Roof framing can be one of the most challenging and confusing parts of building a house, but careful planning and basic carpentry techniques are all it takes to frame even the most complicated roofs. To help you through the process we’ve compiled some of our favorite articles and videos from the Fine Homebuilding archives to help you complete a textbook, code-complaint roof every time.

• 1
  
  How-To

  Perfect Roof Rafters

  Focus your efforts on the pattern rafter, and the rest of the roof falls into place easily.

• 2
  
  How-To

  Laying Out a Common Rafter

  For simple gable or shed roofs, you need to learn this basic building block of roof framing.

• 3
  
  How-To

  Framing a Roof Valley

  Do the math on a calculator so that you can concentrate on what's important: getting the rafters right.

• 4
  
  Design

  Framing Tricky Truss Roofs

  When building houses with trusses made for hips and valleys, careful planning and job-site organization are key to an efficient installation.

• 5
  
  Design

  Roof-Framing Design

  How to handle framing a roof that may be "more complicated than it has to be."

• 6
  
  How-To

  Hip-Roof Framing Made Easier

  Measure from the rafter's bottom edge for exact layout.

• 7
  
  How-To

  Roof Framing with Engineered Lumber

  Tips from a custom framer make the engineered-lumber learning curve easier to negotiate.

• 8
  

  The Rafter You’re After: Using SketchUp to Draw Roof Framing

  You can use SketchUp to draw roof framing and practice your approach before you're on the job site.

• 9
  
  How-To

  A No-Math Approach to Valley Plates

  Whether you're tying in new gable dormers or adding a chimney cricket during roof framing, giving the valley jacks a place to land is an easy task with these step-by-step instructions.

• 10
  
  How-To

  Framing a Dramatic Dormer

  If doghouse dormers or shed dormers aren't dressy enough, A-dormers can add an exciting design note, and they're easier to seal against the elements.

• 11
  
  How-To

  Valley Framing for Unequally Pitched Roofs

  An empirical method that works.

• 12
  
  How-To

  How it Works: Collar and Rafter Ties

  Contrary to popular belief, collar ties are not there to support rafters or to keep walls below from spreading under the weight of the roof.

• 13
  
  How-To

  Framing a Roof With Larry Haun

  Pro framer Larry Haun shows how to cut and install ceiling joists, rafters, and roof sheathing in the third episode of this framing video series.

• 14
  
  How-To

  Rolling Roof Trusses

  Factory-made trusses save time and give you a roof engineered for strength and stability.

• 15
  
  How-To

  Simplified Valley Framing

  Build one roof on top of the other and skip the valley rafters.

• 16
  
  How-To

  A Tale of Two Pitches: Exploring Off-Angle Roof Framing

  See what decisions need to be made about rafter angles and soffit depths, if you are building intersecting roofs on houses with wings of varying widths.

• 17
  
  How-To

  How it Works: Roof Trusses

  The roofs on most new houses in the United States are built with trusses.

• 18
  
  How-To

  Framing a Cathedral Ceiling

  To avoid a sagging ridge or bowed walls, start by understanding how a typical roof frame works

• 19
  
  How-To

  Elegant Eaves for a Truss Roof

  Cedar rafter tails and trim add a handsome touch to this roofline.

• 20
  
  How-To

  Ceiling Joists for a Hip Roof

  Three simple, problem-solving framing techniques.

• 21
  
  How-To

  Framing an Octagonal Turret Roof

  This roof shape may look complicated, but it's basically the same process as framing a common 45-degree bay-window roof.

• 22
  
  How-To

  High-Performance Roofing, From Stick-Framing to Shingles

  Tricky framing transitions, I-joists for rafters, and top-down shingling offer a look at some unconventional but effective techniques.

• 23
  
  How-To

  Roof Framing Revisited

  A graphic way to lay out rafters without using tables.

• 24
  
  How-To

  VIDEO SERIES: How To Build a Bay-Window Roof

  In this video series, veteran builder Rick Arnold shows us his simplified method for laying out and building a bay roof.

• 25
  
  How-To

  Larry Haun’s 10 Rules for Framing

  Expert framer Larry Haun details guidelines for working efficiently and accurately.

• 26
  
  How-To

  Remove Roof Sheathing With a Modified Framing Nailer

  Overdriving nails is faster and cleaner than pulling them out with a cat's paw.

• 27
  
  How-To

  How To Sheathe a Roof

  Starting with straight and square rafters is key to making this job go smoothly.

• 28
  
  How-To

  Framing a Hip Roof

  After you've framed a gable roof, rafter templates and rafter tables are all you'll need to make a hip.