Advanced Custom Roof Cutting

1. Introduction

Professional framing carpenter Ryan Smith shares what he loves about custom roof cutting: the planning, precision, and craftsmanship.

2. How a Roof Comes Together

Using a small-scale model of a roof structure, Ryan identifies the key components of a custom stick framed roof: the ridge board, hip and valley rafters, as well as the common rafters and jack rafters.

3. First Steps: Reviewing the Blueprints

Ryan shows how to use blueprints to determine a roof’s elevation and pitch (slope), so you can determine what fascias interact with one another and how they relate to setting up the tails.

4. Drawing Tails

Learn to calculate and draw a sectional view of the roof’s fascia boards, plane points, and height above plates.

5. Introduction to Plan View

The plan view drawing is the roadmap to the roof, providing measurements and dimensions. Ryan explains how he draws plan views and offers some tips, like using a framing square to ensure accuracy.

6. Drawing the Plan View

Ryan shares the first steps to drawing a plan view, from factoring in fascia to drawing the overhang and calculating rise over run for the plane point.

7. Completing the Plan View

To complete the plan view drawing, Ryan calculates the rise and run of the hip rafters; draws the hips, valleys, and center lines; and connects all the measurements.

8. Back to the Blueprints

Learn how to interpret a floor plan so you can compare them with your plan view’s roofing dimensions.

9. Transferring Dimensions

Ryan shows how to transfer information from the floor plan to the roof plan, so you can differentiate dimensions from floor to floor and determine the building’s perimeter.

10. The Boss Corner

Discover the boss corner, a corner of the roof's layout Ryan uses to locate rafters and their locations across the roof structure for calculations.

11. Marking Up the Roof Plan

Learn to mark up the roof plan so you can identify inside and outside corners. Plus: Ryan shows how to calculate the run from first-floor to second-floor walls.

12. Common Mistakes

Ryan shares how to correct common mistakes on roof plans, like locating the wrong side of jack rafters when calculating.

13. Common Roof Calculations

Ryan shares the major calculations you’ll perform for all roof parts, including the common rafters, main ridge, and gables.

14. Calculation: Common Rafter Major Pitch

Ryan shows how to calculate the common rafter major pitch using the pitch span and height above plate

15. Calculation: Main Ridge and End King Common

Ryan calculates the lengths of the main ridge and the end king common rafters. Plus: Learn how to calculate if an end king common rafter is missing.

16. Finding the Layout

Ryan shares the importance of determining the main ridge’s layout. He also shows how to find the layout by making a calculation with the end common rafter and corner lengths.

17. Calculation: Hips

Ryan shows how to calculate the main hip rafter lengths, from determining the run line at the shared center to establishing the height above plate, as well as the other necessary marks needed for layout and then cutting.

18. Calculation: Jack Rafters

Ryan uses the plan view to calculate the lengths of the jack rafters.

19. Calculation: Gables

Ryan calculates the gable lengths by finding the common ridge length, valley rafter, and valley jack measurements.

20. Calculation: Valleys

Ryan shows how to calculate valley rafter lengths like hip rafters.

21. Calculation: Ridge-to-Valley Jacks

Learn to find the ridge-to-valley jack lengths. Plus: How to double-check layout calculations based on the plan view.

22. Introduction to Cutting

Ryan shares essential tools for cutting roof lumber, including a cordless saw, framing squares, square gauges, and more.

23. Cutting: Ridgeboard

Learn to mark ridgeboard measurements with the plan view, make layout lines, then safely cut the ridgeboard.

24. Cutting: Common Rafter

Ryan makes a plumb cut on the common rafter, marks the height above plate, then lays out the tails with square gauges.

25. Cutting: King Common Rafter

Ryan cuts the end king common rafter—first by making the plumb cut, then by marking the length and laying out the tail.

26. Cutting: Hip Rafters

Learn to cut hip rafters, starting with setting the appropriate bevel on the saw, and then making the plumb cut at the ridge and the correct layout and cuts at the tail/plate line.

27. Cutting: Valley Rafters

Ryan shows how to cut valley rafters and make bevel cuts along the spine of the rafter, much like the hip rafter.

28. Cutting: Jack Rafters

Learn how to square the heel stand and make overhang cuts so you can finish cutting the jack rafters.

29. Conclusion

Roof cutting doesn’t have to be complicated. Ryan recommends to keep practicing and learn from your mistakes, so you continue improving your skills.