Roofing Design Types & Terms
- Gable: The upper portion of a sidewall that comes to a triangular point at the ridge of a sloping roof.
- Hip Roof: A type of roof containing sloping planes of the same pitch on each of four sides. A hip roof contains no gables.
- Gable Roof: A type of roof containing sloping planes of the same pitch on each side of the ridge. A gable roof typically contains a gable at each end.
- Skillion Roof: A Skillion Roof slopes from one side of the building to the other in a single span and no ridge. As a result the external walls are of varying heights.
- Lean-to Roof: A roof with one slope only that is built against a higher wall.
Jerkinhead Roof: Consists of a Gable Roof with a truncated Hip Roof section at the top to reduce the height of the Gable. - Dutch Gable: Is a combination of a Hip roof with a small Gable at the top and a sloping roof below.
- Gambrel roof: A type of roof containing two sloping planes of different pitch on each side of the ridge. The lower plane has a steeper slope than the upper. A gambrel roof usually contains a gable at each end, just like a standard gable roof.
- Mansard roof: A type of roof containing two sloping planes of different pitch on each of four sides. The lower plane has a much steeper pitch than the upper, often approaching vertical. It contains no Gables.
- Gazebo Roof: Often Hexagonal or Octagonal but usually symmetrical in their design.
- Saltbox Roof: A type of roof with asymmetrical roof faces. The asymmetry produces one facade that is two stories high dropping to a single story. A saltbox roof contains a gable at each end.
- Pyramid Hip Roof: A type of roof where all four sides come to a point at the roof peak.
- M-Shaped Roof: A type of roof similar to a double-pitched roof except that it rests on two load bearing walls only. It also features a central gutter at a right angle to the front facade.
- Butterfly Roof: A type of roof formed by two gables that pitch sharply from either side toward the center to resemble a butterfly’s wings.
- Combination Roof: A combination of two or more roof types.
- Dormer: A structural element that protrudes from the sloping plane of the roof surface.
- Flat Roof: A type of roof that has no slope and may terminate with or without eaves.
- Shed Roof: A type of gabled roof with a single roof face falling away from the main building.
If you’re looking for a roofing term not listed here, we’ve found a good resource from FloridaDisaster.org. Click here to see a more extensive guide.
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