The Hipped Roof
The Hipped Roof
The Hipped Roof
Introduction:
In Part 1 of this technical bulletin series we discussed the conventionally framed gable roof and its
basic structural requirements, while in Part 2 we discussed problems and solutions of the gabled roof
when not properly designed or constructed. In this technical bulletin, we will discuss a common
variation of the “A” framed roof, the hipped roof.
On a simple hipped roof, the roof slopes upwards
to the ridge from all four sides. However on a
simple gable-style roof, the roof slope is only on
two opposing sides, and the ends of the roof are
closed off with a triangular gable wall. We
frequently encounter hipped roofs that are
constructed as self-supporting assemblies (i.e. no
interior support). While this is possible for modest
hipped roofs, there are certain structural
requirements to make a hipped roof self-supporting. In the following bulletin we will discuss the
mechanisms required to make a hipped roof self-supporting and show why it is generally better to
provide support at the hip rafters.