How to Lift a Wood Roof Truss

Use a crane, forklift or front end loader, depending on the jobsite, height of the roof and availability of equipment. Choose a crane if possible. Attach cables to a truss at two lifting points, one on each side, and fasten a guide rope to the bottom chord of the truss to help guide it into place. Lift the truss upright, guide it into position using the rope, and have at least two workers on the roof move it into position and secure it to the wall caps.

Raise trusses upright with a forklift or front end loader by positioning the forks or loading points under the truss and using the extension on the machine to raise the truss to roof height. Move the lift or loader down the wall to the appropriate spot. Have at least two workers on the roof guide the truss into position and secure it to the wall caps.

Lift trusses manually by positioning workers on scaffolding or ladders, outside the walls. Lift the trusses upside down until workers on the roof can catch them, swing them into position and set them upright. Move the ladders or scaffold down the roof as required as more trusses are raised.

Use workers with lifting poles, usually 2-by-4-inch boards notched on one end to hold the ends of a truss at the point where the rafter chord and bottom chord connect. Put one worker outside each wall and one in the center of the house. Lift the truss upside down with the poles at the front of the house and walk it down the roof to its position, where workers on the roof can erect it and secure it.