What should I check before buying a roof truss manufacturer?

A truss plant looks simple from the road: lumber in, frames out. Behind that sit design work, a handful of builder relationships and quotes written weeks before the lumber is bought. Start with the checks in our answer on buying a manufacturer with fixed assets, then add the ones below that belong to trusses.

Builders, dealers and backlog

Ask who the plant sells to, directly and through lumber dealers, and how much of the work depends on a few of them. Ask how long these accounts have been with the plant. Review the backlog and how firm each job is. Builders can pause, so a full order book is less certain than it looks.

Quotes and lumber costs

Lumber costs can move between the quote and the delivery. Ask how the plant writes quotes, how long they stay open, and whether it has ever filled a job at a loss because costs rose. Ask what the seller does when costs change after a job is booked. Read a few recent quotes beside the invoices for the lumber.

Design, software and people

Find out who designs the trusses, whether the design software is licensed to the company or to a person, and whether the licence moves to a buyer. Ask who holds the key knowledge on the shop floor. If the owner does the design work, you need a plan for who will do it after the sale.

Equipment and delivery

Have someone who knows the trade look at the saws, presses, tables and yard. Ask for service records and what is leased. Check the delivery trucks and crane for age and condition. Engineering sign-off and product standards are for your lawyer and the plant’s engineer to explain, not for the seller alone.