There are five major shed styles to choose from: gable, gambrel, lean-to, saltbox, and hip. There are variations of each type, but these are the basic shapes. Although each style generally has a rectangular footprint, what sets the styles apart is the roof line, which is how the roof is framed and pitched.

Gable
On a gable shed, the two halves of the roof join together in the classic triangular shape. Gable roofs are simple and economical to build and offer superior load-bearing and drainage capabilities. A hip roof is formed by sloping the ends of a gable roof toward the center. This creates an overhang around all four sides of the structure.

Gambrel
A gambrel roof (so named after the hindquarter of a horse) is basically a gable roof with two slopes or pitches on each side. Although more complex to frame, it offers significantly more headroom and storage space than a gable roof.

Saltbox
A saltbox, or offset-ridge shed, is similar to a gable except that storage space is added to the front and capped with a narrow roof section. This creates a ridge line that’s offset from the center—and also surprisingly more space inside.

Lean-to
A lean-to roof design (also referred to as a shed roof) is inexpensive and easy to frame. But because of the slope, headroom inside varies greatly from front to back.

More about: Anatomy of a shed (shed construction)

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