Setting roof trusses with a crane in Idaho Falls
Most new homes around Idaho Falls and Ammon get their roof from a boom truck or a 40-ton crane in a single morning. What moves the price is the reach to the far wall, how close the bundles sit and whether the lot is firm enough for the outriggers.
What does a truss set with a crane cost in Idaho Falls?
On posted Mountain West rates, a boom truck runs $148 an hour with a 2-hour minimum and a 40-ton crane runs $210 an hour with a 3-hour minimum, so a typical house package lands between about $450 and $850. A two-story home or a wide shop with long trusses can need the 50 or 65-ton crane for a longer day.
- Reach to the far wall decides the machine more than the truss weight.
- Idaho Falls designs for a 47.1 psf ground snow load, so truss bundles here are heavy.
- Set the bundles close to where the crane will park.
- A firm, graded lot keeps the outriggers level and the day short.
Reach first, then weight
Each truss is light compared to the crane, but the bundles and the far wall set the boom length. A crane loses capacity as the boom reaches out, so the operator plans from the farthest truss back to the closest firm spot for the outriggers.
- One-story home, crane at the side. A typical ranch or rambler package in an Ammon or east Idaho Falls subdivision: a boom truck often does it.
- Two-story home or bonus room. Higher walls and longer reach across the house: the 40-ton crane.
- Shops and pole buildings. Long clear-span trusses on a farm shop or a commercial building: the 50 or 65-ton crane, depending on the span and the reach.
Send the truss layout or the supplier’s sheet, the wall height and a photo of where the crane could park.
Why eastern Idaho roofs are heavy
The City of Idaho Falls building criteria set a ground snow load of 47.1 pounds per square foot at 4,710 feet. The flat roof figure works out to 29 psf, but the city has long required at least 30 psf. Heavier snow loads mean deeper chords and more girders, so bundles weigh more than they would in a milder climate, and the crane gets sized for the heaviest girder at the longest reach.
The same criteria call for a 30-inch frost depth and seismic design category D, which shapes the foundation and the walls the trusses land on.
The building pace
The Idaho Falls metro authorized 1,540 new homes in 2025, most of them single-family, and the first nine months of 2026 ran about 14.2% ahead of the same stretch of 2025. Bonneville School District 93 opened Willow Creek Elementary for the 2026-27 school year to keep up with growth in Idaho Falls and Ammon. Framing season is busy, so book the crane when the walls are scheduled.
Ground, wires and the day itself
New lots are often fresh fill. The operator wants packed ground or mats under each outrigger, so tell them if the lot is soft after rain or snowmelt. Note every overhead line along the street; federal rules keep a boom at least 10 feet from lines up to 50 kV.
Typical truss bills
- Boom truck, short set: 3 hours at $148 is about $444.
- 40-ton crane, two-story home: 4 hours at $210 is $840.
- 65-ton crane, wide shop: the 4-hour minimum at $260 is $1,040.
See the full rates page for the minimums and mileage.
Common questions
Can the truss supplier's truck set them?
Some supplier trucks have a boom that can place bundles on the walls, but not one truss at a time across a full house. For a full set, a crane or boom truck with an operator is the usual choice.
How many hours does a house package take?
A simple one-story house often takes 2 to 3 hours on site once the crew is ready. Two stories, hips, girders and long spans take longer. Have the crew, the bracing and the layout ready when the crane arrives.
What happens if it is windy?
Trusses act like sails. Spring wind across the valley can stop a set, and the operator makes that call on the day. Morning starts usually get the calmest air.
Sources for the Idaho Falls facts
- City of Idaho Falls, geographic design criteria
- U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey
- OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1408, power line safety
- Rocky Mountain Crane (Kalispell, MT), 2026 posted rate
- Harmon Crane (Kalispell, MT), posted crane rates
Get this lift priced by an eastern Idaho operator
Estimates are fine.
More guides
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Posted crane rates, read for eastern IdahoA Montana boom truck, three hydraulic cranes and a Utah crane visit, each with its minimum, and the bills they add up to.
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Rooftop units and condensers in Idaho FallsA rooftop unit or condenser lift in Idaho Falls: crane size by reach, the City Engineer permit and traffic plan, city power lines and posted crane rates.
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Ammon, Iona and Ucon crane liftsA crane in Ammon, Iona or Ucon: the Ammon right-of-way permit and its two-day notice, new east-side subdivisions, who owns the road and posted crane rates.