Architecture · Intermediate
Build a hip or gable roof
How do I model a pitched roof in SketchUp?
Start from the closed footprint face. For a gable, draw the ridge and pull the end walls up to it. For a hip, draw the eaves rectangle, use Move with the Alt/Command modifier to pull the ridge line up and in, then let the sloping faces resolve. Model the roof as its own group and give it thickness last.
Before you start
The native SketchUp method
Uses only what ships with SketchUp: Line, Move, Protractor, Follow Me, Intersect Faces. No extension required.
- Get a clean footprint Copy the wall outline up to eaves level as a single closed face, offset outward for the overhang.
- Mark the ridge Draw the ridge line on the face where the two slopes will meet.
- Raise the ridge Select the ridge line and Move it vertically. Lock the blue axis so it rises without drifting.
- Resolve hip ends For a hip, also move the ridge endpoints inward so the end faces slope instead of standing vertical.
- Set the pitch numerically Use the Protractor to place an angled guide, or type the rise as you Move, so the pitch is a chosen number rather than a guess.
- Add thickness and fascia Group the roof surface, then use Follow Me with a fascia profile around the eaves edge.
Where this usually goes wrong
- • Raising the ridge without axis lock, which twists the slopes out of plane.
- • Modelling the roof in the same context as the walls, so faces cut into each other.
- • Setting the pitch by eye and only discovering the error when the sections are drawn.
Native method vs extension
| Native method | Ridge line plus axis-locked Move, with Follow Me for fascia. |
|---|---|
| What it costs you | Very workable for simple hips and gables; painful once dormers and valleys appear. |
| Extension option | 1001bit Pro generates rafters and roof forms; Joint Push Pull thickens a complex roof shell in one operation. |
| Worth it when | The roof has multiple ridges, valleys, or dormers, or you need rafter layout rather than just a surface. |
Extensions to consider
Options, not requirements. Facts last checked 28 August 2026.
- 1001bit Pro Free tier + paid · 1001bit
A broad architectural toolset — parametric stairs, escalators, walls, doors, windows, and auto-generated roof rafters — grouped into one toolbar, with a reduced free edition available.
Full profile and sources - Joint Push Pull Interactive Free · Fredo6
Extends push/pull so it works on curved and multi-face selections at once, with normal, joint, vector, and round extrusion modes that native Push/Pull cannot produce in a single operation.
Full profile and sources - LizArk Free tier + paid · Lizatek
Converts DWG, DXF, PDF, and image floor plans into editable 3D walls, openings, roofs, stairs, and structure, keeping the result as SketchUp geometry you can keep working on.
Full profile and sources
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Part of these project paths
- Model a small house — Go from a scaled floor plan to a complete house shell with openings, roof, and stairs.
More in Architecture
Reviewed 28 August 2026. Spotted something out of date? Let us know and we will recheck the source.
