Jerkinhead Roof (Clipped Gable)

A jerkinhead roof, also called a clipped gable, half-hipped or snub-gable roof, is a hybrid of a gable roof and a hip roof. The ends of the building rise as gable walls for most of their height, but the very top of each gable is cut off by a short hipped slope that runs back to the ridge. It is the reverse of the Dutch gable (gablet) roof, where the hip is below and the small gable is above.

Where it is found

Jerkinhead roofs are common across the UK, particularly on traditional houses with clay tiles, and in parts of Germany and central Europe, where they are known by terms such as Krüppelwalmdach. In North America they appear on Craftsman and Arts and Crafts bungalows and in some Tudor Revival and Queen Anne houses.

Advantages

• Wind resistance: clipping the top of the gable reduces the large flat gable face and the exposed peak, improving wind performance compared with a full gable.
• Headroom: a jerkinhead retains more usable roof space than a full hip roof because most of the end wall is still vertical.
• Appearance: it softens the silhouette of a steep gable and is valued for its traditional character.

Construction

The roof is framed as a gable with a short hip at each end: hip rafters run from the top of the clipped gable wall to the ridge, with short jack rafters between. The small hip face is covered in the same material as the main roof and capped with hip tiles or cap shingles. Flashing details at the clipped corners must shed water from the short hips onto the gable wall's verge.

Terminology

"Jerkinhead", "half-hip", "clipped gable" and "snub gable" are used interchangeably; the preferred term varies by region and author.