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Ranch Style House

Era: 1930s–1970s, revived today

The ranch style house is the classic American single-story home: long, low to the ground, with a gently pitched roof and wide overhanging eaves. It grew out of 1930s California and became the default suburban house of the postwar boom because it was simple to build, easy to live in and suited to wide lots.

See my house as a RanchSee 8 design ideas
Classic ranch style house with low hipped roof, brick base and two-car garage
The classic postwar ranch: one long story, low hipped roof, brick base and an attached two-car garage.Try this design on my house
Ranch style house with picture window, brick and siding on a suburban street
Brick and siding under a low roof, with a big picture window facing the lawn.Try this design on my house
Modern ranch house with white board-and-batten siding and wood-post porch
Modern ranch: white board-and-batten, black window frames and a wood-post porch.Try this design on my house
Modern farmhouse ranch with low-slope roof, black windows and native landscaping
A low-slope roof and native, drought-tolerant planting keep the modern ranch grounded.Try this design on my house
Mid-century California ranch house with clerestory windows and stone wall
Mid-century California ranch with clerestory windows, a stone wall and desert planting.Try this design on my house
L-shaped mid-century ranch with low hipped roof, palms and stone accent
L-shaped plan, low roof and wide eaves — the ranch at its most mid-century.Try this design on my house
Rustic ranch style house with stone chimney, cedar siding and wraparound porch
Rustic ranch with a stone chimney, cedar siding and a wraparound porch under old oaks.Try this design on my house
Rustic cedar ranch house with covered porch and gravel drive
The same rustic ranch from the drive: covered porch, stone and weathered cedar.Try this design on my house

Today the ranch is having a second life. Modern ranches keep the single-level plan that suits families and aging in place, and update it with board-and-batten siding, black window frames, large glass doors to the yard and low-water landscaping.

Key features of a ranch style house

  • Single story

    Everything on one level, often with an L- or U-shaped footprint.

  • Low-pitched roof

    Hipped or side-gabled, with deep eaves that shade the walls.

  • Attached garage

    Usually facing the street at one end of the house.

  • Large picture windows

    And sliding doors that open to a patio or backyard.

  • Simple materials

    Brick, wood or board-and-batten siding, sometimes a stone accent.

Turn your house into a Ranch

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Common questions

What defines a ranch style house?

A single-story, horizontally oriented home with a low-pitched roof, wide eaves, an open or semi-open plan and usually an attached garage.

What is the difference between a ranch and a bungalow?

Both are mostly single-story, but bungalows are smaller with a front porch and dormers or a half-storey, while ranches are long, low and spread out on wider lots.

How can I modernize a ranch house exterior?

Update siding (board-and-batten or painted brick), switch to black or bronze window frames, add a wood-post porch and refresh the landscaping. Upload a photo to see options rendered on your own house.