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Scissor Truss Chord Geometry Calculator

Calculate top and bottom chord lengths and the net vaulted-ceiling height for a scissor truss.

Computed in your browser — nothing you enter is uploaded. Figures are presented for United States against IRC 2024, and every formula is cited under regulatory standards below.

Last verified 2026-08-26 · v1.0.0

Market
Imperial · sales tax
26.25 ft
Schematic, drawn to the proportions you entered — not to scale on screen.

Net vaulted ceiling height gain

4.37 ft

High confidence
Top chord length
15.77 ft
Bottom chord length
13.83 ft

Running these inputs gives 1.33 m as the net vaulted ceiling height gain. Top chord length carries the most weight in this calculation, at 4.81 m. Currently reading for United States under IRC 2024 — pick a different market above and the figures re-cast accordingly.

Estimated cost — your price

This site holds no price list for this material — local prices vary too much to publish honestly. Enter your supplier's price and the result is costed with it.

Preliminary estimate, not certified engineering. This tool produces an indicative quantity calculation for planning purposes only — it is not a certified structural analysis, a guaranteed material takeoff, or a substitute for building department approval. Always verify measurements on-site and have a licensed contractor or structural engineer review any load-bearing, code-sensitive, or safety-critical work before purchasing materials or starting construction. Spotted an arithmetic or standards error? Report it to contact@craftquantities.com with your inputs — confirmed fixes become pinned regression tests.

[Schema Verified] Computed in alignment with American Concrete Institute (ACI 318-19) formulas and International Residential Code (IRC 2024) spatial boundaries.

Regulatory standards & verification citations

  • Standard rafter-length trigonometry applied independently to each chord's own pitch: chord length = half-span × √(1+(pitch/12)²); net interior height = top chord rise minus bottom chord rise

Your workspace

Most jobs need more than one number. Add the calculators you need next and they open right here, underneath this one — your figures stay on screen and nothing is lost to a page change.

Frequently asked questions

Why does a scissor truss need two separate pitch calculations?
A scissor truss's top and bottom chords each slope at their own independent pitch, so each chord's rise and length must be calculated with its own pitch value using the same rafter-length trigonometry, rather than sharing a single pitch calculation.
What does the net vaulted ceiling height represent?
It's the top chord's rise minus the bottom chord's rise at the truss centerline — the extra interior height gained from the vaulted ceiling profile compared to what a flat ceiling at the bottom chord's bearing height would give.
Does this calculator check structural adequacy of the truss?
No — this only computes chord geometry (length and rise). Structural design of a scissor truss (member sizing, connection design, deflection) requires a full truss engineering analysis, typically from the truss manufacturer's engineer.