Pros and cons of a gable and hip roof

If you need to install a new roof on your house, and you were thinking of hip and gable roofs, then you should analyze the pros and cons of each of the two. Also you need to think about your climate, and also about your carpenter skills.


First of all, gable roofs have two faces, while hip roofs have four.

This means that building a hip roof is a little more difficult. Gable roofs are designed with two sets of parallel rafters attached to the trusses. They meet at the ridge board.

On the other hand, a hip roof is designed with a shorter ridge board, and has several types of rafters: common, jack, end and hip. The construction involves more knowledge. On a hip roof, common rafters meat at the ridge board, while end rafters meet at the ends of it. Hip rafters meet the ridge board from the corners of the roof, at an angle of 45 degrees. The jack rafters intersect the hip rafters from perpendicular sides.

Roof ventilation

The ventilation is as bad for the gable roof as for the hip roof. Both types of roofs will need vents. On a gable roofs you can install gable vents and ridge vents. On a hip roof you can also install ridge vents . You may also install box or dome vents and under-eave or soffit vents. These work for both roofs.


Because a hip roof has a more complex structure, a contractor will spend more time constructing it. This is why a hip roof is more expensive than a gable roof.


Gable roofs are like V-s upside down. They have two fully exposed sides, while a hip roof sits on top of the house, revealing all sides. If the costs aren’t that important, then take a look of each of the two and think which will look the best.

You may also consider the fact that hip roofs are stronger when it comes to hurricanes and bad weather.

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