The Hardy Saddle installs on one beam instead of two, holds 5,000 lb and needs no roof penetrations. California has the strictest roof anchor rules in the country. Our anchors are built to pass them, so they'll pass yours.
Every tie-back you install on two members is a tie-back you paid for twice.
Conventional roof anchors span two framing members. That's extra lumber, extra blocking and extra labor at every anchor, and code wants one about every 12 feet. The Hardy Saddle needs one.
Fits a single beam, double truss or joist system
Fastens with SDS structural screws, no membrane penetrations
Conventional Spans two framing members, plus blocking, bolts and plates.Hardy Saddle Saddles one beam, double truss or joist. SDS screws, no bolts through the roof.
Flagship product
The Hardy Saddle Tie Back.
The roof anchor that once again changed how wood buildings get their tie-backs. Introduced in 2022, it has saved builders millions in time and material.
12″ · 18″ · 24″Standard sizes at local suppliers. Custom heights and widths available.
5,000 lbGalvanized assembly. No additional engineering.
The full line
An anchor for every roof.
Wood, steel or concrete. Roof, parapet or wall. Every Hardy tie-back meets Cal/OSHA and federal OSHA requirements, and we design and build custom tie-backs for special applications.
California requires roof tie-backs on every building 3 stories or 36 feet and taller, spaced about every 12 feet, so window washers and painters on suspended scaffolds have something rated to tie off to.
Under California Code of Regulations Title 8 §3291, every building 3 stories or 36 feet or more in height must have roof tie-backs or other permanent devices at roof level to secure suspended scaffold hooks, clamps and safety lines. Exceptions apply to buildings using other approved permanent rooftop maintenance systems, and to buildings up to 4 stories or 48 feet when maintenance can be done with extension tools, ladders, approved ground equipment or aerial devices.
Do buildings under 36 feet need fall protection anchors?
Yes, when workers routinely approach within 6 feet of a fall hazard. Routine means four or more times a year, and a fall hazard is an elevation difference of 30 inches or more. A parapet or guardrail 42 inches or higher counts as passive fall protection; below 42 inches, a routine-maintenance fall protection system must be designed.
How far apart should tie-backs be spaced?
Approximately 12-foot intervals, depending on the availability of roof framing members strong enough to carry the loads (Title 8 §3291(f)(2)). Tie-backs may go in structural parapets of adequate strength, as close to roof level as practicable.
Does the building need an EBM design?
If the windows will be washed, that's scheduled maintenance, and window-washing companies must follow an Operating Procedure Outline Sheet (OPOS), which requires an exterior building maintenance (EBM) design by a Scaffold, Inspection and Testing (SIT) company. The EBM design and OPOS aren't needed for the building permit, but are required before scheduled maintenance. Without scheduled maintenance, tie-backs are still required at about 12 ft on center.
Who installs the anchors?
Usually the framer. Unless the project spec says otherwise (very rare), the contractor can install fall protection anchors. Hardy recommends the framer install the Saddle on the ground before the beams or trusses go up. It's safer and faster.
Is load testing required?
Yes. Title 8 §3296 requires completed installations to be inspected and tested in the field before initial service. Roof tie-backs are tested to no more than 50% of rated capacity: a 5,000 lb tie-back is tested to no more than 2,500 lb. Hardy includes load testing by the independent agency Specialized Testing.
