Garage Roof Styles: A Full Overview for 2024

If you are about to purchase a new garage and want to know the different garage roof styles, truss styles, etc., this article will give you a full overview.

Let’s get started!

Garage Roof Styles: The Shapes

The following offers you the list of garage roof styles and their distinct shapes. Also, this list discusses how common each garage roof style is.

Gable (A-frame) Garage Roof Style

The gable garage roof is your typical, A-frame roof style. With a central ridge and a simple, symmetrically-sloped roof, the gable frame offers a simplistic, traditional look to your property. The garage door is typically placed below the gable on single-car garages, but can be placed on the gable or side walls on larger multiple-car garages.

The gable or A-frame garage roof style is the most common garage roof style.

Gambrel (Barn-Style) Garage Roof Style

A gambrel garage style roof is your typical barn-style roof. With a double-sloped design on either side of the roof, this style of roof also provides the most interior headspace, which makes it the perfect candidate for the addition of an attic.

The gambrel garage roof style is also popular, although not as common as the gable garage roof style.

Saltbox Garage Roof Style

The saltbox garage roof style has two asymmetrical sides. There is one longer side and one shorter side.  While both sides of the roof have low slopes, the longer side has only a very slight slope. The shape of this garage-style shed resembles old salt boxes used in the latter 19^th century.

The saltbox garage roof style is also common; however, it is considered a runner-up to the gambrel garage roof style in popularity.

Hip Garage Roof Style

The hip garage roof style is a roof that slopes upward on all sides to meet at a centralized peak. The style and shape resemble an upside-down toy top, that slopes down into four corners that often extend past the roof siding.

This garage roof style is a bit less popular than the gable or gambrel style but is still commonly used. While this garage roof style is fairly common, some prefab garage builders will only build it upon special request.

Mono Slope Garage Roof Style

The mono slope garage roof style (also known as a “lean-to” or “shed” garage roof) has one single-sloped roof. This style of garage roofing is one of the simplest.

The mono slope garage roof is used in our modern garages. It is also commonly seen on attached garages where the garage roof meets the wall of a home or other existing building.

Flat Garage Roof Style

The flat garage roof style appears almost flat; however, upon further inspection, it is very slightly sloped.  This style of garage roof has a very modern look.

Although its contemporary look is appealing, this garage roof style is not as favorable of an option due to its unreliability in cold weather and its short-term lifespan (an average of 10 years).

Mansard Garage Roof Style

The mansard garage roof style combines both the gambrel style and the hip style. It is a four-sided, double-sloped roof type that incorporates dormer windows at their lower angles.

This style of roof is very uncommon for garages and only available on garages custom-built from scratch. Most times, people will only use this garage roof style if they want to match their garage roof style with an existing building on their property.

Now that we discussed the different garage roof styles available, let’s take a closer look at each of their available truss styles.

Garage Roof STYLES: The TRUSSEs

The type of trusses you use for your garage does affect its interior space. Also, some garage roof styles only offer certain truss styles.

Thus, it is helpful to know what truss styles are available with each garage roof style.

We’ll give you a quick definition of some of the most popular types of trusses now so that you know exactly what each truss style is.

Gable Garage Truss Styles

The gable garage truss style is fairly simple and normal. As mentioned earlier, a gable-style roof is essentially an A-frame roof. Per truss, the garage truss web for a gable garage truss slightly resembles a W-shape. Meeting at the peak, the garage truss web travels to the bottom of the truss, then bounces back with two smaller braces back up to the top (not the peak) of the truss. The gable garage truss style has a gentle 5/12 slope.

However, for the steeper-sloped classic or premier sheds, the slope will be at a much steeper pitch of 11/12.

However, if you add an attic to your gable garage roof, the dynamics will change a bit for garage attic trusses. To provide for maximum space and as little structural interference as possible, the garage attic truss style has two braces, spaced about 14’ apart (on a 28’ attic workshop garage). Near the peak, there is another small brace that bridges the interior ridge angle.

Gambrel Garage Truss Styles

The Gambrel garage truss style is found on our Maxi Barn garages. With a double slope, the gambrel truss style offers maximum storage space by allowing more overhead space and taking out a lot of the structural supports that an A-frame truss style would have. The Gambrel truss style has a pitch of 22/12.

Saltbox Garage Truss Styles

As you probably already guessed, the Saltbox truss style is found on our Saltbox sheds. We’ve already talked about what the design of a saltbox shed looks like earlier, so we won’t go into more detail there. The longer roof side has a 5/12 pitch while the shorter roof side on the front has a steeper 10/12 pitch. On a 28’ saltbox truss, there are 14 braces that run vertically, further stabilizing the garage roof.

Garage Roof Styles: The Materials

Next let’s look at the last piece to garage roof styles: its roofing materials.

The type of roofing material that you choose will affect the overall price of your garage, its aesthetics, and its functionality.

There are 3 main roofing material categories to choose from: shingles, metal, and membrane. There are also several other less common options.

Let’s go over each category.

Shingles

The following are three different types of shingles, typically used for covering the garage roof.

• Three-tab – Each shingle has a 3-piece appearance when, in reality, it is only one piece. This type of shingle is the cheapest. Since three-tab shingles are lower quality some prefab garage builders, like Sheds Unlimited, will not offer them as an option.
• Architectural – This is the standard option for shingles and offered by many garage builders. Architectural shingles are a high-quality option as they usually come with 25–30-year warranties and can resiliently withstand high winds.
• Designer – This type of shingle is even more durable and better looking than architectural shingles. However, they come at a higher cost. Generally, this type of garage roof shingle is only available upon special request.

Metal

The following information offers you two types of metal shingles that can be used for the roof of your garage.

• Corrugated – This type is the standard metal roofing material. It is metal sheet rolls with a ridged panel design. This metal roofing material is also the cheapest and offers an appearance that is crisp, yet a bit industrial.
• Standing Seam – As a more modern and classy option, standing seam metal garage roofing is as good-looking as it is expensive. However, it is extremely durable, which means its good looks will last for 30-50 years.

Membrane

It is important to note that membrane is only used for garages with a flat roof style and under a 2/12 pitch.

The following information offers you 3 types of membrane used to top a flat roof surface.

• EPDM – This type of roofing material is a very durable, synthetic rubber. EPDM would be the most common and cost-effective type of membrane that is used on flat roofs.
• TPO – Otherwise known as thermoplastic polyolefin, TPO is a single-poly white membrane. Since TPO is white, it reflects heat rather than absorbing it, making this membrane a great option for keeping your garage cooler.
• Self-Adhesive – This type of membrane is the easiest to install and the cheapest.

Other Roof Material Types

• Wood Shakes* – This type of roofing material is made from quality, hand-split wood like cedar and resembles the look of shingles. The average lifespan of wood shakes are about 30 years. This roofing material is usually only available upon special request as it is very expensive.
• Real Slate/Synthetic Slate* – Real slate is made up of beautiful metaphoric rock and offered as either soft or hard tiles. Hard slate tiles will last anywhere from 75-200 years while soft slate tiles last from 50-125 years.
  Synthetic slate is commonly made up of recycled materials such as plastic, rubber, etc., and are made to appear like real slates. This imitation version of the slate lasts about 40-50 years. As with the wood shakes, this garage roofing material is available only upon special request.

• Tile – In order to add tile as your garage roofing material, you will need special heavy-duty trusses and framing to support the extra weight.  Prefab garage builders, like Sheds Unlimited, generally do not offer this roofing material as an option.

NOTE: The different types of garage roofing materials marked with a “*” are offered by Sheds Unlimited upon special request.

Conclusion

We hope the above breakdown of garage roof styles, trusses, and materials have helped you to sort out what the best options are for your new prefab garage. If you want to learn more about garages, read our article on board and batten garages. Or, if you have questions regarding garage permits in PA, NJ, NY or MD read our articles.

If you are in the northeastern part of the USA and looking for a reputable garage builder, check out Sheds Unlimited and our prefab garages.

Otherwise, we wish you the best of luck nailing down your ideal prefab garage!