Roof styles

Types of roofs, drawn

Eight roof styles you will see on American houses, each drawn the same way so you can compare them: what the shape is, what it is good at, where it gives trouble, and where the gutters go. Most houses mix two or more.

Gable roof

Also called a pitched or peaked roof.

Two slopes meeting at a ridge, with a triangular wall (the gable) at each end. The most common roof in America.

Good at: Simple to frame and roof, sheds rain and snow well, leaves room for an attic, and has the fewest cuts, so the least waste.
Watch for: The flat gable-end walls catch wind; in hurricane country they need bracing and the roof edge at the rakes needs to be well fastened.
Gutters: Gutters on the two eave sides only; the gable ends need none.

Hip roof

Slopes on all four sides meeting at a short ridge, with no gable walls. The sloped corners are the hips.

Good at: No flat end wall for wind to push on, so hip roofs are generally steadier in high winds; the eaves shade every wall.
Watch for: More hips mean more ridge cap, more cut shingles and more waste, and slightly less attic space than a gable.
Gutters: Gutters all the way around: every edge is an eave.

Gambrel roof

Also called a barn roof.

Two slopes on each side: a steep lower slope and a shallow upper one, with gable ends. The classic barn and Dutch Colonial roof.

Good at: The steep lower slope turns the attic into usable rooms without a taller house.
Watch for: The shallow upper slope holds snow and the break between slopes needs careful flashing; gable ends catch wind as on any gable.
Gutters: Gutters on the two long sides.

Mansard roof

Also called a French roof.

A gambrel on all four sides: nearly vertical lower slopes, often with dormers, and a low-slope or flat top.

Good at: Adds a full storey of living space inside the roof, which is why it was popular where height or storey counts were restricted.
Watch for: The near-flat top needs a membrane, not shingles, and the steep sides are slow and costly to re-roof.
Gutters: Gutters all around, at the bottom of the steep slopes.

Flat roof

Also called a low-slope roof.

Not truly flat: a slight slope, at least ¼ inch per foot under the model code, so water drains to the edge or to drains.

Good at: Cheapest structure, usable as a deck or for equipment and solar, and easy to walk on.
Watch for: Needs a continuous membrane (EPDM, TPO or modified bitumen) and good drainage; ponding water shortens its life.
Gutters: Scuppers or gutters on the low edge, or internal drains.

Shed roof

Also called a skillion or lean-to roof.

A single slope, high on one side and low on the other. Common on additions, porches and modern houses.

Good at: Simple, cheap, sends all the water one way, and the tall wall suits clerestory windows or solar panels.
Watch for: Shingles need at least a 2/12 slope; lower than that it needs metal or a membrane. The high side's edge catches wind.
Gutters: One gutter, on the low side.

Butterfly roof

Also called a V roof.

Two slopes falling toward a central valley, like a V. A mid-century modern shape.

Good at: Tall outside walls for windows, and all the rain collects in one valley, which suits rainwater harvesting.
Watch for: The central valley carries the whole roof's water and must be detailed perfectly; it is usually a membrane, not shingles.
Gutters: A scupper or large downspout at one end of the valley.

Saltbox roof

An uneven gable: a short slope at the front and a long one sweeping low at the back. A New England colonial shape.

Good at: The long rear slope sheds snow and wind well and covers a lean-to space behind the main rooms.
Watch for: The asymmetric framing costs more than a plain gable, and the long slope is a big area to re-roof.
Gutters: Gutters on the front and back eaves.

Other roof names you will hear

Cross-gable: two gable roofs meeting at right angles, with valleys where they join. Dutch gable (gablet): a hip roof with a small gable at the top of each end, for ventilation and looks. Pyramid (pavilion): a hip roof on a square plan, with all four hips meeting at a point. A-frame: a very steep gable that reaches the ground, so the roof is also the walls. Bonnet: a hip roof whose lower edge kicks out at a shallower slope over a porch.

What the shape does to the price

Roofers price the area of the roof surface, and that depends on the footprint and the pitch, not the shape: a hip roof and a gable roof over the same 2,000 sq ft house at the same pitch have the same area. On our quote engine, architectural shingles with the old layer torn off come to about $12,400–$14,300 at a 6/12 pitch and about $15,500–$17,900 at a steep 12/12, at US-average roofer wages. A low-slope roof the same size in TPO membrane is about $16,400–$18,800.

Shape adds cost at the edges: each hip and ridge needs cap shingles, each valley needs lining and careful cutting, and a roof cut up by dormers and valleys wastes more material and takes longer. That is why two houses with the same roof area can get different quotes. See parts of a roof for what each of those lines is, and roof pitch for how the slope changes the area.

Roof type questions

What is the difference between a hip roof and a gable roof?

A gable roof has two slopes and a triangular wall at each end; a hip roof slopes on all four sides and has no gable walls. Hip roofs are generally steadier in high wind; gable roofs are simpler, cheaper to frame and keep more attic space.

Does a hip roof cost more than a gable roof?

For the same house at the same pitch the roof area is the same: a hip roof is no bigger than a gable over the same footprint. On our quote engine both come to about $12,400–$14,300 in architectural shingles on a 2,000 sq ft house at 6/12 with tear-off. The hip roof costs a little more in practice for its extra ridge cap, cuts and waste, and more to frame if it is new.

What is the most common type of roof?

The gable roof, then the hip roof, usually covered in architectural asphalt shingles. Many houses combine the two: a hip roof on the main block with gable wings, or cross-gables meeting in valleys.

Which roof type is best for high winds?

A hip roof at a moderate pitch, well fastened, with no large overhangs. Whatever the shape, the fastening matters most: wind warranties on shingles rise when the maker's starter strip and extra nails are used.

What would your roof cost to replace?

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