ᐅ Roof Overhang on a Gable Roof as a Protection for the Building Façade?

We are currently building a single-family house. The roof is designed as a gable roof with an 18° pitch and a 30cm (12 inches) eave overhang.

Personally, I think a roof without an overhang looks more modern. However, my architect believes that the eave overhang protects the house from weathering and is more cost-effective because it requires less complex sealing.

I find it hard to imagine that a) a 30cm (12 inches) eave overhang actually protects the facade and b) that the house would require significantly more sealing work and therefore higher costs without it.

What is your opinion on eave overhangs?

Thank you very much and best regards!

Well, a 30cm (12 inches) roof overhang is really very small, which is why I am rather skeptical about the architect’s statement regarding weathering. I would agree with him at 80cm (31 inches).
However, I agree with him on the waterproofing, because with no roof overhang at all, proper sealing is absolutely necessary. In that case, a 30cm (12 inches) overhang could easily be more cost-effective than the waterproofing.

Yes, weathering is questionable because even if you don’t have an eave, the rainwater has to drain somewhere and doesn’t just run down the facade. Except, of course, during severe storms when a gutter is overwhelmed.

But waterproofing is naturally more complex since you are collecting the rainwater above your facade and, of course, need to ensure that it does not flow inward...

Without roof overhangs, the facade is exposed to more wear and needs to be more durable.
The plaster would get wet more often, and the external insulation would be colder more frequently.
Maintenance and repair work would be more extensive.

Although it is possible to install concealed gutters (as seen in neighboring buildings), this option generally has disadvantages aside from possibly the appearance—for example, it is more expensive and less effective in winter, since snow accumulation can slide off more often depending on the region.

Thank you very much for your answers! They were very helpful for my decision.

Can I revisit this topic? We are uncertain about the roof overhang we want for our gable roof. Initially, we planned for a 50cm (20 inches) overhang on all sides, but that put us over budget. The planner suggested that we could save around 2,500€ by reducing the overhang on the verge (gable end) to 10cm (4 inches) because with a 50cm (20 inches) overhang, the rafter tails would be visible and there would be a need for flying rafters, plus more painting. The 50cm (20 inches) overhang could remain on the other sides without significant extra cost.

The gable ends face west-northwest and east-southeast. The house has two full stories and a 30° gable cold roof.

Is it worth investing the extra money here, or is it mainly an aesthetic issue with the additional façade protection being negligible? Are 10cm (4 inches) on the gable end “sufficient”? We could definitely use the money elsewhere, but I'm unsure if this is a case of “saving in the wrong place.”