ᐅ Combination of a shed roof and a flat roof

Hello everyone,

I have been following your discussions about building for quite some time now and have already learned a lot. Now it’s time for me to become an active member instead of just a passive one.

My girlfriend and I would like to build a single-family house in the near future. We already have a plot (650 sqm (7,000 sq ft)) in the Mainz-Alzey region. At first, the discussion was about how our house should look in the future. My girlfriend originally liked the idea of a town villa, while at the beginning I was more into the Bauhaus style. After some time, we agreed on a design that we both liked (at that point we were focusing purely on the appearance). We decided on a gently sloped shed roof with cubic elements.

After several talks and some initial quotes, I realized that a flat shed roof (6 degrees) is not only very expensive (metal roofing +€25,000), but also feels a bit half-baked. I had another discussion about this with my uncle yesterday. He is a self-employed roofer and said from his perspective, a 6-degree pitch doesn’t make much sense.

Yesterday, we saw two houses with a combination of a shed roof (about 15 degrees) and a flat roof. We both really liked that.

Now my question for you:

- Currently, there aren’t many designs like this. Is that because it doesn’t make sense from a technical point of view, or because it doesn’t appeal to many people’s taste? I could live with the latter.

Looking forward to your answers. Have a great Easter!

PS: According to the zoning plan, it shouldn’t be a problem to build a house like this there.

Hello,

nilles84 schrieb:

After some discussions and initial quotes, I realized that a shallow shed roof (6sqm (65 sqft)) is both very expensive (metal roofing +25,000€) and somewhat impractical. I had another discussion about it yesterday with my uncle, who is a self-employed roofer, and from his point of view, a 6-degree pitch doesn’t make much sense.

Not quite that expensive, but definitely more costly than gable roofs; combined with a flat roof, it is surely pricier.

nilles84 schrieb:

- Currently, there are not many designs like this. Is that because it doesn’t make sense technically, or because it doesn’t appeal to many people? I could live with the latter.

Well – not in most suppliers’ catalogs; that’s true. Typically, houses of this type are custom-designed; it takes a considerable budget.

Attached you’ll find two examples – a combination of flat roof/sloped roof and shed roof/gable roof; both are less expensive to build than the projects you uploaded. Maybe one of these could be something for you?

nilles84 schrieb:

PS: According to the development plan (building permit / planning permission), it shouldn’t be a problem to build such a house there.

Then you’d be very lucky.

Easter greetings from the Rhineland

As a layperson, you generally shouldn’t generalize... yet after a lot of reading, I had to realize: the flatter the roof, the more complex and expensive it becomes. Also, popular taste tends to favor classic gable roofs or the hip roofs typical of urban villas. Additionally, the local development plan often comes into play, which may not allow shed roofs or flat roofs.

Regarding the development plan:

nilles84 schrieb:


PS: According to the development plan, it should not be a problem to build such a house there.

It’s either yes or no... there is no “should be” when it comes to permissions. I would clarify that first.

I received a quote from one of the major prefabricated house providers, and they charge an additional 25,000 for a 6-degree (6°) shed roof, which seems quite high to me.

Building expert, could you briefly explain why a combination of a hipped roof and a flat roof would be so much cheaper than a combination of shed and flat roofs? Is it possible to roughly estimate how much more expensive such a combination is compared to a standard hipped roof? Thanks a lot for the photos, but actually, we both prefer the combination of shed and flat roofs.

Regarding the development plan, §34 applies there, and in the neighborhood, there are both flat and shed roofs. But of course, you’re right, and I still need to clarify this in advance.

We are building a shed roof with a 3° pitch. A completely flat roof would be too expensive, and we do not want a gable roof.

A shed roof is a very economical roof design. Simply put, you just lay the beams across the house and put the roof covering on top. A more complex shed roof construction like ypg’s is, of course, more expensive again.

Good evening,

klblb schrieb:

We are building with a shed roof, 3° pitch. A completely flat roof would be too expensive, and we don’t want a gabled roof.

Why do you think so? In my opinion, the flat roof wouldn’t have cost you more than your “shed roof” with a 3° pitch, which is actually very shallow. The difference is basically just an almost three-sided additional row of bricks.

klblb schrieb:

A shed roof is a very economical roof construction. Simply put, just lay the beams across the house and put the roofing on top.

Would a bit more masonry work and more complex fastening of the roof tiles be acceptable?

klblb schrieb:

A more complex shed roof construction like ypg’s house is, of course, more expensive again.

Yvonne’s house corresponds to a classic shed roof design, with two different knee wall heights—so nothing too complicated.

Best regards, Bauexperte