Roof trusses are definitely here to stay — they're common almost everywhere and dominate roof framing in the big tract developments in the western U.S., where I work. Trusses have established themselves because they save both time and materials. So why doesn't everyone use trusses? One reason is that on some jobs, you're simply better off cutting rafters. These include roofs with lots of hips and valleys, flat roofs, and many simple, small buildings and additions where using trusses just doesn't save labor. But it's clear to me that many contractors don't use trusses on jobs where they should. Once you know what precautions to take, trusses work beautifully on most roofs and offer some very real advantages. The
