What is a rake on a roof? The sloped edge, its trim, and how it's measured
The rake is the sloped edge of a roof at a gable end, running from the eave up to the ridge; the eave is the level bottom edge. A gable roof has four rakes, two at each end. Shingle roofs get drip edge on the rakes as well as the eaves, with the underlayment under it at the rakes (IRC R905.2.8.5).
Anthony Hicks30+ years in construction. Updated November 5, 2026.
Reading as
Rake and eave
| Rake | Eave | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | The sloped edge at a gable end | The level bottom edge of a slope |
| Runs | From the eave up to the ridge | Along the length of the house |
| Water | Flows down beside it, to the eave | Runs off it, into the gutter |
| Drip edge | Yes, with the underlayment under it | Yes, with the underlayment over it |
A gable roof has four rakes, two at each gable, and a hip roof has none, since it slopes on every side. GAF describes the rakes as the exposed sides of a gable roof. The guide to the parts of a roof shows both from above.
What goes on a rake
- Drip edge. On a shingle roof the code calls for drip edge at the eaves and the rakes, lapped 2 inches where pieces meet, reaching at least 1/4 inch below the sheathing and 2 inches back onto the deck, nailed every 12 inches or closer. At the rakes the underlayment goes under the drip edge; at the eaves, over it (IRC R905.2.8.5).
- Starter strip. GAF’s starter strips go at the eaves and the rakes, to help keep the edge shingles from blowing off.
- Rake trim. The board or metal trim that finishes the edge: a rake board on a wood-trimmed house, gable trim on a metal roof.
- The overhang. A gable can reach past the wall, with the rake trim at the roof’s edge.
Measuring the rakes
A rake’s length is the slope from the eave to the ridge: half the house’s width plus the overhang, times the pitch’s area factor.
A 30 foot wide gable house with 12 inch overhangs at a 6/12 pitch: (15 + 1) × 1.118 = 17.9 feet a rake, and four rakes make about 71.6 feet. Drip edge and starter are ordered by adding the rakes to the eaves. The roofing calculator does it for a whole roof.
Common questions
What’s the difference between a rake and a gable?
The gable is the triangle of wall under the roof’s end; the rakes are the roof’s sloped edges along its top.
Do rakes get gutters?
No. Gutters hang on the eaves, where the water runs off the roof; along a rake the water flows down the slope to the eave.
What is a rake board?
The trim board along a rake that finishes the roof’s edge at the gable, like the fascia at the eaves.
Does a hip roof have rakes?
No. A hip roof slopes on all four sides, so every bottom edge is an eave.