Roof framing is the skeleton that holds everything up. I’ve helped frame roofs on three houses and a barn, and it’s one of those skills where understanding the principles matters as much as physical technique.
Two Ways to Frame
Stick framing means cutting each rafter on site and assembling the roof piece by piece. It’s the traditional method, still used when you need custom angles or when access makes getting trusses to the site difficult. You’re working with individual lumber – rafters, ridge boards, collar ties, ceiling joists.
Truss framing uses pre-built triangular units manufactured to your specs. A crane lifts them onto the walls, and you brace and connect them. Faster to install, engineered for load calculations, consistent quality. Most production builders use trusses now.
Common Roof Types
A gable roof is two sloped planes meeting at a ridge. Simplest to frame and the most common. Good at shedding water and snow.
A hip roof has four sloped sides that meet at a ridge or a point. More complex framing with hip rafters at the corners and jack rafters running between them. Better wind resistance, more attic space feels usable.
Flat roofs aren’t actually flat – they have slight slope for drainage. Framed more like a floor with joists. Common on commercial buildings and modern architecture.
The Math Part
You need to calculate rafter length based on the span and the pitch. Pitch is rise over run – a 6/12 pitch rises 6 inches for every 12 inches of horizontal run.
Rafter tables and construction calculators help here. Or you can use the Pythagorean theorem if you remember high school geometry. The math has to be right or your rafters won’t fit.
Getting It Right
Layout accuracy matters. Mark your rafter positions on the wall plates before you start cutting anything. Check that walls are square and level before you begin – fixing framing problems is easier than fixing roofing problems later.
Use appropriate connectors. Hurricane ties, ridge straps, rafter hangers all have specific purposes. Building codes require them for good reason.
