Best contractors near Trenton, NE

While some highly experienced homeowners can frame a house independently, it is not advisable. You will need ample carpentry experience, a team of helpers, and professionals to sign off on your work to meet local building codes. For the safest outcome, we recommend buying or building a house with the guidance of professionals.

The easiest way to tell if a wall is load bearing is to check if it’s an exterior wall or if it runs perpendicular to the joists above and below it (or parallel to beams). Exterior walls are almost always load-bearing, and walls that run under beams or parallel to them are also usually load-bearing. There are exceptions to these rules, and walls that don’t fit into these categories can still be load-bearing. If you’re unsure, hire a structural engineer to look at your home to assess whether or not the wall is structural.

Framing with metal studs can be significantly faster than using wooden studs, provided you have some experience working with the material. While you can use virtually instant pneumatic nailers with wood, metal requires installing screws. However, because metal is lighter, straighter, usually comes cut-to-length, and doesn't require sorting for the best pieces, you can save significant time using metal instead of wood.

Stick frames, metal frames, or prefabricated concrete frames are included in framing a house, along with creating the framework and space for windows, doors, and entryways. Other aspects of developing a home—like drywall, insulation, windows, doors, and more—are not included in the cost to frame a house.