How to Frame a Dutch Gable Roof

Measure the house to determine the length and width for the roof. This is generally a requirement when applying for a building permit, along with detailed building plans.

Build the rafters in accordance with the angle of the gable roof and the size of the home. For example, if your house is 24 feet wide and you have a 6-foot peak, each side of the rafter would be a 2-by-8-inch board 13 1/2 feet long, plus any desired overhang. Nail the peaks together with 16d nails. Fasten the bases of the rafters to the wall top plate, also using 16d nails. Place these rafters from the center of the house to within 10 feet of each end. Space them 16 inches apart.

Build a stud wall under the end rafter on each end. This wall serves as the connecting point for the hip rafters on the end and as a framework for the small wall at the peak of the roof above the hip rafters. This is a 2-by-4-inch stud wall nailed to the ceiling joist at the bottom and to the rafter at the top using 16d nails. Place the studs 16 inches apart on center.

Erect the hip-roof rafters. These rafters run from the stud wall or from the primary rafter to the top plate of the end wall of the house. Measure each hip rafter individually, and determine the angle cuts needed at the ends to fit the hip rafter to the stud wall or primary rafter. Nail them in place with 16d nails.