Types of Roof in Construction

When building a replacement house or retrofitting an existing one, choosing the proper sort of roof is often harder than most people realize.

Roofs do tons quite just serving the foremost basic practical purpose of protecting a house and its occupants from the surface elements. as an example, a roof’s shape plays a serious role in defining the general look and elegance of a house. Roofs also can provide additional safe living space, also as make your home more resilient, energy-efficient, and weather-proof.

Types of Roof

This definitive guide to roof architecture and designs will assist you to understand and identify the simplest roof shape for your home, shed, garage, or area of business. we'll also explore recommended roofing materials for the common roof types.

This article about roof different types, here you can identify 15 no of types of roof for the homeowner.

Types of Roof in Construction

Table of Content...

1. Gable Roof
2. Hip Roof
3. Mansard Roof
4. Gambrel Roof
5. Flat Roof
6. Skillion Roof
7. Jerkinhead Roof
8. Butterfly Roof
9. Bonnet Roof
10. Saltbox Roof
11. Sawtooth Roof
12. Curved Roof
13. Pyramid Roof
14. Dome Roof
15. Combination Roof

1. Gable Roof

Gable Roof

Also referred to as pitched or peaked roof, gable roofs are a number of the foremost popular roofs within the US. they're easily recognized by their triangular shape.

Pros: Gable roofs will easily shed water and snow, provide more room for the attic or vaulted ceilings, and permit more ventilation. Their inherently simple design makes it easy to create them and cheaper than more complex designs.

Cons: Gable roofs are often problematic in wind and hurricane areas. If the frames aren't properly constructed with adequate supports, the roof can collapse.

High winds also can cause materials to peel faraway from gable roofs. If there's an excessive amount of an overhang, winds can create an uplift underneath and cause the roof to detach from the walls.

Hurricane roof bracing and strapping for wind mitigation in Florida
If a saddle roof is employed in wind areas, make certain proper braces are used and have the roof inspected after an outsized storm to make sure no damage has occurred.

Suggested materials: Gabled roofs are often covered with almost any sort of material including asphalt shingles, cedar shakes, metal, and clay or concrete tiles.

However, if the roof also contains hips and valleys, it should either be shingled or roofed with metal shingles or standing seam to assist prevent roof leaks.
Note: it's recommended to use a minimum of a 10/12 pitch or 40° angle, for snowy regions.

Types of Gable Roofs

Side Gable

A side gable may be a basic pitched roof. it's two equal panels pitched at an angle, meet at a ridge within the middle of a building. Triangulum sections are often left open for an open saddle roof, or it is often enclosed for a boxed saddle roof.

Crossed Gable: A crossed saddle roof is 2 saddle roof sections put together at a right angle. the 2 ridges are perpendicular to every other. Lengths, pitches or heights may or might not differ from one another.

It’s a superb roof design for homes with separate wings. Use a cross gable to accent different areas of the house, like the garage, porch, or dormers.

It’s often seen in Cape Cod and Tudor style houses.
Front Gable: A front saddle roof is placed at the doorway of the house. This design is usually seen in Colonial style houses.

Dutch Gable Roof

A Dutch gable may be a hybrid of a gable and roof. A saddle roof is placed at the highest of a roof for more room and enhanced aesthetic appeal.

2. Hip Roof

A roof has slopes on all four sides. the edges are all equal length and are available together at the highest to make a ridge.

Pros: Hip roofs are more stable than gable roofs. The inward slope of all four sides is what makes it more sturdy and sturdy.

They are excellent for both wind and snowy areas. The slant of the roof allows snow to simply slide off with no standing water.

Hip roofs offer extra lebensraum with an addition of a dormer or a crow’s nest.

Note: for top wind areas, or strong storms, a pitch of 4/12-6/12 (18.5°-26.5° angle) is suggested.
Cons: Hip roofs are costlier to create than a saddle roof. It’s a more complex design that needs more building materials. Also, with the addition of a dormer, additional seams can make it easier for the water leaks to make within the valleys if a roofing system isn't properly installed.

Note: Proper construction and maintenance may be a must to stop minor issues from turning into major problems.

Suggested materials: Hip roofs, like gable roofs, are often with almost any sort of building material, like shingles, metal, or tiles.

Types of Hip Roofs

Simple Hip: the foremost common sort of a roof. it's a polygon on two sides and a triangle on two sides. the edges close at the highest to make an easy ridge.

Cross Hipped: almost like a cross saddle roof. Use separate hip roofs on homes with different wings. the road where the 2 roofs meet is named a valley.

Note: Valleys can allow water to pool. Proper waterproofing may be a must.
Half Hipped: a typical roof that has two sides shortened to make eaves.

3. mansard

A mansard also referred to as a French roof, maybe a four-sided roof with a double slope on all sides that meet forming a low-pitched roof.

The lower slope is far steeper than the upper. the edges can either be flat or curved, counting on the design.

Pros: Mansard roofs can help create an excellent deal of additional lebensraum. Using the space as a full attic or quarters, called a garret, is extremely popular. the design lends itself to either open or closed dormers for more aesthetic appeal.

Mansard roofs are great for people wanting the flexibility to form future home additions. When first designing and building a home, you'll actually economize by having an easy mansard design to start out off. – you'll then add on a garret or dormers at a later date. this may not only add value to the house, but it also allows homeowners to simply make additions as their needs change.

Cons: a coffee pitched portion of a mansard isn’t ideal for areas receiving heavy snowfall.

Mansard roofs cost quite typical roofs due to the embellishments and details that enter them. But, the added space and character can quite structure for the additional cost of initial construction.

Suggested materials: Since a mansard has such a singular design, choosing a singular material could make the roof that far more special. Using metal, like copper or zinc for the steep portion of the roof, are often costlier upfront, but would require much less maintenance down the road, making it an honest long-term choice.

Using wood or slate shingles during a diamond pattern maybe thanks to making a mansard stand out. However, overlapping composition shingles shouldn't be used. Asphalt shingles can still be used on a steeper portion of the roof during a regular pattern.

Most materials are often used for a mansard, but remember of the low slope a part of the roof. Ensure it's properly flashed and waterproofed to guard the roof’s integrity.

Types of Mansard Roofs

Mansard roofs can take various silhouettes, including straight-angle, convex or concave. Windows are vital to supply light for the additional lebensraum provided. Grand houses can also display wood quoins, trim or decorative cut stone.

4. Gambrel

A Gambrel or a barn roof is far like a mansard during a sense that it's two different slopes. The difference between the 2 is that the Gambrel only has two sides, while the mansard has four.
Similar to the mansard, the lower side of the gambrel has an almost vertical, steep slope, while the upper slope is far lower.

Gambrels aren't only seen on top of barns, farmhouses and log cabins. they're also seen on Dutch Colonial and Georgian style homes, as well.

Pros: Very similar to the mansard, the Gambrel provides extra lebensraum for a garret, attic, or loft. Plus it’s simple to border out.

The Gambrel only uses two roof beams, alongside gusset joints. Since the development is sort of simple with fewer materials needed, this helps to stay the value of a roof down.

Gambrel roofs also are an excellent idea for outdoor sheds and storage buildings. Their shape can provide more storage without taking over more room.

Cons: The gambrel isn't recommended for heavy wind areas or regions that receive significant snowfall. The open design can cause the roof to collapse under extreme pressure.
Gambrel roofs also got to be constructed well, waterproofed at the ridges, and maintained on a daily basis. It’s an honest idea to possess a gambrel inspected annually to see for damage from storms, heavy rainfall, or snow.

Windows are recommended to feature light to the additional space. this is often both a professional and a con. While all details will increase the general great thing about a home, they increase chances for water leaks to occur.

Suggested Materials: the fabric used for a gambrel will depend upon the design of the house. Wooden, asphalt, or slate shingles are widely used. However, using metal will greatly hamper the quantity of maintenance required.
Note: If a gambrel is employed in extreme weather areas, enforce reinforced trusses, especially on the upper pitch.

5. Flat Roof

As the name suggests, flat roofs appear to be completely flat with no pitch. However, they are doing have a small pitch to permit for water run-off and drainage.

These roofs are generally used in industrial or commercial buildings. However, they will even be installed on residential houses in both high and low rainfall areas.

Most people don’t consider the quantity of obtainable outdoor lebensraum a flat roof can provide. So, don’t completely dismiss them when building a replacement home!

Pros: Extra lebensraum on the roof for a patio, garden, or partially enclose for a penthouse room. Heating and cooling units also can be placed on flat roofs, keeping them out of sight. – this is often especially common practice in commercial roof designs.


The design is additionally conducive for installing PV solar panels for a more energy-efficient and energy independent home.

Flat roofs are easier to construct than pitched roofs and need fewer building materials, keeping costs down.

Cons: The low frequency makes flat roofs more vulnerable to water leakage. they're not advised for top rainfall or high snowfall areas.

Although the upfront cost of building a flat roof is a smaller amount expensive than a pitched roof, they will be costlier within the end of the day thanks to maintenance and ongoing roof repair and replacement costs.

Suggested Materials: Ensuring a flat roof is waterproof is imperative. Using material that's continuous with no seams is that the best. the foremost common materials used are tar and gravel, roll roofing, metal sheets, PVC, TPO, and rubber membrane.

Note: Green roofs also are on the increase in popularity. they're aesthetically pleasing, energy-efficient, because of all the vegetation acting as a further layer of insulation, with cooling properties, and help combat the urban heat island effect. Layers are created using beneficial flowers, soil, drainage, and waterproofing membrane.

6. Skillion Roof

Skillion is additionally mentioned as a shed roof or lean-to. it's one, sloping roof, usually attached to a taller wall. – It is often thought of as half a pitched roof, or as a more angled flat roof.

Skillion roofs are mostly used for home additions, sheds, and porches. However, they're also now getting used to the whole structure of more modern style homes.

Pros: Skillions are easy to assemble and use much fewer building materials than other roof types. Their steep pitch allows snow and water to simply escape, which makes them excellent for top rain and snow regions. Skillions also can be used purely for design purposes to feature architectural interest and aesthetic appeal.

Cons: If a roof pitch is just too high it may result in ceilings being too low. Also, homes using only a skillion roof can have problems in wind areas.

Suggested Materials: due to the steep incline, rubber skins and roofing membranes are often eliminated. to offer a more streamlined look, you'll use standing seam instead of tiles or shingles. For a more Eco-friendly and energy independent home, large PV solar panels also can be installed.

7. Jerkinhead Roof

A Jerkinhead roof uses elements of both gable and hip roofs. It can either be thought of like a saddle roof with hipped ends (cut short with the points turning downward). Or, it is often described as a roof with two short sides. – they'll even be mentioned as clipped gable or English hip roofs.

Pros: Jerkinhead roofs are more stable than a daily saddle roof. By clipping, or turning the purpose down, the roof becomes more immune to wind damage. They also provide more room than a standard roof. the upper pitch offers more lebensraum while providing better reinforcement. Jerkinhead roofs give architectural interest to any home.

Cons: The more complex design will make building costs higher.
Suggested Materials: The Jerkinhead roof is often constructed of most any building material.

8. Butterfly Roof

A butterfly may be a V-shaped roof constructed of two tandem pieces which are angled abreast of the surface. The midsection is angled downward where the 2 pieces meet into a valley. the general effect is of a butterfly’s wings on the wing.

The butterfly roof is popular for contemporary, Eco-friendly, and tropical home designs.
Pros: The upper angle of the outer edges allows larger windows to be used. this provides the house with more natural light, lower heating bills within the winter, and brings an open feel to the planning.

The valley within the midsection of the butterfly roof allows rainwater to be collected, making it beneficial for top drought areas. A downspout attached to a cistern or other sort of water reservoir is typically installed for this purpose.

The butterfly roof lends itself to environmentally friendly home design, as PV solar panels, water collection systems, and natural light can all be easily incorporated.

Cons: The complexity of the planning makes the butterfly roof costlier. Not only are the upfront costs above with conventional roofs, but the upkeep also will be costlier.

Ensuring the butterfly roof is waterproofed is important. Drainage systems can get clogged, causing water to pool or leak. this may weaken the pillars over time, which may cause the roof to collapse.
The open design and tall windows can make it harder to manage the temperature throughout the house. Some areas could also be much warmer than others.

Suggested Materials: employing a solid, continuous membrane with no seams is that the key to keeping a butterfly roof watertight. Other options are to use metal, organic materials, or solar panels.

9. Bonnet Roof

Bonnet roofs also referred to as kicked-eaves, are double sloped with the lower slope set at less of an angle than the upper slope. It’s sort of a reverse Mansard.

The lower slope hangs over the side of the house. This overhang is a superb protect an open porch.
Bonnet roofs aren't commonly used roofs in modern houses. They were mainly utilized in French Vernacular and may be seen in regions of Louisiana and Mississippi.

Pros: The upper slope provides extra lebensraum for a little attic or vaulted ceilings. It also lends itself to dormers or side windows.

The overhanging eaves not only provide protection for porches but also help to guard walls from water damage.

Water easily runs off the slopes of the roof and therefore the modified hip structure makes it more durable than a saddle roof.

Cons: The complex design requires more building materials and it’s harder to construct. This makes the bonnet roof costlier than other, more simple designs.

Although water easily runs off the slopes, valleys are formed where the 2 slopes meet. this will cause snow and water to the pool. Extra precaution is required to waterproof these areas.

Suggested Materials: Bonnet roofs are often made up of most any sort of material, including shingles, metal, and natural stone.

10. Saltbox Roof

A saltbox roof is asymmetrical in design, with one side being more of a slightly sloping flat roof and therefore the other more of a lean-to, with gables at each end.

Saltbox houses are variations of early Colonial and Cape Cod designs. They arose from the necessity for more room. Early Americans realized they might add more room with less material by adding a lean-to roof to an existing saddle roof. Soon homes were built with the lean-to roof already added.

Pros: The slope makes it easy for water to escape, making the saltbox roof good for areas that receive heavy rain. The asymmetrical design makes it more durable than an easy saddle roof. It adds more lebensraum by making a home one and a half to 2 stories.

Cons: the planning is often tricky, which makes the building costs higher. Although more lebensraum is provided, it isn’t the maximum amount as a daily pitched roof. Also, a number of the rooms may have slanted ceilings.

Suggested Materials: Saltbox roofs are often made up of most building materials.

11. Sawtooth Roof

A sawtooth roof is 2 or more parallel pitched roofs during which the sloped and vertical surfaces alternate. because the name suggests, the roof resembles the view of a saw blade. Sawtooth roofs were once only used on commercial industrial buildings. However, now they're also utilized in modern home design.

Pros: Windows are placed within the vertical spaces of the roof, allowing more natural light inside the house.

The higher peaks provide the chance for either vaulted ceilings or loft lebensraum. the mixture of the varied slopes and use of natural light make this design a superb choice for homes with Eco-friendly conveniences, like solar panels, geothermal, and heating systems.

Cons: The complex design and various building materials needed will make the sawtooth roof far more expensive than other roof types. It’s also a high maintenance roof.

Adding windows, valleys, and ranging slopes create a better chance for water leaks. For this reason, sawtooth roofs aren’t advisable in heavy snowfall areas.

Suggested Materials: counting on the design of the house, the roof is often made up of wood, steel, or ferroconcrete.

12. Curved Roof

A curved roof is far just like the Skillion, or Shed roof, but the planes are curved. it's very modern and provides a singular, creative roof design. the quantity of curves can vary from slightly curved up to an arch shape.


Pros: Curved roofs are aesthetically pleasing and how to possess a home unlike the other. They also provide subtle shapes inside the house also.

Curved roofs are often want to cover the whole home or one section, like an arched entrance.
Since curved roofs are designed by the architect or builder, it is often customized to be advantageous to the region the house is being built.

For example, in wind areas, a roof with a lower slope would be more durable than one with a better slope. While in areas that receive more snow and rain can have more of an arch to permit water to run-off.

Cons: the value of a curved roof will depend upon the complexity of the planning.

Suggested Materials: the simplest material for curved roofs is metal. it'll bend and shape into any form, plus the upkeep is going to be greatly reduced.

13. Pyramid Roof

A pyramid roof may be a sort of roof. All four sides come to some extent at the highest of the roof. There are not any vertical sides or gables.

Pyramid roofs are mostly used for smaller buildings, like bungalows and cabins. they're also used for auxiliary structures, like pool houses, garages, and storage buildings.

Pros: A pyramid roof is extremely immune to strong winds. This makes it a superb architectural choice for hurricane-prone and high-wind areas.

The slope provides extra space for ventilation, attics, or high ceilings. Plus, energy costs are going to be reduced by the overhanging eaves.

Cons: The value of pyramid roofs is higher thanks to the complexity of the planning.

14. Dome Roof

A dome roof is polygonal with an inverted bowl shape. Dome roofs are great for adding unique and aesthetically pleasing features to any home. they're excellent choices for cupolas, gazebos, or crow’s nests.

Pros: Dome roofs are both beautiful in design also as durable.
Cons: The complexity of a dome roof makes them expensive to construct. However, counting on the structure, a prefabricated one could also be available.
Suggested Materials: Dome roofs are often constructed using shingles, metal, and even glass. However, for a dome roof which will require less maintenance, metal is usually recommended.

15. Combination Roof

A combination roof incorporates a design using various roofs on an equivalent structure for aesthetic and practical reasons.

For example, a house may have a roof with a saddle roof over dormers and a skillion over the porch.
Pros: employing a sort of roofs adds architectural interest to a house. It’s also an excellent thanks to using the simplest sort of roof for every section of the house.

Cons: The more complex the planning, the costlier it'll be. Adding different pitches and roof types would require more building materials and labor costs.

Joining different roofs always adds valleys and ridges. These are the weakest areas of the roof where water can pool and leak.

When choosing a roof, first determine what type will and won’t work for your area. for instance, if you reside during a snowy area, a better-pitched roof that's designed to simply shed off high accumulations of snow, are often one the foremost practical options.

Once you’ve narrowed down your choices, then consider your needs. does one need extra space or would you rather build an Eco-friendly house? Lastly, choose the design.

Take these important factors into consideration and you’ll have the roof and house of your dreams.