Roof Styles

There are a few different types of roofs that a house can have depending on the style that you are going for. There are six most common ones known as; Gable Roof, Gambrel Roof, Hip Roof, Saltbox, Mansard, and Shed.

Gable Roof
This Style of roof is created by two sloping sides, forming a triangle at one or both ends of the house or roof. It is also described as being the triangular section of a wall formed by the end of a this type of roof. This style is shown in Neo-eclectic houses, Ranch, Tudor, as well as Cape Cod styles. These are not however the only styles that gable roofs are seen.

Shed Roof
A Shed roof is a simple , one-slope roof as seen in the picture to the right. This style can also be known as a lean-to roof. It is mostly seen in more modern homes.

Gambrel Roof
This roof that is defined by having two with two slopes on each side. The lower side will have a steeper pitch then the upper side. This roof style is commonly found in Colonial revival houses in more of a Dutch Style.

Saltbox Roof
This odd roof shape is a variation that was discussed above. It was originally created when a house was being added on to so they created a roof by adding a shed roof (lean-to) to the back wall of the house. This is a very unique and interesting style of roof that goes well with an equally unique and original vision for your home.

Hipped Roof
The hipped roof is when all four sides of the roof slope inward to meet at a peak or as a ridge as shown in the photo to the left. The "hips" are the lines formed when the slopes meet at the corners.

Mansard Roof
Lastly, the Mansard style of roof is when all four sides have two slopes, the lower four steeper than the upper four. This is a much older style of roof. It can be seen though in houses in a "Dutch" style of the colonial Revival.







There are many different styles of roofs that a home can have. These six are not all of the possibilities. The hope was that this would help you get more familiar with the different styles as well as learn a bit of the vocabulary when it comes to architecture.