ᐅ Setback floor (or recessed storey), attic (or loft), gable roof, flat roof

Hello everyone,

I would like to get some opinions on a few questions. I hope some of you can help.

1. Which is more expensive: a house with a pitched roof or one with a flat roof, assuming a similar floor area?
2. What costs should be expected for a recessed/top floor (setback floor)? Is it roughly comparable to the usual price per square meter (square foot), or is it more expensive or cheaper?
3. If you had a free choice, would you prefer a pitched roof attic or a recessed/top floor?

Thank you and best regards,
HB1

1. Precipitation needs a slope to drain; otherwise, more money must be spent on protection against standing water.
3. This is a matter of perspective. Setback floors create roof terraces.

---

https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/

1) A flat roof on two full storeys is more economical than a pitched roof on two full storeys.
2) The recessed top floor causes additional roof costs because roof edges multiply on the ground floor.
3) Two full storeys cost the same regardless of the type of roof on top.
4) Recessed top floors may require more complex structural engineering.

Recessed top floors avoid or prevent additional usable or unused attic storage space.

toxicmolotow schrieb:
Staggered floors avoid/prevent additional used/unused storage space in the attic.

Yes, but where they are not meant to become legal "full storeys," this is a Pyrrhic victory – because it results in at least an equivalent amount of unused roof space above the relatively projecting parts on the ground floor.

---

https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/

From personal experience (gable roof house with an extension as a flat roof). We also had a lot of trouble with the vapor barrier used as a temporary seal during the construction phase.

Flat roofing is more expensive to install and maintain than a gable roof. The sloped insulation and waterproofing are costly.

We practically have it all. A stepped house, with a flat roof over the ground floor and a pitched roof over the upper floor.
It looks nice, but even during construction, the flat roof caused a lot of problems... In hindsight, I might have tried to do everything with just a pitched roof.
Regarding the costs: the flat roof is more expensive than the pitched roof, and the stepped design also increases the cost per usable living area compared to simply extending the walls all the way up.