Boom truck rental for roof trusses

Trusses are most of the crane work here

Census permit data shows 3,104 housing units authorized in Escambia and Santa Rosa through September 2026, up about 21% from a year earlier, and almost all of them single-family. Santa Rosa took the bigger share, so Pace, Milton and Navarre are where most truss sets happen. Every one of those houses gets its roof framing lifted into place.

Truck size and time

A house truss package is light. The challenge is length and reach, not weight. For most one-story homes, a 23 to 30 ton boom truck parked in the driveway or the street reaches the whole roof. Two-story homes and lots where the truck has to stay far back can need a 40-ton crane.

At posted rates of $180 an hour for a 23-ton and $195 for a 30-ton, a three to four hour set costs about $540 to $780. A 40-ton at $210 an hour with a 3-hour minimum starts at $630.

Getting the lot ready

• Truck spot: firm, level and clear. New lots often have soft fill or open trenches. OSHA makes the site’s controlling contractor responsible for ground conditions under the crane.
• Staging: have the truss bundle dropped where the boom can reach it without moving the truck.
• Overhead: check for lines along the street. OSHA keeps cranes 20 feet from lines up to 350 kV.
• Crew: framers on the walls, tag lines ready and bracing on hand before the truck arrives, so the clock is spent lifting.

After a storm

Isaias broke trusses on older houses as well as roofs. Replacing a section of trusses usually takes the same boom truck and adds a few hours of demolition first.