20 Best Minecraft Roofs for Architectural Inspiration

 

This post was last updated on June 1, 2023

No Minecraft house is complete without a roof. There are thousands of different ways you can build a roof in Minecraft – well, there are unlimited designs.

This article will inspire you with some of the coolest ideas for roof designs in Minecraft.

One important aspect of building in Minecraft is creating roofs for structures. Roofs not only protect you from mobs falling on your head but also add aesthetic value to the overall design.

In this article, we will explore the different types of roofs in Minecraft and provide tips and tricks for creating impressive designs.

20 Types of Roofs in Minecraft: List of All Cool Roof Shapes

A cool thing about Minecraft is how it gives users the ability to become grand architects. This also means that anything you can build in real life can be recreated in Minecraft (albeit a bit blocker). So, all of these roof types are actually based on real-life concepts which you’ll find all over the world.

A Frame Roof Style

The A-Frame is a relatively easy style, which, as you might have guessed from the name, has an A-shaped profile. This creates a steep, pointed shape that works well for fantasy and medieval-style builds. The key to getting this roof looking right is placing the stepped blocks in the right place.

Bow Roof

A bow roof features two symmetrical sides nearly creating a 90-degree angle at the central meeting point. It uses a couple of flat blocks on the top to create a flatter ridge. From the side, this looks a little like a bow pointing to the sky. These can be a little more tricky to get right, as you have to fiddle with the stepped blocks, although when you get in your rhythm it should be fine.

Bell Cast Roof

A Bell-Cast roof (or Bonnet roof) features two unique angles on each 4 sides of the roof. The lower angle is flatter, and the upper angle is steeper. These all slope up together to reach a central point, without a ridge. This is similar in shape to a pyramid, although without a consistent angle across the whole length of the roof.

Butterfly Roof

This unique, contemporary design is the perfect roof surface for a modern house. This uses a wonky V shape, where one side is shorter and lower than the other. Using slabs paired with regular blocks is the best way to achieve a smooth-looking butterfly roof in Minecraft.

Clerestory Roof

The Clerestory roof design is another cool, modern approach to roof shaping, although it still works with older styles. Essentially, this uses two slopes, with an additional vertical wall separating them. try putting some windows in this wall space for a nice private view from within the roof space.

Curved Roof

As the name suggests, this type of roof has a soft, curved profile. This is ideal for rustic, old-style buildings and stables. Because Minecraft is a very blocky game, you’ll need to use a mix of slabs, steps, and full blocks to achieve a nice curvature.

Dutch Gable

A Dutch Gable roof is a combination of a typical gable roof, and a hipped roof. These are based on a popular type of roof in Holland, where the building uses a hipped roof for the lower half, with a full gable on the top. this creates two angles of roof curvature.

Flat Roof

This is by far the easiest roof style to build in Minecraft and is simply a flat row of blocks that overhang slightly from the building’s footprint. Even a toddler should be able to make this one!

The Gable Roof

Gable roofs are one of the more common designs found worldwide and sit somewhere between an A-Frame and a Bow roof. These feature two symmetrically angled, straight roof sides, which join together in the center, creating a pointed ridge. These are also pretty easy to make.

The Gambrel Roof

Gambrel roofs have a satisfying, cute look, although are one of the harder Minecraft roof designs to pull off. These are symmetrical, but each side features two opposed curves, the upper curve is gentle, creating a slightly rounded top, while the lower curve is steeper, creating a longer ‘j’ shaped drop at the bottom of each side.

Gull Wing Roof

Named after the wing curvature of gull birds, the gull wing roof has a wide, long slope with a larger overhang than most styles. The pitch (angle) of each side gets more parallel to the ground as you come further down the roof.

Helm Roof

This type of roof is most commonly found at the top of castle towers – and is one of the harder roofs to build in Minecraft due to its complex shape. Each of the 4 sides has the same profile, which culminates in a central point at the top. These use straight, consistent angles, and look like the tip of a sharpened pencil.

Hip Roof or Hipped Roof

This type of roof uses a consistent slope on all four sides of a building, with one single, central point, rather than having a ridge. This creates a pyramid-shaped roof. While this does limit the amount of room available in the attic, it has a pretty cool look that suits many different environments. You can add an overhang to it if that suits your tastes.

Low-Pitched or Peaked Roof Gable

A low-pitched gable roof features the same simple and symmetrical approach as a traditional gable roof, although with a flatter angle. This creates a shorter, squatter roof – which is arguably a little easier to build than regular gables.

The Mansard Roof

Mansard roofs are a unique style that features a mostly flat top, with a sharp, nearly right-angle curve at either side, with dropping-down overhangs. the angles are steeper at the bottom than at the top. It looks like an upside-down bowl. These are a bit tricky to make, and require a little more attention, although they look sweet when built well.

Monitor Roof

The Monitor roof is slightly similar to the Clerestory roof design, although it has a more complex structure. In essence, this is a symmetrical design, where each side features the same unique double-stacked roof. There are two layers to the roof, both typically using the same angle (although they don’t have to).

On each side, there is a vertical wall breaking up the straight angle – which is the perfect place to put in some windows and a second story.

Mono Pitched Roof/Skillion/Lean To

The Mono-pitched roof (aka Skillion roof, or Lean-To) is another simple design that features a single angle (or pitch). You can make this as steep or shallow as you like. These look good made out of either solid blocks or slabs, and can easily be expanded into thicker roofs using steps.

Saltbox Roof

A Saltbox roof is a wonky variation of the standard gable. The Saltbox uses one steeper, shorter side, paired with a longer, flatter angle – creating something that looks like an upside-down tick.

Sawtooth Roof Design

If you imagine the teeth of a saw, then this is pretty similar to the look of this roof. It uses rows of repeating triangles, with one side of the triangle making a 90-degree angle to the floor, with a 45-degree slope.

Terrace Roof

Roofs don’t just have to be surfaces to cover the top of your house, they can also be places to hang out. As seen in a terrace roof, you can build platforms into roofs that can be used as inhabited spaces – similar to a balcony, but being placed not the top of a roof rather than hanging off the side of your building. Many modern buildings feature something like this – and they’re a lot of fun to build in Minecraft and chill with your friends!

Dormers

To make more advanced and unique roof designs, it’s worth understanding the concept of dormers. Dormers are part of the building that sticks out through the roof, almost like a roof extension. This lets you increase the amount of room in your roof areas, creating more conditional attic space.

Dormers feature their own roofs too, which can use any kind of roof design you fancy! Get creative with it – here are three common types of dormers.

A) Wall Dormer

In this simple type, one section of the building’s wall is extended upwards on the same plane as the outer wall. The dormer’s roof is then built in the opposite direction (at a 90-degree angle) to the main roof.

B) Blind or False Dormer

False or blind dormers can come in any shape and size, and protrude from the top of the roof. The reason these are called false or blind is that, unlike most other dormers, these don’t actually feature any accessible space within. These are purely for external decoration and don’t actually increase the amount of roof space in your building.

C) Dormer Windows

These are a nice way to add a little bit of extra spice and cuteness to a building. A dormer window is simply a small domer that pops out of a roof at any point. It doesn’t have to be on the same plane as the main wall. these feature a small window to look out of, and the dormer has a smaller roof on top to set it apart from the rest of the main building.

Roof Materials

While the shape of the roof is probably one of the main defining features, the material you use to build your roofs also has a huge effect on the overall aesthetic.

Thankfully, Minecraft is bursting full of building materials and has a massive pallet to choose from. Here are some of the commonly recommended materials.

Brick Roof

By baking clay balls in a furnace, you can make bricks, which can then be combined in a block of 9 in your crafting table to make a brick block. These have a nice modern look,

Green Roof

If you love the natural look, then a green, grassy roof can give off the eco-friendly vibe you’re looking for. Sure, you might need to wait a while for the grass to grow onto the dirt if you’re in survival mode, but these look cool for sure. Why not use some bonemeal to make a bunch of flowers pop up on it too?

Wooden Roof

Minecraft has a huge range of wooden blocks to build from. Mixing both planks and the core tree blocks can make a nice effect. One cool system can be to use the tree blocks to make the outlines and edges and use the planks to fill in the main surfaces. This creates a very satisfying look.

Thatched Roof

Back in ye olde days, thatched roofs were one of the common types. You can easily re-create the thatched roof look in Minecraft using a bunch of wheat blocks. Although, these only come as solid blocks, and not slabs or steps, which will limit what you can build to an extent.

Useful Minecraft Blocks for Building Roofs

If you’re looking for good roof blocks to use, here are some of the best choices that you might not know. Combining these block styles is the key to achieving some of the above roof shapes. It wouldn’t be fully possible by using solid blocks.

• Slabs – these ‘half blocks’ make it easier to create angles and curves.
• Steps – these are ideal for roofing, and work on both the inside and outside to create more gradual angles.
• Walls – these can be useful for adding some decoration to the roofs or making supporting pillars.
• Pressure Plates – these are the flattest block in Minecraft and can help to add some depth and detail.
• Trapdoors – can be used vertically as windows, or horizontally as skylights or other decoration.

Conclusion

With all these concepts, you’ll never run out of ideas for building your next Minecraft roof.

Remember, there are no strict rules when it comes to architecture – especially in Minecraft.

You can combine and adapt these roof concepts however you like – why not do a half Mansard, half Gable, and pop in a couple of dormers?

Make sure you bookmark this page so you can quickly jump back to it when you next need inspiration for your minecraft roofs.

FAQs About Minecraft Roofs

How do you Make Roofs in Minecraft?

Making roofs in Minecraft is super easy. All you need to do is build out the main walls of your building, and then plan out what type of roof you want to put on top. There are loads of different roof types and materials – just check out the full guide above for all the details.

What is the Best Material for a Roof in Minecraft?

Ultimately, the best material for a roof in Minecraft depends on what you are trying to achieve. In terms of strength, obsidian is one of the strongest and most sturdy materials in the game – you won’t need to worry about it burning down or getting blown up by a creeper. Although, in terms of aesthetics, it really is a matter of personal tastes.

The brick-type blocks can make a good look depending on what the main walls are made of. One tip – choose a roofing material that matches the look of the rest of the house.

How do you Make a Pointed Roof in Minecraft?

Making a pointed roof in Minecraft can be a little tricky, but it all counts on the planning. the key thing to understand is that each side of the roof needs to use the same shape and angle, so it meets at a perfect point in the center. Using blocks like steps and slabs can help to achieve a sharper-looking point.