Butt roof to Gable End Wall


NewUserSargent
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Im very very new to Chief Architect, just started using the application this week and I am struggling when it comes to building the roof. I have built and rebuilt the roof close to 20 times now. I have watched youtube videos, read through the documentation, and read many topics here but still can not figure out how to fix my roof. 

I have a gable wall that is perpendicular to my roof line, and im trying to build a connection between the gable wall and the roof next to it. But i can not figure out how to build it. I have included plans and pictures of what i am trying to accomplish below. The plans have the incorrect roof pitches and layout and the draftsmen who created them can not fix them. Any help would be appreciated.

 

Thank you,

Hunter

Elevation1.jpg

Elevation2.jpg

IncorrectRoofPlan.jpg

Sargent_auto_save.plan

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8 hours ago, NewUserSargent said:

Any help would be appreciated.

 

First off, I'm not clear on what exactly the problem is. Are you unsure of how this roof should be built? Or are you just unable to accomplish what you want using the software? 

 

I don't usually like to give my design opinion, but the main roof should really be a hip roof. Looking at your problem from a practical construction standpoint, trying to make it gable and integrate those returns is going to be really tough, and look like shi-ite anyway.

 

Auto roofs does a pretty good job if you make the main roof hip. I just turned on auto roofs and switched the upper level end gable walls to the hip setting:

 

1638383439_Screenshot2025-08-22at7_48_30AM.thumb.png.4ea027bef74b2f6c510fa2a616335699.png

1097878761_Screenshot2025-08-22at7_50_32AM.thumb.png.ec3483d914a8d5d86cf4c713c3be1301.png

Sargent_auto_saveCB.plan

 

Adjusting the footprint can help with balancing the roof planes, but I would 100% make this a hip roof.

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Im unable to accomplish what I want to do with the software. It’s a user error, I just don’t know how to do it. 
 

the issue is connecting the roof line that goes from front to back on the side of the house to the gable wall of the garage and the gable wall of the center of the house. I have attached a picture with the highlighted section of roof I’m having a problem creating correctly.

IMG_6920.jpeg

IMG_6921.jpeg

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28 minutes ago, NewUserSargent said:

Im unable to accomplish what I want to do with the software. It’s a user error, I just don’t know how to do it. 

 

Ok. It's going to be very difficult for a novice, nearly impossible to explain the particular steps needed in a post, and too time consuming for me to do it for you. You're just going to have to get more familiar with the manual roof tools, or hire someone to do it (unless someone here volunteers to do it for you).

 

Study up on the manual roof tools:

 

https://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-00441/creating-hip-and-gable-roofs-manually.html

https://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/category/34/roofs.html

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Hi @NewUserSargent, What @Chrisb222is suggesting is correct way to go about this issue. 
 

First things first, that roof plan is not what your elevations are showing. I take it that you want your roof plan to match what your elevations are showing is that correct ? Secondly this has nothing to do with the software but on how to represent those roof lines with roof construction knowledge. 
 

Manual roof editing will be required to get this roof correct after setting the gable positions with the walls underneath and then building the roof automatically. 
 

Where you are showing angled hips and valleys on your roof plan you should be showing straight lines for your gable ends and ridge lines. If you can understand what I am saying you will be able to fix your plan and 3D model. 
 

A draftsman who does not have a competent knowledge of roof construction shouldn’t be contracted to draw your plans.

 

I recommend that if you cannot get it right yourself, please use a professional in your region who understands roof construction.

 

Have fun learning !

Edited by mthd97
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I see what's going on.  I would manually roof the plan.  The elevations give enough info to do all you need.  Those roof planes you have colored, the two that flank the high roof gable ends, are crickets.  It's how Iearned to use Chief, that is, get images of a stock plan, and go to work, screencapping plan views and elevation views and importing the pics into your plan, resizing as needed to get close to the right scale.

 

See the missing line in that plan view you have for a source?  The garage's right end is a gable, and the line for the gable is missing in the plan view.

 

I did not open your plan.  How certain are you that the footprint of exterior walls matches the source plan?

Edited by GeneDavis
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Imagine the drainage problems this roof creates.  There are six points where gable rakes die into cricket roofs, where the carpenters will need to do mini-crickets overframed atop the bottom ends of the valleys the large crickets create.

 

This is a plan hallucinated by a "designer," one no experienced architect would doodle even on her worst day.

 

Edit:  Here is a pic of the way the garage roof should resolve onto the adjacent house roof.  The designer did not draw this, though, and gable-ended the garage over the lower house roof.  To look right, that gable has the same overhang as every other gable in this fantasy roofscape, which means the rakes die onto the lower roof.  Hipping like this avoids that and results in good drainage.

 

Chief_Architect_Premier_X17_yEgnUFKs3N.thumb.png.83e00315c8a94f2003e429d9626d8ce6.png

And here is a pic of the mess you get yourself into when your designer does the gable thing.  I began the work of placing a 3:12-pitch cricket in one of the two problem corners.  A skilled attentive builder with good carpenters, sheet metal guys, and roofers can get this to work, but too often things go wrong.

 

Chief_Architect_Premier_X17_I3L6M6MJ8f.thumb.png.8e1bee83fe4e50adb86ad3bafc1cea5a.png

 

Edited by GeneDavis
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15 hours ago, Mark3D said:

Is this what you are trying to do

Ashampoo_Snap_Saturday, 23 August 2025_17h03m51s_001_.png

 Hi yes this is exactly what I’m trying to do. I have had issues trying to build this. We have tried going through a few local places to build our house in chief architect but the prices have been extremely high, 4-8.7k have been the quotes I have received so far for the build + framing elevations and floor framing plans.

 

I understand people saying a hip roof is the way to go but my wife is set on the look of the roof. And if it’s possible to safely and cleanly do it, why wouldn’t I. 

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9 hours ago, GeneDavis said:

Imagine the drainage problems this roof creates.  There are six points where gable rakes die into cricket roofs, where the carpenters will need to do mini-crickets overframed atop the bottom ends of the valleys the large crickets create.

 

This is a plan hallucinated by a "designer," one no experienced architect would doodle even on her worst day.

 

Edit:  Here is a pic of the way the garage roof should resolve onto the adjacent house roof.  The designer did not draw this, though, and gable-ended the garage over the lower house roof.  To look right, that gable has the same overhang as every other gable in this fantasy roofscape, which means the rakes die onto the lower roof.  Hipping like this avoids that and results in good drainage.

 

Chief_Architect_Premier_X17_yEgnUFKs3N.thumb.png.83e00315c8a94f2003e429d9626d8ce6.png

And here is a pic of the mess you get yourself into when your designer does the gable thing.  I began the work of placing a 3:12-pitch cricket in one of the two problem corners.  A skilled attentive builder with good carpenters, sheet metal guys, and roofers can get this to work, but too often things go wrong.

 

Chief_Architect_Premier_X17_I3L6M6MJ8f.thumb.png.8e1bee83fe4e50adb86ad3bafc1cea5a.png

 

Hi Gene,

 

Thanks for your opinion, I think there are many ways to fix the issues of water and I am the one building the house so I am going to be handling the waterproofing which is my #1 priority in this house. I understand there are better ways to do it but it’s the look that turns me off. Architecture is 50/50 looks and functionality. I hate how every house looks the same nowadays and want something that’s different and stands out.

 

I will continue to try to build the house in chief architect the way it was designed. Thank you

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18 hours ago, GeneDavis said:

I see what's going on.  I would manually roof the plan.  The elevations give enough info to do all you need.  Those roof planes you have colored, the two that flank the high roof gable ends, are crickets.  It's how Iearned to use Chief, that is, get images of a stock plan, and go to work, screencapping plan views and elevation views and importing the pics into your plan, resizing as needed to get close to the right scale.

 

See the missing line in that plan view you have for a source?  The garage's right end is a gable, and the line for the gable is missing in the plan view.

 

I did not open your plan.  How certain are you that the footprint of exterior walls matches the source plan?

Hi Gene I spent 2 straight days making sure the layout is as planned. I’m 99% sure it is matching the original plans

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