GuidelineRecommended
Prefer hip roofs over gable roofs in high-wind zones
FEMA P-2325 §Florida Building Code / Sand Palace lessonsDescription
In hurricane-prone coastal areas, hip roofs (sloping on all four sides) outperform gable roofs (vertical end walls). The hip roof shape sheds wind more uniformly and does not present a tall, flat gable wall to lateral wind load.
Why this exists
FEMA's documentation of the 'Sand Palace' (the home in Mexico Beach FL that survived Hurricane Michael while neighbors were destroyed) attributes much of its performance to a hip roof combined with minimal overhangs and continuous load-path detailing.
Categories
StructureAesthetic
Source
FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency)no manifest entry
Building Codes Toolkit for Homeowners and Occupants (FEMA P-2325, May 2023)
Section: Florida Building Code / Sand Palace lessons
Published 2023-05-01 · last verified 2026-05-11
Solver enforcement
Browsable only — the solver does not currently enforce this directive (no spec-level data to check against). This entry exists so the architect personas can cite it in conversation and the user can read what the rule says.
Related directives
- Continuous load path from roof to foundation · HUD RSDG §2.4
- Residential structural reliability targets 1-in-100 to 1-in-1000 annual probability of failure · HUD RSDG §2.5
- Residential floor live load: 40 psf minimum (30 psf sleeping rooms) · HUD RSDG §3.4
- Wind load design uses ASCE 7 basic wind speed for the locality · HUD RSDG §3.6
- Ground snow load for Virginia: 25 psf eastern, up to 40 psf western mountains · HUD RSDG §3.7
Last reviewed 2026-05-11.