DIY Roof Design

Determine the square footage and basic layout of the home. Sketch a basic A-frame roof, similar to a roof on a ranch home, to cover the main part of the house. Draw a hip roof by sloping all four sides toward exterior house walls as another choice. Use graph paper to define the actual dimensions of the house and all roof areas once you've selected roof angles you prefer.

Enhance a roof with dormers or raised sections, if this is appropriate. Draw a cottage-style home or a two-story home with two dormer windows on the front of the house, for example. Keep in mind that any roof design involving windows set into the roof design will affect interior rooms. Plan dormers by measuring interior floor space and walls so they will work well to provide light inside attic rooms or second-story rooms.

Open a large roof section for a row of windows. Design a raised roof in the back of a home that will function as a wedge raised up to support a row of windows, as one option. Create this window space to add natural light to a kitchen, for example. Plan the row of roof windows to provide a view of the sky from any place in the kitchen.

Get additional ideas for all roof angles by viewing homes in various neighborhoods. Go over roof designs in home design books, but walk through your own neighborhood to become familiar with roof shapes first hand. Make notes about various roof shapes, such as a home addition's roof constructed with a hip roof design. Fine-tune the plan and sketch several options before finalizing your plans.

Include generous overhangs and well-constructed soffit areas. Create a roof design to include wide overhangs to enhance its overall look. Notice, as you observe homes in your own neighborhood or others, that skimpy overhangs subtract from the curbside appeal of a home. Sketch porch roof areas to look harmonious with the overhangs of the rest of the home. Draw guttering and downspouts to wrap porch areas so there is a uniform look to the whole house design.