Roof Truss Cost: $7,500–$35,000 (Average $16,500) in 2026
Author: CostGuideHQ Editorial·✓ Fact-checked·Updated July 2026·5 min read·4 sources Quick answerQuick answer: A full roof truss system typically costs $7,500 to $35,000, averaging about $16,500 nationally, depending on home size, truss type, and material. A 2,000 sq ft house usually lands around $7,500-$12,000, while materials alone run $1.50-$4.50 per square foot.
- ✓The national average for a full truss system is $16,500, with most projects falling between $7,500 and $35,000 (HomeAdvisor).
- ✓A 2,000 sq ft house typically pays $7,500 to $12,000 for a complete truss system (This Old House).
- ✓Wood trusses cost $60 to $500 per truss for materials, while steel trusses run $150 to $700 per truss (HomeAdvisor).
- ✓Labor alone adds roughly $4 to $10 per square foot on new construction, on top of materials (HomeAdvisor).
How much does roof trusses cost?
National average
$16,500
total project
Typical range
$7,500–$35,000
Most projects
Whole project
$7,500–$12,000
$4,500avg $16,500$49,000+
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Cost by material / type
| Type | Low | High |
|---|
| wood truss, material only (per truss) | $60 | $500 |
| steel/metal truss, material only (per truss) | $150 | $700 |
| queen post truss (per truss) | $50 | $100 |
| hip truss (per truss) | $125 | $150 |
| scissor or attic truss (per truss) | $200 | $300 |
What affects the cost?
- Roof span — longer spans need more material and stronger hardware, and is described as the biggest cost driver (Today's Homeowner)
- Truss type/design — queen post trusses run $50-$100 each while scissor or attic trusses run $200-$300 each (This Old House)
- Material — wood trusses cost $60-$500 per truss versus $150-$700 for steel/metal (HomeAdvisor)
- Total roof/home square footage — a 2,000 sq ft roof frame runs $11,563-$21,038 versus $4,047-$7,363 for 700 sq ft (Fixr)
- Labor rates, roughly $20-$75 per hour (This Old House), or about $4-$10 per square foot for new construction (HomeAdvisor)
- Crane rental for setting trusses, about $200-$1,000 per day (This Old House, HomeAdvisor)
- Removal/disposal of old trusses on a remodel, about $300-$1,800 plus $100-$200 in debris disposal (HomeAdvisor)
- Permits, which can add roughly $500 (Fixr)
Why do roof trusses cost so much?
Trusses are priced by truss count, span, and material, which is why total project costs swing so widely. A full truss system averages about $16,500 nationally, with most jobs landing between $7,500 and $35,000 depending on home size (HomeAdvisor). For a typical 2,000 sq ft house, that usually narrows to $7,500-$12,000 for the complete system (This Old House), or $8,360-$15,400 just for the truss-frame portion of a broader framing job at that size (Fixr). Materials alone run $1.50-$4.50 per square foot, with labor adding roughly $20-$75 per hour (This Old House), or about $4-$10 per square foot on new construction, on top of that (HomeAdvisor). Individual trusses vary just as much: a basic wood truss runs $60-$500 depending on span, while steel trusses cost $150-$700 each (HomeAdvisor). The gap between the low and high end mostly comes down to how many trusses a roof needs, how long each span is, and whether the design is a simple gable or something more custom.
What affects the cost?
A handful of factors separate a $7,500 job from a $35,000 one:
- Roof span. Longer spans need more material and stronger connector hardware, and span is generally the single biggest driver of per-truss cost (Today’s Homeowner).
- Truss design. A simple queen post truss costs $50-$100, while a scissor or attic truss with a more complex profile runs $200-$300 (This Old House).
- Material. Wood trusses cost $60-$500 per truss for materials; steel or galvanized metal trusses run $150-$700 (HomeAdvisor).
- Total roof size. A 700 sq ft roof frame costs $4,047-$7,363, while a 2,000 sq ft roof frame runs $11,563-$21,038 — scale drives cost more than almost anything else (Fixr).
- Labor. Installation crews typically charge $20-$75 per hour (This Old House), adding roughly $4-$10 per square foot on new construction (HomeAdvisor).
- Crane rental. Setting trusses on anything beyond a small structure usually requires a crane, at $200-$1,000 per day (This Old House, HomeAdvisor).
- Old truss removal. On a reroof or remodel, tearing out existing trusses adds $300-$1,800, plus $100-$200 for debris disposal (HomeAdvisor).
How to lower your roof truss cost
- Stick with wood over steel where structurally viable. Wood trusses run $60-$500 per truss versus $150-$700 for steel, a substantial difference across a whole roof (HomeAdvisor).
- Favor simpler truss profiles. Queen post trusses at $50-$100 each cost a fraction of scissor or attic trusses at $200-$300, so simplifying roof geometry where possible cuts material costs directly (This Old House).
- Choose trusses over custom rafter framing. Truss systems typically save $1,000-$10,000 versus a stick-built rafter roof, which can run well over $30,000 for a custom design (Fixr).
- Get multiple quotes for crane rental and delivery. Crane costs alone range from $200-$1,000 per day, so shopping around on this line item can meaningfully move the total (This Old House, HomeAdvisor).
- Plan removal separately if replacing an existing roof. Old truss removal ($300-$1,800) and debris disposal ($100-$200) are often quoted apart from new installation — confirm whether a bid already includes them before comparing quotes (HomeAdvisor).
Actual costs depend heavily on your home’s size, roof span, and local labor rates, so treat these figures as a planning budget. Get quotes from two or three local truss suppliers or framing contractors, and confirm whether crane rental, old truss removal, and permits are included before comparing bids.
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Frequently asked questions
How much do roof trusses cost on average?+
The national average for a full truss system, installed, is about $16,500, with most homeowners paying between $7,500 and $35,000 depending on home size and truss design (HomeAdvisor).
How much does it cost to truss a 2,000 square foot house?+
Around $7,500 to $12,000 for the full truss system on a typical 2,000 sq ft house, or roughly $8,360 to $15,400 for the truss-frame portion of a professional framing job at that size (This Old House, Fixr).
Are wood or steel trusses cheaper?+
Wood trusses cost less, at $60 to $500 per truss for materials, compared to $150 to $700 per truss for steel or metal (HomeAdvisor).
What's the price difference between simple and complex truss designs?+
A basic queen post truss runs $50 to $100, while more complex scissor or attic trusses cost $200 to $300 each — two to six times more per truss (This Old House).
Is it cheaper to use trusses instead of stick-framing a roof with rafters?+
Yes. Trusses typically save $1,000 to $10,000 compared to a custom stick-built rafter roof, which can run well over $30,000 (Fixr).
What other costs come with truss installation besides the trusses themselves?+
Crane rental to set the trusses runs about $200 to $1,000 per day, and if you're replacing an existing roof, removing the old trusses adds another $300 to $1,800 plus disposal fees (HomeAdvisor, This Old House).
Sources
Figures synthesized and cross-checked across these sources (retrieved 2026-07-24):
- HomeAdvisor — Average cost $16,500; range $7,500-$35,000 for professional installation on new homes. Material pricing $3.50-$9.25 per linear foot. By truss size (materials only): 20 ft span $70-$190; 30 ft $100-$280; 40 ft $140-$370; 50 ft $170-$460; 60 ft $210-$560. By material per truss: wood $60-$500; metal $150-$700. Labor $25-$75 per hour; new construction $4-$10 per sq ft; removal labor $4-$5 per sq ft. Crane rental $300-$1,000; debris disposal (new) $100-$200; old truss removal $300-$1,800. By building type: new homes $7,500-$35,000; pole barns $5,300-$15,000; garages $3,500-$9,000; home additions $3,000-$12,000.
- This Old House — Average $7,500-$12,000 for a 2,000 sq ft house. Materials $1.50-$4.50 per sq ft. Labor $20-$75 per hour. By truss type (per truss): queen post $50-$100; hip $125-$150; scissor $200-$300; attic $200-$300. By material per board foot: steel $7-$9; timber $3-$5. Individual truss estimates: 20-foot truss $60-$80; 40-foot truss $135-$155. Crane rental $200-$700 per day; lumber waste removal about $30 per yard.
- Today's Homeowner — National average range $6,460-$8,500 for a typical 1,700 sq ft home (low $6,460-$7,140; mid $7,140-$7,480; high $7,480-$8,500). By material per truss: wood $45-$275; galvanized metal $240-$947. By roof span (per truss): 10 ft $45-$50; 20 ft $79-$96; 26 ft $107-$137; 40 ft $225-$275.
- Fixr — National average range $9,828-$17,882, average $13,650, for a 1,700 sq ft roof frame; per sq ft $5.78-$10.52. By roof size, total framing cost: 700 sq ft $4,047-$7,363; 1,000 sq ft $5,781-$10,519; 1,500 sq ft $8,672-$15,778; 1,700 sq ft $9,828-$17,882; 2,000 sq ft $11,563-$21,038; 3,000 sq ft $17,344-$31,556. Truss-frame-only portion by roof size: 700 sq ft $2,926-$5,390; 1,000 sq ft $4,180-$7,700; 1,500 sq ft $6,270-$11,550; 1,700 sq ft $7,106-$13,090; 2,000 sq ft $8,360-$15,400; 3,000 sq ft $12,540-$23,100. Demolition/removal $0.66-$1.20 per sq ft; permits can amount to $500; trusses save $1,000-$10,000 versus a custom rafter roof frame, which can cost well over $30,000.
National average ($16,500) and range ($7,500-$35,000) come from HomeAdvisor's professional-installation figures for a full truss system on a new home. Sources vary by the home size assumed: This Old House prices a 2,000 sq ft house's full truss system at $7,500-$12,000 (used here as project_low_usd/project_high_usd, a more typical mid-size-home range); Today's Homeowner prices a 1,700 sq ft home at $6,460-$8,500; Fixr's roof-framing figures (which include trusses as one line item within a larger framing job) run $9,828-$17,882 for a 1,700 sq ft roof, of which the truss-frame portion alone is $7,106-$13,090. Per-square-foot materials-only pricing is $1.50-$4.50/sq ft (This Old House); HomeAdvisor's labor-only estimate adds roughly $4-$10/sq ft on top of that for new construction. Fixr's overall roof-framing cost, which includes trusses as one line item within a larger framing job, works out to $5.78-$10.52/sq ft — in the same ballpark as stacking the This Old House materials figure and the HomeAdvisor labor figure together. by_type entries are per-individual-truss material costs, not whole-project totals — multiply by the number of trusses needed (a typical home needs several dozen) to estimate a project total; do not confuse these with the total-project unit used for national_average_usd/range figures. Figures generally cover truss materials and standard installation labor; crane rental, old-truss removal/disposal, and permits are commonly billed as separate add-ons.