How to Blend a Dormer Into the Main Roof

Draw elevations of your home before installing dormers. An elevation is a one-dimensional or flat view of each side of the home. The elevation will show roof heights in real measurements; angled or perspective renderings can be distorted. Many cities and communities do not allow new dormer construction if no existing examples are currently in the neighborhood. Find a home with dormers in your neighborhood for reference.

Sketch the shape of the new dormers on tracing paper laid over your elevation. A dormer should be the same relative pitch as the main roof. The pitch of the main roof should be marked on your plans. The dormer height should be below the ridge line of the main roof. Make several sketches until the design with the lowest visual impact is determined.

Search for images of homes styled similar to yours that have dormers. The dormer that will fit with your home should be of the same architectural style. In general, flat or shed-style dormers are often not allowed on the front and rear of homes.

Calculate the correct size of dormer for your home size and roof size. The dormer should not dominate the elevation. Often dormer windows are smaller than windows on other floors of the home. The dormer should be set back from the eaves of the roof. This means that the dormer is not flush with the front or rear walls of the home but is set back into the slope of the roof.

Match the roof style of the dormer to the roof style of the main house. If your home has a hipped roof, a hipped dormer will more easily blend into the roof and elevation of the home. Check your local building codes for additional restrictions to dormers in your area. Check with your homeowner association as well since you may not be able to change your roofline.

Paint your existing dormer in colors that blend into the roofing colors. Use the same roofing materials and neutralize any colors that may overly attract attention to the dormer area.