Why do houses have shingles and slanted roofs, but most other buildings have flat tops?

Question

Why do houses have shingles and slanted roofs, but most other buildings have flat tops?

In: 8443

Answer 1

Snow, mostly. A flat roof will pile on snow until it collapses while a slanted roof will eventually have the snow slide off. However, the slanted roof is more expensive as there’s more roof surface to build. Thus we see flatter roofs in hotter climates and pointed roofs in colder climates.

That being said, home owners often prefer one style or another and modern building techniques means that you don’t necessarily need a pointed roof to keep the ceiling from collapsing.