Roofs
Revit builds most roofs from a footprint: each edge either slopes or doesn’t. Learn to make hip, gable and skillion roofs, set overhangs and join walls to the roof.
In this lesson you will
- Create hip, gable and skillion roofs by footprint
- Set slopes and overhangs
- Model a roof by extrusion
- Attach walls to roofs
Roof by footprint
All edges defining slope = a hip roof. Untick the two short ends = a gable roof. Only one edge defining slope = a skillion (mono-pitch) roof.
- 1Open the plan of the level the roof sits on (e.g. Roof or the top storey).
- 2Architecture › Roof › Roof by Footprint.
- 3Pick Walls with an Overhang value (e.g. 600) on the Options Bar.
- 4Each edge with Defines Slope ticked slopes up from it; set the slope (e.g. 22.5° or 1:4) in Properties.
- 5Finish Edit Mode.
Adjusting the roof
Base Offset From Level raises the roof (e.g. for a raised heel). The roof type controls thickness and layers. The Rafter Cut and Fascia Depth properties shape the eaves edge. Change the slope of individual edges by selecting the sketch line and setting its slope.
Roof by extrusion
For profiles that don't follow a footprint — curved roofs, simple canopies — use Roof by Extrusion: pick a reference plane, sketch the profile in elevation, then set start and end of extrusion. It's also useful for barrel vaults and sawtooth roofs.
Walls and roofs
Walls don't automatically follow a sloping roof. Select the walls (Tab-select the chain), then Attach Top/Base and pick the roof — gable walls fill up to the roof line. Use Join/Unjoin Roof to join roofs to each other or to walls.
Quick reference
| Command / tool | How to start it | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Roof by Footprint | Architecture tab | Roof from a sketch of edges |
| Roof by Extrusion | Architecture tab | Roof from a profile |
| Attach Top/Base | Modify | Walls | Walls follow the roof |
| Join/Unjoin Roof | Modify tab | Joins roofs |
Common mistakes
Gable walls stop below the roof.
Attach the wall tops to the roof.
Roof looks like a flat plate.
Check Defines Slope and the slope value on the edges.
Exercise
Three roofs
- On a copy of your model, make a 22.5° hip roof with 600 overhangs.
- Change it to a gable by unticking two opposite edges; attach the gable walls.
- Add a skillion roof over a porch at 5°.
- Create a curved canopy with Roof by Extrusion.
You should end up with: Hip, gable, skillion and curved roofs you can switch between.
Checklist
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Lesson quiz
All footprint edges define slope. The result is…
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