Prefabricated structures supported with purlins are exposed to numerous damages due to the excessive snow loadings as vertical loadings. The thinned regions of the purlins are responsible with the failure of the structure since the shear cracks usually initiate at these regions and propagate along with the purlins, and as a result, a total collapse may occur. In this study, carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites with four different configurations (P2–P5) were employed for strengthening prefabricated purlins in order to increase the strength of the purlin against shear damage generated under vertical loading. The load carrying capacities and damage patterns of the purlins were compared. The failure of the reference purlin (P1) was occurred as a shear damage at the thinned regions before reaching its bending capacity. However, the failure characteristic of the CFRP reinforced purlins was dominated by the bending damage and the vertical loading capacity of the purlins were increased up to 59% depends on the CFRP wrapping. Damage analysis of the CFRP composite was also performed. Various damage modes of the structure such as cover separation, air voids, delamination, debonding, fiber bundles breakage, matrix cracks, fiber bundles debonding, fiber breakage and buckling were observed and explained thoroughly.