Conical turret roofs

A cone over a round tower. Continuous curvature in one direction, which means every course is a slightly different length.

Typical pitch: Steep, often 12:12 and up
How often we see it: Rare

Pitch ranges are trade convention, not code. Code sets minimum slope by material, not by roof shape.

Is this your roof?

A round or near-round tower with a cone on top.
No hip lines and no facets: the surface curves continuously.
Often finished with a finial or weathervane at the point.

In Johnson County

Turrets show up on the older housing stock in Prairie Village, Mission Hills and parts of Overland Park and Kansas City, Missouri. The recurring problem is the same as with hexagonal turrets: they get left off the main re-roof. The second is the finial, a penetration at the highest, most weather-exposed point of the house. When it was last sealed with caulk rather than properly flashed, that is where the water is getting in.

What you can put on it

Slope decides this before preference does. Set yours and see what the code allows, then check the notes for this shape.

Drag to change the slope

0:126:1212:12

6:12about 27° from horizontal

Conventional

Every common material is in play

Shingles, metal, tile or shake, each still subject to its own manufacturer minimum. Walkable for a roofer, standard labor rate, and where most Kansas City homes sit. This range is trade convention rather than a code band.

Trade convention, not code

At this slope

Asphalt shingles
Standing seam metal
TPO / EPDM membrane
Modified bitumen
Wood shake
Tile

Membrane drops out at 4:12 and above because nobody specifies it there, not because the code forbids it. Shake and tile carry manufacturer minimums of their own, so treat these as a starting point rather than an approval.

Synthetic slate or shake

Works well

Small units follow a cone naturally. Usually the right call.

Asphalt shingles

Workable

Possible with narrow-cut courses, but standard architectural shingles are too wide to follow the curve cleanly.

Standing seam metal

Specialist only

Traditional and handsome on a turret, with every panel tapered. Fabrication-heavy.

Natural slate

Specialist only

Period-correct on older homes. Heavy, expensive, and few crews left who can do it.

What we check first

The failure points specific to this shape, marked on the roof and listed in the order a roofer looks at them.

The finial or peak, which is a penetration at the worst possible location.
Course alignment down the cone, since a badly set out cone shows as wandering courses and open joints.
The junction where the turret roof meets the main roof or wall.
Whether it was included in the last re-roof.

What moves the price

Square footage is a poor predictor on its own. These are the things that actually change the number on this shape.

Every course is a different circumference, so nothing is repeatable and nothing can be batched.
Narrow-cut units mean far more pieces per square foot than a conventional roof.
The finial or peak cap is fabricated.
Access around a tower usually needs scaffolding rather than ladders.

Get this roof inspected Roof repair Roof replacement Storm damage

Common questions

Can you shingle a round turret roof?

Yes, but not with standard architectural shingles straight out of the bundle. The cone's circumference shrinks continuously toward the point, so courses have to be cut narrow to follow it without gapping. Small-format synthetic slate or shake follows the geometry more naturally and is what we would usually recommend.

Why is my turret leaking at the very top?

Almost always the finial. It is a penetration at the highest and most exposed point on the house, and it is very often sealed with caulk rather than properly flashed. Caulk has a service life of a few years in Kansas sun. A correctly detailed finial has fabricated flashing under it, not a bead of sealant around it.

Do you quote turret roofs separately?

We can, and sometimes that is right if the main roof is sound. What we will not do is quote the main roof and quietly leave the turret off, because that is how homeowners end up with a new roof and an old leak. If the turret needs work it goes in the scope, and if it does not, we will say so.

More answers on the roofing questions page, or see every roof shape side by side.