Carpentry and Structural Framing
Nearly all Massachusetts wood framing is platform framing: anchored sill plate, floor joists with rim joist and subfloor, walls, a second platform, then roof. Balloon framing is a legacy condition, not a new-construction choice, and it matters because of fireblocking.
Master these: stud size and spacing (2x4 and 2x6 at 16 or 24 in o.c.); the difference between a king stud, jack (trimmer) stud and cripple; header sizing from the span table rather than habit; lapped top plates at corners and intersections. Notching and boring rules are heavily tested: in a bearing wall a notch may not exceed one-quarter of member depth and a bored hole may not exceed one-third of depth, and you may not bore in the middle third of the span of a bearing wall. Never notch the tension side of a joist. I-joists follow the manufacturer's hole chart, not the general rules.
Floor and roof: joist spans come from tables based on species, grade, size, spacing and load; block or bridge at bearings and ends; glue and screw subfloor panels. Point loads - posts, beams, doubled joists - must carry down to the foundation. Connections carry the load path: hangers with the specified nails, hold-downs and anchor bolts for uplift and seismic, rafter ties or a ridge beam to resist thrust.
Massachusetts loads: ground snow load and wind exposure vary across the state; use the code figures and the drawings, never a neighboring project.
Rule of thumb: a header carries half the span of each joist it supports - size from the table or an engineer.