How Do You Build Hip Roof Rafters?
A hip rafter extends diagonally downward from the ridge at the top of the roof to the top plate at the building corner (the top-plate is the horizontal 2×4 or 2×6 that ties together the upper ends of the building studs). Neither the plan-view of the building (looking down from above) nor any elevation view (looking toward the building at an exterior wall) shows the actual length of the hip rafter (since it lies in neither the plan nor elevation plane), nor indicates the angles of the necessary cuts at either end of the hip rafter. But you can calculate length and angles using measurements taken from the plan and elevation views, then use this information to cut the hip-rafter to the correct length and angles. Draw a vertical line “b”downward from the ridge to the elevation of the top plate on the elevation view of your architectural drawing. Draw a diagonal line “a” from the top plate at a building corner over to the end of the ridge on the plan view of your architectural drawing. Meas
