Expert: Richard Taylor, AIA - 9/4/2007

Question
We own a 6 year old house in Georgia, but it looks much older because of the pitch of the roof - it is quite low, though I don't know the exact ratio. We would very much like to raise the pitch, both for our own enjoyment now and for future resale. We have no idea, though, what is involved or what kind of cost we might be looking at. It is a 2000 sq ft ranch with a very simple roof line now (I THINK it's the hip style?), and it's OK with us to keep the same style with just a higher pitch. Would the existing roof have to be torn off, or could a new roof just be added on top of the current one? What kind of expense would we be facing to do this? We have no interest in adding extra living space - we already have a basement. Thanks so much for any input you could give.

Answer
Hi Lita - thanks for your question!

It is possible to overlay a new, steeper roof over the existing, depending upon the the shape and construction details of the existing roof.

It's probably not an outrageously expensive project, but it's going to be a lot of money to spend to replace an otherwise perfectly good roof.  There may be other more interesting and more practical ways to improve the look of your home that would please you and would increase the value of your house - and might add some needed function along the way.

Lower-pitched roofs aren't necessarily bad; we're designing a lot of new homes with lower pitches as our clients explore a wider range of architectural styles. What's far more important is how the pitch of the roof integrates with the architecture of the house.  A Prairie-style house, for example, only looks good with low-pitched roof.

Ranch homes are great projects for remodeling; often with just a few small changes you can dramatically update the look of the home.

I suggest you consider all of your options before you spend money on replacing the roof, as that might not be the best way to go in the long run.  Look around for examples of updated ranch homes that you like - you might find something that doesn't require as much work as you thought.

Hope this helps,

Richard Taylor, AIA
www.rtastudio.com
www.rtaplans.com