trusses at $70 to $580 each for the material alone.
How much does a full truss package cost for a typical home?
HomeGuide (January 2026) puts the installed cost of framing a roof with trusses at $10,000 to $28,000 for a 2,000 square foot roof and $12,500 to $35,000 for a 2,500 square foot roof. A Roofing Brief build-up from HomeGuide unit prices for 30 Fink and 8 scissor trusses, set labor, and two days of equipment comes to $6,480 to $15,480 before design drawings, freight, bracing lumber, and markup.