Types of roof: UK roof shapes and coverings explained
How to recognise a gable, hipped, mansard, flat or lean-to roof, what each means for loft space, which coverings suit which pitch and at what price, and the rules for changing one.
The gable roof, with two slopes meeting at a ridge between triangular end walls, is the standard design for new UK houses. The hipped roof, where all four sides slope down to the walls, is the other common shape, and flat, mansard and lean-to roofs cover extensions, lofts and garages. We cover how to recognise each shape, what it means for loft space, which coverings suit which pitch and at what price, and what needs permission to change.
The main types of roof in the UK
Pitched roofs have slopes steep enough to shed rain off tiles or slates. Flat roofs are nearly level and sealed with a membrane.
| Roof shape | What it looks like | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Gable | Two slopes meeting at a ridge, with a triangular wall at each end | Standard for new-build houses |
| Hipped | All four sides slope down to the walls | Areas with high winds or heavy snow |
| Mansard | Two slopes on all four sides, the lower one steeper | Rooms in the roof |
| Gambrel | Two slopes on two sides only, with gable ends | Barns |
| Flat | A pitch of 10° or less, with a fall to drain | Extensions, garages and dormers |
| Lean-to | One slope, its high edge against a taller wall | Extensions and garages |
| Butterfly | Two slopes rising outwards to form a V | Modern designs |
| Dormer | A roofed box with a window, built out from a slope | Loft conversions |
Gable roofs
A gable roof has two slopes that meet at a ridge, with a triangular section of wall, the gable, at each end. It is the standard design for new-build houses in the UK and suits cold and temperate climates.
It is simple to cover, with no hips to cut tiles against. Variants include the front gable, which faces the road over the entrance, the cross-gabled roof over an L or T-shaped house, and the Dutch gable, a small gable set on top of a hipped roof at each end of the ridge.
Hipped roofs
A hipped roof has four sides that all slope down to the walls. It is sturdier than a gable roof and suits areas with high winds or heavy snow, such as Scotland, but it costs more to build and re-cover, because every hip needs cut tiles and its own run of ridge.
A pyramid hip sits on a square plan, with all four slopes meeting at a point. A half-hipped or jerkinhead roof is a gable with each peak cut back into a small hip.
The sloping ends take a bite out of the loft. Converting a hipped roof to a gable builds the end up into a vertical wall, and in England it usually counts as permitted development.
Mansard and gambrel roofs
A mansard roof has two slopes on all four sides, the lower one much steeper than the upper, with dormer windows set into it so the space inside works as rooms.
Where a loft is too low to convert any other way, a mansard loft conversion rebuilds the roof to this shape, and in England it usually needs a planning application. A gambrel has the same double slope on two sides only, with a gable at each end: the classic barn roof.
Flat roofs
A flat roof has a pitch of no more than 10° to the horizontal, with a fall so rain drains to a gutter or outlet instead of pooling. On houses it covers extensions, garages, dormers and bay windows.
Replacing a flat roof over a typical rear extension costs £1,400 to £3,800 for the covering alone.
Lean-to and butterfly roofs
A lean-to roof, also called a mono-pitch or skillion roof, has a single slope. Its high edge meets a taller wall at the abutment, and it is the usual roof over a single-storey extension or a garage.
A butterfly roof has two slopes rising away from each other to form a V, draining to a valley in the middle. The shape comes from mid-20th-century modern architecture.
Other roof shapes you may see
- Dormer. A rear dormer loft conversion adds a roofed box with a window to the back slope for headroom, usually under permitted development in England.
- T-shaped roof. Two roofs meet at right angles, and the valley where they join is lined with lead or GRP.
- M-shaped roof. Two pitched roofs side by side, with a valley between them in place of one tall ridge.
- Sawtooth roof. A row of ridges, each with one steep and one shallow slope: a factory roof from Britain's industrial era, back in use because the slopes suit solar panels.
Roof pitch and why it matters
Pitch is the angle of a roof slope from the horizontal, in degrees. It decides whether a roof counts as flat, which coverings it can take and how much space the loft has.
Every tile and slate has a minimum pitch set by its maker, and Marley's low-pitch guidance treats roofs under 15° as low pitch, where only tiles designed for it will do.
| Covering | Minimum pitch |
|---|---|
| Natural slate | 20° |
| Concrete interlocking tile, standard | 22.5° |
| Concrete interlocking tile, low-pitch profile | 12.5° to 17.5° |
| Clay plain tile | 30° to 35°, most at 35° |
| Clay interlocking pantile | 12.5° to 17.5° |
Headlap moves the figure: Marley's Modern concrete tile is rated to 22.5° with a 75 mm headlap and to 17.5° with a 100 mm headlap in its smooth finish.
Types of roof covering
Pitched roof coverings
These are 2026 fitted prices per m² of roof, with the lifespan each covering usually reaches.
| Covering | Fitted price per m² | Typical lifespan |
|---|---|---|
| Concrete tiles | £70 – £130 | 40 – 60 years |
| Clay tiles | £90 – £180 | 50 – 80 years |
| Metal, standing seam | £130 – £200 | 40 – 70 years |
| Natural slate | £110 – £220 | 80 – 100 years |
Concrete interlocking tiles took off in the 1950s and 1960s because they were cheap and hard-wearing, and they are still the cheapest covering in the table. Clay is harder and lasts longer, whether as flat plain tiles or as pantiles, a traditional covering in Somerset, Kent and Essex.
Natural slate outlasts both, and British slate comes from quarries such as Penrhyn in North Wales and Delabole in Cornwall. Thatch survives mainly in southern England and South Wales.
After the size of the roof, the covering is the biggest decision in the price of a full re-roof, and on a 3-bed semi the gap between concrete and slate runs to thousands of pounds.
If the new covering is heavier or lighter than the old one, the roof structure may need strengthening, so have a structural engineer or surveyor check it first. When renovating an older house, settle the covering early, because structural repairs, roofing, services and insulation all come before the finishes.
Flat roof coverings
Flat roofs take a continuous membrane. Felt is the cheapest to lay, EPDM rubber gives the longest life for its price, and GRP fibreglass is the usual choice for a roof that doubles as a balcony.
| Covering | Fitted price per m² | Typical lifespan |
|---|---|---|
| Felt, torch-on | £40 – £70 | 15 – 20 years |
| EPDM rubber | £50 – £90 | 30 – 50 years |
| Single-ply PVC | £60 – £100 | 25 – 35 years |
| GRP fibreglass | £80 – £130 | 20 – 40 years |
Zinc, aluminium, lead and copper are the metal options for a flat roof. Lead is also the most common flashing material in the UK, sealing the joints where a roof meets a wall or chimney, and it can last 100 years when fitted correctly.
Which roof shapes give you loft space
A loft conversion needs height under the ridge, and the roof decides how much there is. A pitch under about 30° leaves too little volume to convert.
- Gable. The ridge runs the full length of the loft, so the headroom does too.
- Hipped. The sloping ends shorten the usable floor, and building each hip up into a gable wall restores it.
- Mansard. The steep lower slopes and dormers already give close to a full storey.
- Flat or lean-to. There is no loft to convert.
Framing matters too. Houses built before about 1965 usually have a traditional cut roof, and almost all from the mid-1970s have trussed rafters, which can still be converted but need new steel and a new floor, adding £5,000 to £15,000.
Shape, pitch and framing together decide which types of loft conversion the roof will take: a rooflight conversion needs the height already there, a dormer adds headroom on one slope, and a hip to gable or a mansard reshapes the roof itself.
Planning permission and building regulations for roof changes
England
Re-covering a roof and reshaping it fall under different rules. In England, replacing the roof covering on a pitched or flat roof needs building regulations approval, through a roofer in a competent person scheme or through building control. Changing the material, from slate to tiles for example, is likely to need approval so the structure and fire safety are checked.
Like-for-like re-roofing does not normally need planning permission, but reshaping can. Under permitted development rights, a hip to gable or rear dormer needs no application if it adds no more than 40 m³ on a terraced house or 50 m³ on other houses, stays below the highest part of the existing roof, does not reach beyond the front slope facing a road and uses similar materials.
Anything bigger needs a planning application, as do most mansards and any raised ridge. The rights do not cover flats or houses in a conservation area, national park or area of outstanding natural beauty, an Article 4 direction can remove them, and a listed building needs listed building consent for any significant work.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
| Nation | Re-covering the roof | Enlarging the roof, such as a dormer |
|---|---|---|
| England | Building regulations approval needed | Permitted development up to 40 m³ on a terrace or 50 m³ on other houses, not on designated land |
| Wales | Approval needed in most situations | Permitted development under 40 m³ on a terrace or 50 m³ on other houses, none in conservation areas, national parks, AONBs or World Heritage Sites |
| Scotland | No building warrant for a covering of the same general type, but the work must meet the standards | Permitted development only on a roof plane not facing a road, up to half the roof's width, never in a conservation area |
| Northern Ireland | Ask the district council's building control | Permitted development with no volume limit, but below the ridge, at least 0.5 m from the ridge, eaves, verge and party wall, not in a conservation area |
A change of covering type in Scotland, such as slate to concrete tiles, falls outside the no-warrant exemption, so ask the council's building standards team first.
Common questions
What are the three main types of roof?
The three main roof types on UK homes are the gable roof, the hipped roof and the flat roof. A gable has two slopes meeting at a ridge between triangular end walls, and a hipped roof slopes down to the walls on all four sides. A flat roof has a pitch of 10° or less, with a fall so rain drains away.
What are the 10 types of roofs?
Ten common roof types are the gable, hipped, mansard, gambrel, flat, lean-to, butterfly, dormer, M-shaped and sawtooth roof. Many houses combine two or more, such as a gable main roof with a lean-to over a rear extension and a dormer on the back slope.
What are the most common roof styles in the UK?
Gable and hipped roofs are the common styles on UK houses, and the gable is the standard design for new builds. Extensions and garages usually carry a flat or lean-to roof.
What is the minimum pitch for a tiled roof?
A standard concrete interlocking tile needs a pitch of at least 22.5°, and most clay plain tiles need 35°. Natural slate needs 20°. Low-pitch interlocking tiles and clay pantiles go down to 12.5°, and a roof under 15° counts as low pitch, where only tiles made for it will do.
What is the longest-lasting roof covering?
Natural slate is the longest-lasting common roof covering, at 80 to 100 years. Clay tiles last 50 to 80 years, standing seam metal 40 to 70 and concrete tiles 40 to 60. On a flat roof, EPDM rubber lasts 30 to 50 years against 15 to 20 for felt.
Do I need planning permission to change my roof shape?
In England, a hip to gable or rear dormer needs no planning application if it stays within permitted development: 40 m³ of extra volume on a terrace, 50 m³ on other houses, and no higher than the existing roof. A mansard, a raised ridge or any roof enlargement in a conservation area needs one. Building regulations approval is needed either way.
What type of roof is best for a loft conversion?
A gable roof pitched at 30° or more with a traditional cut frame gives the most room to convert, because the ridge runs the full length of the loft. Under about 30° there is too little volume, and a flat roof has no loft at all. A trussed roof can be converted, but new steel and a new floor add £5,000 to £15,000.