Measurement tool
Hip Roof Calculator
Enter your building footprint and pitch to get total hip roof surface area, hip rafter lengths and the material a hip roof needs, including its higher waste factor.
A hip roof has the same surface area as a gable roof over the same footprint (footprint × pitch multiplier) but costs 10 to 15% more because every course is cut into the hips, raising waste and labor.
Calculate a hip roof
All four planes slope, so all four sides carry an eave.
Roof area
1,677 sq ft
all four planes
Hip versus gable
A hip roof slopes on all four sides and meets at a shorter ridge; a gable roof slopes on two and closes with vertical end walls. Over an identical footprint at an identical pitch the sloped surface area is nearly the same, which surprises people. The difference is not area, it is cutting.
On a hip roof every shingle course dies into a hip at an angle, so every course gets cut. That pushes waste from around 10% to 15% and adds labor hours. The usual figure is 10 to 15% more total cost than the equivalent gable.
Why people choose hip roofs anyway
Hip roofs perform far better in wind. The absence of a flat gable end removes the large vertical surface that catches uplift, which is why hip roofs are standard in hurricane regions and often earn an insurance discount worth more than the extra build cost over time.
They also give eaves and soffit on all four sides, which improves shading and makes balanced attic ventilation easier to achieve.