Topping Out, A Construction Tradition

If you have ever walked by a construction site and seen a pine tree and a flag a couple hundred feet above you, you’ve witnessed a Scandinavia tradition that dates back over 1,000 years. Recently, Jackson County’s new $301 million detention center, a project Newmark Zimmer’s development management group is providing owner representatives services for, topped out their structure.

In the construction industry, a topping out or topping off ceremony marks a significant milestone in the construction process. The ceremony is held to celebrate the completion of a building’s structure, specifically the placement of the final beam. The ceremony honors the accomplishment and the collaboration of the architects, engineers and the builders.

The origin of the topping out ceremony is believed to have originated in Scandinavia around 700 A.D. The earlier versions of the tradition suggest that ancient Norse customs involved offering sheaths of grain to Odin’s horse, as a gesture of good luck and protection for the building and its inhabitants. Additional ancient traditions involved placing a tree on top of a new building to appease the tree-dwelling spirits displaced in due to construction. Evergreen trees and or branches were commonly used in the topping out celebration. While the use of a tree might symbolize life, hope, and renewal, the practice might also be practical. Once the tree was placed on the structure, workers could observe the tree and when the needles had fallen off, the builders knew the wood frame had cured and dried, signaling it was time to enclose the building.

While many place the topping out ceremony origins in Europe, there is evidence to suggest that the practice of placing a tree on a structure existed in present day America and was carried out by Native American workers by topping tall structures with an evergreen to appease the forest spirits as they believed no structure should be taller than a tree.

As the topping out tradition evolved through the years, additional customs were added to the ceremony. The first addition, added during the early 1900s, was the inclusion of a flag. The addition of the flag is rooted closely with America. The flag was flown on site by the construction workers to show solidarity against anti-union practices known as the “American Plan.” The second tradition involved adding signatures to the final steel beam before it was lifted and fastened in place. The signatures adorned to the beam include those from the building construction workers, project team members, owners and community dignitaries.

The topping out ceremony has traveled around the globe and been woven into various methodologies. The folklore of supernatural beings has diminished but the desire for good luck, protection, life, longevity and renewal still holds strong today. Over time, the old ways have mixed with new customs. Steel beams have replaced wood timbers, flags and signatures have been added and cranes now swing the final beam high into the clouds.