What Is a Gambrel Roof?

Your roof design is front and center when planning a home. If you want a look that emphasizes the height of your house, a gambrel design is worth considering. So, what is a gambrel roof? This design features symmetrical slopes off the tallest peak, including a shallower-angled section at the top and a steeper-angled section toward the bottom. Learn more about a gambrel roof, including the perks and drawbacks.

What Is a Gambrel Roof and What Sets It Apart?

The gambrel roof's tallest peak is directly in the middle of the home. It resembles a vintage barn roof, making it look different from most roof types, including the gable design, which resembles a triangle from the side and commonly appears on homes.

The gambrel roof has a shallow angled upper slope, usually at around 30 degrees, extending from both sides of the tallest peak. At the end of the first slope section, a second, steeper slope occurs at about a 60-degree angle. It expands until it hangs slightly over the edges of the building. Your builder can change these angles as desired, but the gambrel roof always has two connected slopes on each side of the tallest peak.

Pros and Cons of a Gambrel Roof

A gambrel roof provides several advantages and disadvantages for the homeowner.

What to Know About Building a Gambrel Roof

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If you are building a new home or extensively remodeling an existing home, you could install a gambrel roof. The roof builder will use a series of trusses across the width of the roof with support from the ground at the edges. The trusses match the planned dimensions and slopes of the gambrel roof. The roof deck goes directly over the trusses.

The gambrel roof does not need support beams and columns in the middle that reduce the usability of the interior space. The trusses provide all the support for the middle of the roof deck. They require fewer materials than some other types of roof construction.

The cost to frame a roof ranges from $13,000 to $22,200. The cost to frame a gambrel roof is often a few thousand dollars more than the average roof cost.

Because of the similarities, a builder might suggest a mansard roof, instead. It uses a double-slope design that’s similar to the gambrel roof, but it has the design on all four sides of the building, rather than just two sides like the gambrel design. You will pay even more to frame the mansard roof than the gambrel roof, however.

This is similar to the common gable roof versus hip roof comparison. A hip roof has slopes on all four sides of the building, while the gable roof has slopes on two sides.

Reach out to a local roofing company for an estimate of what a gambrel roof will cost at your home.

Is a Gambrel Roof a Good Choice for Bad Weather?

A Dutch Colonial style house often features a gambrel roof. These types of homes are common in the Northeastern United States, where stormy seasons can be harsh.

The double-slope design provides a strong mix of stability and water flow, especially during high-wind events, like hurricanes. However, the varying angles of the slopes could enhance the effect of sudden changes in wind direction that can tear shingles loose.

If you live in an area that gets a lot of snow, it could accumulate on the shallower upper slope, causing too much weight. A designer could increase the angle of the upper slope to allow snow to slide downward more efficiently.

In many designs, the edge of the gambrel roof is well off the ground, meaning your gutter system usually is higher than with other roof designs. It may be more difficult to keep your gutters clean yourself when the edge of the gambrel roof is two stories off the ground. It can be tougher to gain roof access to clean the roof yourself, too, because of the height of the edges of a gambrel roof.