5 DIY Gable Bracket Plans You Can Build Today (With Pictures)
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Ed Malaker
- Last updated:
Gable brackets make an attractive addition to any home. They look expensive and in many cases, they are. However, they are straightforward to build, and you won’t need much experience or many tools to improve the appearance of your home.
This article looks at several plans that you can follow to create a usable gable bracket no matter your skill level. You can see if one is right for your home or otherwise get a few fresh ideas.
The Top 5 DIY Gable Bracket Plans You Can Build Today
1. Architectural Designs Gable Bracket
| Materials: | Lumber |
| Tools: | Hand saw, drill, hammer |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
The Architectural Designs Gable Bracket is a great example of an easy-to-build project that will help add character to any garage or home with minimal effort. While the plan covers the entire garage, there are steps to make the gable bracket, which only requires a few pieces of wood and nails. You can use it on any structure, not just the garage.
2. A Global LLC Gable Bracket
| Materials: | Scrap wood, paint, caulk |
| Tools: | Hand saw, clamps, sandpaper |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
The A Global LLC Gable Bracket is an easy-to-build project that uses scrap wood to create a gable bracket for less than $10. The easy-to-follow video covers many important aspects of the building, like an easy way to determine the proper angles on the roof. We like how the instructor embraces imperfection to create a bracket with character.
3. Stone and Sons Workshop Gable Bracket
| Materials: | Picket fence boards |
| Tools: | Miter hand saw, drill, brad nailer, level |
| Difficulty Level: | Moderate |
The Stone and Sons Workshop Gable Bracket is a moderately difficult-to-build project that doesn’t require many materials. The angle cuts might be difficult to do for a beginner. We recommend having a bit of experience when starting this project. Still, the step-by-step video is easy to follow, and there’s even a text version, so a beginner with plenty of patience and attention to detail will likely be successful.
4. Two Daughters and a Broom Gable Bracket
| Materials: | 2×4 boards, stain, nails, screws |
| Tools: | Hammer, saw, drill |
| Difficulty Level: | Moderate |
The Two Daughters and a Broom Gable Bracket comes with a video, so it’s easy to follow and see what you’re supposed to do. It uses stained 2X4s instead of more expensive colored wood like cedar to keep costs down and give you more options for color.
5. Till Vacuum Do Us Part Gable Bracket
| Materials: | Cedarwood |
| Tools: | Hammer, table saw, drill |
| Difficulty Level: | Moderate |
The Till Vacuum Do Us Part Gable Bracket is an amazing step-by-step guide presented in video format that’s easy to follow. The creator shows you every step, from choosing the wood to attaching the finished product to your house. You can tailor the project to fit your needs and your home.
When Do I Use a Gable Bracket?
A gable bracket is strictly for appearance and doesn’t add any support to your structure. It’s usually wood or metal and can be any of several designs. People like to use them when the outside of the home looks too plain, especially when several peaks are facing in one direction. They first started being added to homes in the early 1800s, and they’re still popular today.
How Do I Find the Angle of My Roof?
Finding the angle of your roof can be one of the more difficult aspects of creating a DIY gable bracket, so take your time to make sure the angle is correct. The easiest way to measure the angle or pitch of your roof is to measure the rise and run and enter the numbers into an online calculator.
Rise
The rise is a vertical measurement in inches from the lowest point of your roof to the highest point. It is easiest to measure from inside the attic.
Run
The run is a horizontal measurement in inches that tells you how far your roof extends from the peak to the exterior wall.
Pitch
Your roof pitch is the rise divided by the run. For example, a 10-foot-high (120-inch-high) rise with a 20-foot-long (240-inch-long) run will have a pitch of ½. However, when dealing with roof slopes, the bottom number is always 12, meaning the pitch of the roof is 6/12, which is perfect for gable brackets because most people install them with roofs with a pitch between 4/12 and 9/12. Feel free to check these calculations with an online calculator. You will also see that the 6/12 slope results in a 26.6-degree angle, which will help you when you’re cutting your boards.
Summary
Several options are available to help you create a gable bracket for your home, and a few of them are quite inexpensive and easy to build. However, the difficulty in determining your roof angle and the angled cuts required can make this project better suited to a woodworker with a bit of experience. If you’re a beginner but are determined to give it a try, we recommend A Global LLC Gable Bracket because of the high-quality, step-by-step tutorial and low cost of materials.
Featured Image Credit: Radovan1, Shutterstock
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