Self-performed erection crews, never brokered
K-Series Bar Joists
Standard open-web joists for retail, office and light industrial roofs. Depths of 8 to 30 inches on spans up to about 60 feet, set to the SJI designation on your drawings.
Commercial & Industrial Steel
Bar Joists & Roof Framing
in Houston, TX
Open-web steel bar joists, joist girders and bridging for warehouse, retail and industrial roofs across Greater Houston. Detailed to SJI load tables, braced for hurricane uplift, and erected by our own crews.
23Years Building in Houston
4,800Bar Joists Set
3.1MSq. Ft. of Roof Framed
98%Repeat & Referral
Service Overview
Bar Joists and Roof Framing Engineered for Houston Wind
Hurricane wind lifts a Gulf Coast roof. On a wide, flat Houston shell, uplift is the load that governs the roof frame. It throws the bottom chord of every bar joist into compression, which is where cheap framing gives up. Open-web steel joists sized to SJI load tables answer that, with bridging and bottom-chord bracing detailed for the net uplift. Jimenes Construction self-performs bar joist and roof framing in Houston, TX, with 23 years on Gulf Coast steel and our own erection crew.
A joist roof has four parts. K-series joists cover short and medium spans up to about 60 feet. LH and DLH long-span joists reach much further, out to 240 feet on deep sections. Joist girders carry those joists back to the columns. Bridging holds every joist straight and stable until the deck is welded down. We set all four, plus the structural steel columns and beams they bear on.
Most of our joist work rides inside a full shell package. We erect the frame, set the joists, then run metal decking over the top with the same crew. See steel erection for crane, rigging and schedule detail. If you are pricing a pre-engineered building instead, start on our metal buildings page.
Roof Framing at a Glance
- Self-performed erection crews, never brokered
- K-series, LH, DLH joists and joist girders
- SJI 100 designations and load tables
- Uplift bridging and bottom-chord bracing
- AWS D1.1 welders and bolted bearing seats
- Special inspection and WPI-8 coordination
Coverage
Joist and Roof Framing Work We Self-Perform
Each piece has its own detail and its own inspection. We take off, order, set and weld all six in house.
LH & DLH Long-Span Joists
Deep long-span joists for clear-span warehouse and distribution roofs along the Grand Parkway. LH sections reach roughly 96 feet, and DLH sections go out to 240.
Joist Girders
Bolted-seat girders that gather joist reactions and carry them to the columns. Designated by depth, panel count and panel-point load, so column spacing can open up.
Bridging & Uplift Bracing
Horizontal and diagonal bridging, plus the bottom-chord bracing a Gulf Coast uplift case demands. Erection bridging goes in before the crane is released.
Bearing Seats & Bearing Plates
Bearing plates set and leveled on masonry and on concrete, with the minimum bearing length held. Seats welded or bolted per the joist supplier detail.
Joist Extensions & Floor Framing
Top-chord and full-depth extensions for canopies and overhangs. Composite and non-composite joist floors for mezzanines and second-level office areas.
Our Process
Our Bar Joist and Roof Framing Process
Five steps, the same on a 15,000 square foot retail shell and on a 400,000 square foot distribution roof. Call (832) 576-3278 to start at step one.
- 01
Take-Off & Joist Release
We read the sealed roof framing plan and list every joist mark, girder and bridging line. Net uplift values get confirmed before the order is released to the mill.
- 02
Shop Drawings & Fabrication
Joist placement plans and connection details go back to your engineer for approval. Seats, plates and clip angles are fabricated in our shop, with mill test reports on file.
- 03
Bearing, Anchors & Layout
Bearing plates are set and grouted level, columns plumbed, and anchor bolts checked against the layout we cast into the concrete foundation.
- 04
Set, Bridge & Plumb
Joists and girders are landed, seats tacked, and erection bridging bolted off before the crane releases the load. No stacked material rides a joist until bridging is complete.
- 05
Weld-Out, Inspect & Turn Over
Certified welders complete the AWS D1.1 weld-out and uplift anchorage. Special inspection signs off, and we turn the frame over ready for deck.
Timeline
How Long Does a Bar Joist Roof Frame Take?
Field durations from our own job records, measured from mobilization to inspection sign-off. Joist mill lead time runs separately and starts earlier.
| Project Type | Typical Size | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Retail or office shell roof frame | 10,000 - 25,000 sq ft | 1 - 2 Weeks |
| Warehouse joists and joist girders | 50,000 - 100,000 sq ft | 3 - 5 Weeks |
| Long-span DLH distribution roof | 200,000+ sq ft | 8 - 14 Weeks |
| Composite joist floor or mezzanine | 2,000 - 10,000 sq ft | 1 - 2 Weeks |
| Joist replacement on an existing roof | 5,000 - 20,000 sq ft | 2 - 4 Weeks |
Engineering & Compliance
Materials, Methods & Code Compliance
Gulf Coast wind, salt air and clay all reach the roof frame. Joist depth, bridging count and coating come off those three.
Bearing & Support
- Anchor bolt layout checked against the steel drawings
- Bearing plates grouted level on masonry and concrete
- Minimum bearing length held at every seat
- Expansive clay under the pad moves, so elevations get shot again before erection
Steel & Coatings
- Joist chords and webs to ASTM A572 Grade 50
- A992 wide flange columns and beams
- Hot-dip galvanizing to ASTM A123 near the Ship Channel and the bay
- Mill test reports and joist tags filed with the submittal
Code & Standards
- 2021 IBC as adopted by Houston and Harris County
- SJI 100 specification, load tables and joist designations
- ASCE 7 wind loads, with uplift as the governing roof case
- AISC 360 for structural steel, AWS D1.1 for welding
Inspection & Sign-Off
- Third-party special inspection of welds and high-strength bolting
- Certified welders with current AWS D1.1 qualification
- TDI windstorm inspection and WPI-8 east of SH 146
- Approved joist placement plans filed at closeout
Why Jimenes
Why General Contractors
Keep Calling Us Back
One Crew From Columns to Deck
Joist roofs lose days at the hand-offs between an erector, a joist crew and a deck crew. Our own ironworkers set the columns, land the joists and run the deck.
23 Years of Gulf Coast Uplift
We detail bridging and bottom-chord bracing for the wind case that governs here. Our crews have framed roofs through more than twenty Houston hurricane seasons.
Bridged Before the Crane Leaves
Erection bridging goes in and gets bolted off before the hook is released. Nothing gets stacked on an unbridged joist, which is where joist collapses start.
Line-Item Steel Pricing
Joists, girders, bridging, bearing plates, crane time and galvanizing each get their own line. Change orders are priced and signed before the work happens.
Credentials
Insurance, Warranty & Sign-Off
Texas does not license steel contractors, so we send the insurance certificate, the welder qualifications and the inspection reports with every proposal. Here is what a steel contractor in Houston can actually show you.
Permitted & Inspected City of Houston and Harris County
Permitted & Inspected City of Houston and Harris County General Liability $2M per occurrence
General Liability $2M per occurrence Workers’ Comp Full crew coverage
Workers’ Comp Full crew coverage Warranty 10-yr structural, 1-yr workmanship
Warranty 10-yr structural, 1-yr workmanshipWhere We Work
Our Service Area
Headquartered in Houston and framing steel roofs across the Greater Houston area, from inside the 610 Loop out to the Grand Parkway warehouse corridors. If you searched for a bar joist erector near me and landed here, this is the radius we cover. We can walk your site the same week.
- Houston
- Spring
- The Woodlands
- Conroe
- Cypress
- Katy
- Sugar Land
- Missouri City
- Pearland
- Pasadena
- Baytown
- League City
Do not see your town? Call us, we travel for the right project.Check Your Address
Good Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Still sizing a roof frame? Call and talk to the superintendent who will set, bridge and weld your joists.
Talk to a Builder(832) 576-3278
What is a steel bar joist, and how is it different from a beam?
A bar joist is an open-web truss made from steel angles and round or crimped web bars. It carries the same roof load as a solid beam at a fraction of the weight. The open web lets duct, conduit and sprinkler pipe pass straight through. Joists come in three families: K-series for short and medium spans, LH and DLH for long spans. Joist girders gather the joist reactions and carry them to the structural steel columns.
How far can bar joists span on a Houston warehouse roof?
K-series joists cover spans up to roughly 60 feet. LH long-span joists reach about 96 feet, and DLH sections go out to 240 feet on deep profiles. Clear span is what lets a distribution building along the Grand Parkway drop interior columns. Send us the bay layout and we will tell you which series prices best.
Why does hurricane uplift change the joist design on a Gulf Coast roof?
Wind pulling up on a flat roof reverses the load in the joist. The bottom chord, normally in tension, goes into compression and needs bracing to stay straight. That means extra bridging lines and bottom-chord bracing, plus real anchorage at the seats. East of SH 146 in Harris County, and in Galveston, Brazoria and Chambers counties, a TDI windstorm inspector checks that work for the WPI-8 certificate.
What is bridging, and why can the crane not release the joist without it?
Bridging is the horizontal and diagonal steel that ties joists to each other and keeps them from rolling over. SJI erection rules call for the bridging in a bay to be complete and anchored before the hoisting line is released. Most joist collapses trace back to loads placed on unbridged or partly bridged joists. Our crew bolts erection bridging off before the hook leaves, every bay.
How long is the lead time on bar joists and joist girders?
Joists are made to order, so the mill queue drives your schedule more than the field work does. Plan on several months from approved joist placement plans to delivery, and longer for deep DLH sections or galvanized material. The clock starts when your engineer approves the shop drawings. We release early and stage deliveries to match the steel erection sequence.
What does bar joist roof framing cost in Houston?
There is no square-foot number that survives a real drawing set, because span, depth, uplift and bay spacing all move the price. Six things drive the quote:
- Joist series, depth and total tonnage
- Joist girder count and panel-point loads
- Bridging lines added for uplift
- Galvanizing or shop primer
- Crane size, picks and site access
- Deck and welding scope if we carry metal decking too
Keep Reading
Related Services
A joist roof rarely travels alone. These are the steel packages that most often run with it.
Metal Decking
Roof and floor deck welded or fastened over the joists, with side-lap and uplift attachment to the approved detail.
Learn More
Structural Steel
Columns, beams and connections fabricated to AISC 360 and erected to carry your joists and girders.
Learn MoreSteel Erection
Crane, rigging and ironworkers to set the full frame, plumb it, bolt it and weld it out.
Learn More
Metal Buildings
Pre-engineered shells for warehouse, shop and retail, from anchor bolts to standing-seam roof.
Learn More
Built On Integrity. Erected To Plan.
Let's Frame a RoofThat Stays Down.
Free estimates, line-item steel pricing, and our own ironworkers from the first bearing plate to the last weld.
OR CALL (832) 576-3278
