How to Frame a Hip Roof
Roof Framing Made Easy
The most popular roof
is the hip roof design. Hip roofs add architectural
lines to the design of any house. It also offers
more structural protection from the wind. And if it
has an extended overhang it offers protection from
Hip roofs have more structural integrity than a
gable roof because the roof load is distributed to
all four corners of the walls of the structure. In
addition, it is much easier to paint and maintain a
house without tall gable ends.
Learning how to frame a hip roof is more complex
than a gable roof. In addition to a ridge board and
common rafters as a gable roof has a hip roof has
hip rafters and jack rafters.
Not all hip roofs have a ridge board. If the
building is a perfect square with all four walls
the same length there is no ridge and the roof will
be shaped like a pyramid.
When cutting the common, hip, and jack rafters,
their lengths can be determined by using a
calculator or a rafter table. The length of the
ridge is determined by subtracting the width of the
building from its length. For example, if the
building is 60 x 30 feet, the ridge will be 20 feet
in length. If the ridge board is a standard 2x (1
and 1/2 inch thick), 1 and 1/2 inches must be added
to the ridge length. This is necessary because all
the common rafters are shortened half the thickness
of the ridge board or ¾ of an inch. This allows the
top of the common rafters to line up with the top
of the ridge at each end.
How to Build a Hip Roof:
Always start framing a hip roof with the
common rafters first. This will locate the ridge in
its proper position. This part of the roof is
framed just like a gable roof.
Begin by nailing the common rafters on one side of
the ridge at each end then raise the ridge and nail
two rafters on the other side of the ridge opposite
the first two rafters.
Stand the ridge up so the birdsmouth cuts pull in
tight to the walls on each side of the building.
Nail the rafters to the wall in their corresponding
position in relation to the ridge. They will lock
the ridge in its exact location.
Install the rest of the common rafters and nail
them to the wall and ridge board.
Now the fun begins with installing the hip and jack
The jacks and hip rafters are nailed on the outside
corners of the buildings walls and at the
intersection made by the end and first common
rafters where they meet at the ridge.
With the hip rafters in place the jack rafters can
be installed. Before nailing on the first jack
rafter, a string should be run from the plumb cut
on the hip rafter to just above the birdsmouth.
This is a vital step in hip roof construction. The
string is attached by driving a nail in the center
of the hip where it is attached to the end of the
ridge board and hip rafter. Tie the string to a
nail then pull it tight and secure it to the other
nail at the end of the hip rafter. The string will
ensure the hip rafter stays straight without bowing
in or out during the jack rafter installation. As
the jacks are nailed in place the string should be
kept at the center of the hip rater.
To help keep the hip rafter straight the jack
rafters should be installed in pairs, first one
side of the hip, then on the opposite side.
Continue this process all the way down the hip
rafter until all the jacks are installed on both
sides of the hip. Remove the string and repeat this
procedure on the remaining three hips
Now all that is left is installing the collar ties
and fascia boards before the roof sheathing is
installed and shingled. That is how to frame a hip
For more resources on how to frame a hip
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See related articles:
How to Cut Roof Rafters
How to Frame Gable Roofs
How to Make Stair Stringers
How to Raise House Walls