Guide to Roof Types: Common Shapes and Styles of Residential Roofs

When you were a child, you probably drew all roofs as simple gable roofs. Two roof planes, connected at a ridge. But there is a diverse world of roof shapes and types out there, even if you’re only looking at homes and not barns or commercial buildings. Architects consider weather, drainage, climate, aesthetics, space, light, and energy efficiency when they are choosing a roof design for a new home. They have quite a few shapes to choose from.

We’ll walk you through the various roof styles, their pros and cons, and other interesting tidbits about each roof style. If you are trying to understand what type of roof you have or what type of roof you’re drawn to for your home addition or new build, then we hope you’ll find this guide helpful.

Gable Roofs and Hips Roofs
Variations on Gable Roofs
Variations on Hip Roofs
Single-Plane Roofs
Other Roof Variations
Which is the Most Popular Roof?
Discover More Unique Roof Styles

Gable Roofs and Hip Roofs

The most important distinction in roof shapes is between gable roofs and hip roofs. Many of the roof types we’ll discuss are variations on the basic gable roof or the basic hip roof.

A hip roof has four sides that slope towards one another and join in a ridge at the top and hips on the sides. A gable roof has two sloping sides that join in a ridge. You can easily distinguish a gable roof by its flat-faced end that looks like an “A” or a triangle.

There is more to be said about the difference between gable roofs and hip roofs. However, the basic distinction is all you need to know to understand the other roof shapes that are variants.

 

Variations on Gable Roofs

Gable roofs have more attic space and can have better ventilation than hip roofs. There are also more varieties of gable roofs than hip roofs. One basic alteration to a gable roof is adding a second gable, making a crossed gable. There are also boxed gables, where the gable portion of the roof is extended slightly. We’ll discuss the more elaborate gable roof variations below.

Jerkinhead

Also called a clipped gable, a docked gable, bullnose, snub gable or a half-hipped roof, a jerkinhead is a gable roof with a small section of hipped roof at the top of each gable.

These roofs have been around since at least the late 19th century and became popular in Revival-style homes in the 20th century. If you have a Tudor-revival or bungalow style home, chances are a little higher it will have a jerkinhead roof. Plus, the unusual shape of these roofs makes them an excellent opportunity to show off designer shingles.

From a performance standpoint, jerkinheads are quite similar to basic gable roofs. They are slightly more complex to build. In return, the wind will not apply quite as much pressure to a clipped gable as it will on a basic gable, so these roofs are slightly more wind resistant. However, hipped roofs still have superior performance in extreme wind conditions.

Gambrel

This variation on the gable roof has two different slopes on each side, one steeper than the other. The upper slope is shallow, and the lower slope is steeper. This is a common style of barn roof, but it has been used on other commercial buildings and homes. The gambrel is more popular in Georgian and Dutch Colonial style homes.

Structurally, the gambrel roof has more room in the attic space than a simple gable roof would. It also has fairly simple construction. However, it is more prone to structural issues from snow weight than some other gable roof shapes as the upper slope is shallow.

Butterfly

The butterfly roof is also known as an inverted gable roof, an inverted pitch roof, a “V” roof, and a reverse roof. It looks like a “V” or a butterfly with wings slightly open. Where a gable roof has two roof planes connecting at a high point, the butterfly’s two roof planes connect lower in a valley. Therefore, these two roof planes will channel water into the center of the roof, which must have a drainage system to remove the water.

This roof style was first used in 1930 by Le Corbusier, a Swiss-French architect. Now, butterfly roofs are becoming a more popular option for green buildings in which homeowners may want to use their roof to collect water or to hold solar panels. It is also popular in tropical areas, as it lends to home designs that vent heat.

A butterfly roof also can allow a great deal of natural light into the space, as it creates extended ceilings on opposite sides of the home. However, the special drainage needs of an inverted gable roof are a disadvantage that homeowners should closely weigh as it adds to complexity and maintenance costs.

Saltbox

The saltbox is an asymmetrical gable roof where one side is much longer than the other. This style was invented in New England during the colonial period. Settlers there had homes with typical gable roofs, but it became popular to add an addition to the first floor of the home and extend the roof down to cover the new space. Traditional saltbox homes also had central chimneys.

Creating saltbox roofs was popular as they were a cheap way to add an extra room to an existing structure. However, they are uncommon today. As a result, they are one of the most common roof shapes we associate with historic homes.

Monitor

This is a barn-style roof that architects rarely choose for homes. Monitor roofs look like typical gables, but the center portion is raised. This creates the look of a second roof above the lower portions.

The monitor roof is more complex to build than a typical gable, but the side walls it creates can be used to let in natural light.

Sawtooth

Architects originally designed sawtooth roofs to allow natural light into factories, and therefore boost safety and productivity before widespread electrical lighting. These roofs have several ridges and look like the teeth on a saw or the ridges on a dragon’s back. Architects would place skylights on every other roof plane. When sawtooth roofs have only two ridges, they may be called M-shaped roofs.

The sawtooth is an impractical roof design for a home, as it is costly, complex and presents more opportunities for leaks than other roof styles. Still, there are a few real-world examples. As for advantages, these roofs allow in a great deal of light, allow for high ceilings and look unique. However, they may also result in oddly sloped ceilings.

Dormer

Dormers are small projections out from the roof, usually with a window. Architects can add dormers to roofs of almost any style, and they frequently do. However, there is also a style of roof called a dormer roof or a Cape Cod roof.

These structures have a steep gable roof with a single central dormer or several dormers. This roof type was popular in New England in the colonial period, where simple construction that dispersed heat from a central kitchen was valuable. People added dormers to these roofs to add light and space to the otherwise cramped second floor.

A-Frame

The A-frame roof is where the roof slopes act as two exterior walls. To serve as exterior walls, the roof has to be very steep. As a result, the whole structure ends up looking like a capital “A.” While A-frame homes were an ancient roof style in some cultures, they were more recently popular in the 1950s through the 1970s.

As these roofs are very steep, they have performance advantages in snowy and windy climates. However, roof replacements are likely to be time-consuming, as the roof makes up so much of the structure. Working on such a steep slope will reduce the speed of the roofers during the installation. They can work faster on shallower, more walkable roof slopes.

 

Variations on Hip Roofs

There are also many variations on the basic hipped roof. As with gables, an architect can add a second hipped roof plane to a basic hip roof. This also creates a valley.

We’ll discuss the more elaborate hip roof variations below.

Pyramid

Pyramid roofs do look like pyramids. They have four slopes just like a basic hipped roof, but they all connect at a peak instead of a ridge. These roofs have excellent performance in high wind conditions, just like other hip roofs.

A simple pyramid roof, with no other roof components, creates a very tall roof for the size of the structure it covers. This height can make them expensive to build on larger buildings (although that didn’t stop the Egyptians.) In modern times, they are most often used on smaller homes and outbuildings or to top dormers on grander homes.

Mansard

Also known as a French roof or French-style roof, the mansard is a hipped roof that has two pitches on every roof plane. It is essentially the hipped version of the gambrel roof. Both roof types have a low pitch section on the top and a steeper section on the bottom. On mansard roofs, the bottom pitch may be curved. Also, on the classic mansard roof, the four edges join to create a ridge. However, there is also a variant called a pyramid mansard, where the four edges join in a peak as a pyramid roof does.

Mansard roofs are highly decorative and excellent opportunities to show off high-end shingles. They retain the strong wind performance of other hipped roofs. Their design also has the advantage of additional space in the attic area. However, they are complex roofs to design and build, which makes them expensive. Plus, when nailing laminated shingles on steep mansard slopes, it is important that the nails penetrate both shingle layers, to prevent delamination and slippage of the bottom shingle layer over time.

Hip and Valley

These roofs have several hips and, therefore, several valleys. These are complex roof shapes but very common in the suburbs, where their shape allows for larger, more complex homes. It is quite common for these roofs to also include gables, including false gables that do not add attic space but are added just for the look of a gable.

Hip and valley roofs can be complex or simple to build. Their performance will depend on the specifics of the design.

Dutch Gable

Although its name might seem to suggest otherwise, this is a hip roof with a gable that almost appears to be poking through it.

The gable adds more headroom to the upper floor or attic space of the structure.

 

Single-Plane Roofs

Hip roofs have four planes, gable roofs have two planes, and these roofs have only one. Without a second roof plane to join the first, these roofs cannot have ridges or peaks.

Flat

Flat roofs appear to be entirely flat (although they do have a slight pitch). While low slope roofs are much more common on commercial buildings than on homes, some homes have flat roofs or small spans of flat roofs as part of their overall design.

Flat roofing cannot have shingles installed and will not use gutters. Instead, they need different roofing systems and drainage systems intended specifically for low slope roofs. On a home, your flat roof’s performance will largely depend on how well its roofing system was installed. While flat roofs can be challenging for homeowners to maintain, they do present opportunities for additional living space or for a green roof.

Shed

Shed roofs are also called lean-tos, pent roofs, skirt roofs, outshots, skillions, and mono-roofs. These roofs are single planes with a slope. The slope can be quite shallow or steep.

While sheds roofs are simple to construct, they create design challenges in the space below. The shorter side of the building limits the ceiling height. Due to this restriction, shed roofs are often used for small outbuildings like sheds. Or, due to their simplicity, they may be the roof of choice to cover small home additions, as with saltbox homes.

As for performance, a shed roof shares some of the challenges that gable roofs face in the wind. Depending on the pitch, the shed roof may perform worse in high wind conditions. Those with steeper pitches will shed snow and water more easily.

 

Other Roof Variations

These unusual roof styles do not easily fit into the other categories.

Bonnet

A bonnet roof or a kick-eave roof is any other roof style that has a bonnet added to the edges. The bonnet refers to the eaves of the roof, which are kicked out or flared. They look like the flared bottom of a bonnet hat. The bonnet may protect a porch.

Though bonnet roofs are sometimes called combination roofs, that term is now more associated with any roof that combines two or more roof styles.

The bonnet adds beauty but also complexity to the roof. It is not too common on homes but is more common in French vernacular architecture, or the architecture of rural France, which is also more popular in some southern US states such as Louisiana.

Curved

A curved roof is like a gable roof, but with an upside-down “U” shape instead of the gable’s characteristic triangular shape. The entire roof is curved upwards, without a ridge. This roof is also known as a barrel roof, as it appears to be half a barrel on its side.

Curved roofs are challenging to construct but create a unique look. Otherwise, they share the advantages and disadvantages of a gable roof, with relatively poor wind performance but plenty of attic space. For most homes, curved roofs are impractical and expensive. This is partly because while roofers can use shingles on the lower portion of the roof, towards the top the slope approaches zero. This means the roofer must transition to a membrane roofing system to provide adequate protection. The contractor should ensure that water-shedding protection is continuous through this transitional area.

Still, residential architects looking to make a statement may incorporate curved elements in their roofs. This is most common in Quonsets, a kind of steel prefabricated building defined by its semi cylindrical shape. Curved roofs are also relatively common on recreational buildings in Canada such as curling rinks.

Dome

You are likely most familiar with a dome roof as a barn-style roof. It is simply a half sphere built on top of the structure. You may occasionally see homes with dome roofs or homes where portions of the roof are domes. However, their complexity and expense make them rare.


 

Hexagonal

To imagine a hexagonal roof, think of a pyramid roof where the structure below is not a square but a hexagon. These roofs have six planes, which meet at a peak.
In residential settings, you will most often see hexagonal roofs on gazebos.

A very close relative of the hexagonal roof is the true cone roof, also called a turret roof. A turret roof may have eight sides, ten sides, or so many that it looks smooth once shingled, just like the sides of an upside-down ice cream cone. While they may remind you more of a castle than a home, these roofs have become more popular in new home designs in some areas, including Toronto.

Clerestory

Clerestory roofs have two roof planes, but they do not connect. Instead, one is set above the other. The upper roof slightly extends over the lower roof. The gap between the roof planes gives architects a nice spot to set windows which allow a great deal of natural light into the home. These windows are often called clerestories.

The two roof planes may have the same pitch or different pitches. Largely, the pitches and other design considerations such as eaves will determine the performance of the roof. These roofs are not ideal for energy efficiency as they may allow for too much light exposure during summer and heat loss during the winter.

 

Which is the Most Popular Roof?

The most popular roof shapes will vary by climate. However, in walking through suburbs in North America, you will find mostly combination roofs that combine multiple hips and gables. In historical neighborhoods, older styles will be more prevalent. Roofs that are expensive or challenging to construct will, naturally, be much rarer.

 

Discover More Unique Roof Styles

There are a wide variety of roof styles used for homes, but the world of commercial architecture has even more unusual roofing choices. Discover some of the most interesting roofs from around the world.