Gable roof with shed dormer

A shed dormer can be the best way to add space to a one-and-a-half-story house, but you have to get the details right if you want it to be an asset and not an eyesore.

If doghouse dormers or shed dormers aren't dressy enough, A-dormers can add an exciting design note, and they're easier to seal against the elements.

Traditional Nantucket Dormer - to add to rear shed dormer and/or new one in front

Nicholas Pitz walks readers through a dormer addition, explaining how he minimized mess, rain damage and other inconveniences for the owners.

Octagonal entry with mansard roof

shed dormer tucked into large gable

Country Estate in Weston, MA, features a grand, H-shaped design with formal courtyards, natural light-filled foyer, classic 1920s-style interiors, and expansive indoor-outdoor living areas, including a pool and spa.

I have a shed roofed kitchen addition with a cathedral ceiling on the side of my house. Currently it has two outdated skylights and a roof that is in bad need of replacement. Since we have to take the roof down to the rafters anyways (asphault shingles over cedar shingles over lathe, no sheathing) I'm considering adding a shed dormer to the roof with a row of windows rather than replacing the skylights. Its a south facing wall and I think the windows will let in more light, and stay cleaner…

Dormers are like the eyes of a house. Resting on roof tops they add headroom and light to upper stories and add interest to an otherwise plain roofline.