House and Building Parts: Labeled Diagrams from Foundation to Roof

Stairs, roofs, walls, fences and the buildings around them, each drawn once with a numbered ring on every part.

A contractor's quote says the newel post is loose, the fascia board is soft and the deck ledger needs new flashing. Each is a real part with a fixed place, and these pages show where.

53 pages

Stairs, decks and railings 3

The flight between two floors, then the platforms built onto the outside of a house, and the rails and posts that guard their open edges.

Parts of a StaircaseOne straight staircase from the side, from the front and cut through two steps: 23 numbered parts, a short list of 6, and blank and labeled prints. Decorative bracket · Finial · Glue block
Parts of a RailingHandrail, balusters, starting and landing newels, volute, gooseneck, shoe rail, fillet, rosette, rail post, post cap, cap rail, top rail and bottom rail.
Parts of a PorchRoof, frieze, columns, brackets, top rail, balusters, bottom rail, floor, skirt, steps and newel posts; then the rafter, ceiling, beam and pier. Rafter · Pier · Column

Roofs and gutters 8

The outside surfaces of a pitched roof and the framing under them, as a truss and as rafters, then metal panels, a flat roof, a single shingle and the gutter that carries the rain away.

Parts of a Metal Roof DiagramA standing-seam metal roof: 10 numbered parts, from the panels and seams to the ridge cap, closure strips, trims, flashings and hidden panel clips. Gable trim · Standing seam · Valley flashing
Parts of a RoofA roof on three drawings: ridge, eaves, rake, gable, dormer, gutter and flashing; hips and a valley from above; rafters to shingles. Flashing · Gable · Soffit
Parts of a WeathervaneA rooster weathervane on a barn cupola, with the pivot cut open and two roof mounts: pointer, directionals, spindle and bearing among 16 numbered parts, then three wind readings. Bearing · Screw · Rod
Parts of a GutterDownspout, drop outlet, elbow, strap, splash block, fascia board, gutter, end cap, hanger, spike and ferrule, slip connector and strainer.
Parts of a Flat RoofParapet, coping, scupper and roof drain from above; roof joist, deck, vapor barrier, insulation, membrane, gravel, cant strip, base flashing and counterflashing in section. Counterflashing · Scupper · Roof drain
Parts of a ShingleTab, cutout, butt edge, self-sealing strip, granules, asphalt coating and mat on one asphalt shingle; course, exposure, starter strip and roofing nail on the roof. Cutout · Tab · Exposure
Parts of a Trussed RoofA Fink roof truss on two walls: 11 labeled parts, from the top and bottom chords, webs and truss plates to the peak, heel, panel point, span and pitch. Overhang · Truss plate · Heel
Parts of a Roof Frame DiagramRidge board, common, hip, valley and jack rafters and lookouts, then collar tie, ceiling joist, top plate, bird's mouth, overhang, fascia and purlin.

Fireplaces, chimneys and stoves 7

One flue followed from the fire to the cap above the roof, the wood and pellet stoves that can stand where an open fire would, and a fire pit for the yard.

Parts of a FireplaceA masonry fireplace from the room and in section: mantel, surround, jambs, lintel, firebox, fireback, grate, hearth, throat, damper, smoke chamber, flue, ash dump. Fireback · Grate · Outer hearth
Parts of a ChimneyA masonry chimney cut through: 13 numbered parts, from the cap, crown and flashing outside to the damper, smoke shelf, firebox and ash dump inside. Ash dump · Lintel · Flashing
Parts of a Gas FireplaceA direct-vent gas fireplace cut through its side, and a close-up of the burner ports and two pilots: glass front, gas valve, thermopile and termination cap among 24 numbered parts. Blower · Burner ports · Louvers
Parts of a Pellet StoveHopper, auger and motor, firebox, burn pot, igniter, ash pan, two blowers, heat exchanger, control board, vacuum switch and vent pipe.
Parts of a Wood Stove ChimneyFlue collar, stovepipe, adapter, ceiling support box, chimney pipe, attic insulation shield, roof flashing, storm collar and cap, then the elbow, wall thimble, tee, tee cap, wall support and wall band.
Parts of a Wood StoveDoor glass, door handle, ash lip, air control, legs and flue collar on the outside; firebox, firebrick, baffle, secondary air tubes, door gasket and ash pan inside. Door gasket · Door glass · Firebox
Parts of a Fire PitFire bowl, spark guard, handle, wood grate, legs and poker; on the gas fire pit, burner, lava rock, control knob, igniter, gas cylinder, regulator and hose.

Walls and building frames 11

What holds a building up and closes it in: a foundation, a floor, a framed wall, a brick, a curtain wall, a house exterior, barns and a metal building.

Parts of a WallA wood-framed wall with a window opening: 11 numbered parts, from studs and plates to the header, king and jack studs, cripples and sheathing. Stud · Sheathing · Bottom plate
Wall Frame Diagram Without LabelsThe wall frame drawing with nothing written on it, to print and fill in: studs, plates and a framed window opening, with a labeled answer key. Bottom plate · Cripple stud · Jack stud
Parts of a Pole BarnPosts, footing, concrete collar, skirt board, girts, girder, truss, knee braces, purlins, siding, roofing and a sliding door.
Parts of a Curtain WallMullions, horizontal mullions, vision glass, spandrel panels, insulating glass, gaskets, pressure plate, cover, thermal break, anchor, firestop, back pan, setting blocks and weep holes.
Parts of a Metal BuildingRigid frames, purlins, girts, eave strut, bracing, roof and wall panels, ridge cap, rake trim, gutter and framed opening, then column, haunch, rafter, base plate and anchor bolts.
Parts of a BrickFrog, bed and arris on one brick, the half bat, three-quarter bat, queen closer and king closer, and the six positions: stretcher, header, soldier, sailor, rowlock, shiner.
Parts of a BuildingFooting, foundation wall, basement, column, beam, floor slab, story, exterior wall, window, partition, stairway, elevator, shaft, roof and parapet on one cut-through building. Floor slab · Partition · Exterior wall
Parts of a House ExteriorRoof, chimney, dormer, gable, gutter, fascia, downspout, siding, corner board, window, shutters, door, porch and foundation.
Parts of a FloorFinish floor, underlayment, subfloor, joists, bridging, header joist, sill plate, girder and post; then the trimmer joists, headers and tail joists round an opening. Header joist · Post · Finish floor
Parts of a FoundationFooting, foundation wall, basement floor, drain tile, gravel, dampproofing, backfill, sill plate and anchor bolt; then a crawl space, a pier, a concrete slab and its vapor barrier. Foundation wall · Footing · Gravel
Parts of a BarnGambrel roof, cupola, weathervane, hay hood, sliding door, lean-to and silo outside; hayloft, hay carrier, stall, stanchion, manger, feed alley and gutter inside. Lean-to · Hay hood · Gambrel roof

Rooms and interiors 4

A fitted kitchen, a ceiling, and every room of a house with the front wall off.

Parts of a KitchenCabinets, countertop, backsplash, sink and cooktop on the back wall; refrigerator, pantry, oven, microwave and island in the second drawing.
Interior Parts of a HouseThirteen rooms from attic to basement in a cut-away house, then ceiling, crown molding, casing, window sill, outlet, baseboard and floor on one wall.
Parts of a CeilingCeiling joist, gypsum board, insulation and crown molding on a framed ceiling; main runner, cross tee, hanger wire, ceiling tile and plenum on a suspended one. Main runner · Ceiling joist · Gypsum board
Parts of a Fire Alarm SystemControl panel, smoke detector, pull station, annunciator, backup battery, heat detector and waterflow switch; then horn strobe, bell, door holder and central station. Smoke detector · Pull station · Control panel

Fences and gates 5

Posts, rails and infill for a wood fence, a chain-link fence and an iron fence, and the gate that swings between two posts.

Parts of a Vinyl FenceA vinyl privacy fence on four drawings, with one post cut open and the pickets seen from above: post cap, U-channel, rail notch and rail insert among 18 numbered parts. Rail insert · End post · Tongue
Parts of a GateA wooden picket gate: hinge post, latch post, hinges, latch, pickets, top and bottom rails, hinge stile and the diagonal brace. Top rail · Hinge stile · Hinges
Parts of a FencePost, cap rail, top, middle and bottom rails, boards, kickboard, concrete footing, gravel, pickets, post cap, gate and gate post.
Parts of a Chain Link FenceTerminal post, line post, top rail, mesh, tension wire, tension bar and bands, brace band, rail end, loop cap and tie wires.
Parts of a Wrought Iron FencePanel, corner post, line post, brace, base and center support on the fence; picket, picket top, rail, ring, scroll and rosette on one panel. Rosette · Rail · Center support

Yard and waterside structures 12

Yard structures: a deck, a pergola, a dock, a driveway, a retaining wall, a chicken coop, a hot tub, and pools with their pump, skimmer and filter.

Parts of a DeckA raised deck from the side and its framing from above: 16 numbered parts, from the footing and ledger board to the balusters and stair treads. Support post · Baluster · Ledger board
Parts of a Hot TubA portable hot tub cut away from the front with one cabinet panel off, and its jet pump pulled apart: diverter, suction fitting, control box, volute and impeller among 24 numbered parts. Impeller · Control box · Air control
Parts of a PoolA swimming pool: 12 numbered parts, from the deck, coping and steps to the skimmer, main drain, return jets, pump, filter and heater. Coping · Filter · Ladder
Parts of a Pool FilterA sand filter and a small cartridge filter, both cut open, and the loop from skimmer to return jet: multiport valve, standpipe, laterals and lock ring among 22 numbered parts. Laterals · Lock ring · Waste port
Parts of a Chicken CoopCoop, roof, vent, window, door, run, wire mesh, buried wire, roost, nest boxes, bedding, feeder and waterer.
Parts of an Above Ground PoolWall, liner, top ledge, top cap, uprights, skimmer, return fitting, top plate, stabilizer rail, coping strip, bottom track, bottom plate, patio block, cove and sand base.
Parts of a Retaining WallStem, footing, toe, weep holes and backfill; wall units, cap units, batter, leveling pad, drain pipe, drainage aggregate, filter fabric, geogrid and soil.
Parts of a Pool SkimmerLid, collar, skimmer body, throat, faceplate, weir, basket, float valve, port, vacuum plate and the water level.
Parts of a DrivewayApron, flares, curb, sidewalk, slab, control joints and expansion joint from above; slab, subbase and subgrade in a cut through the ground.
Parts of a PergolaColumns with caps and bases, the beam and the lattice strips from the side; a rafter, its shaped ends, the footings and the anchor rods from the end. Column · Beam · Rafter end
Parts of a DockDecking, piles, stringers, cross bracing, ladder, cleat, bumper, gangway, hinge, floats and anchor chain.
Parts of a Pool PumpStrainer pot, cover, suction port, discharge port, motor and drain plug outside; strainer basket, O-ring, volute, diffuser, impeller, seal plate, shaft seal and motor shaft inside. Shaft seal · Motor shaft · Strainer cover

Castles and cathedrals 3

Two kinds of building that students meet in history class, each with a vocabulary of its own for walls, towers, aisles and vaults.

Parts of a CastleA medieval castle and its wall: keep, curtain wall, towers, gatehouse, portcullis, drawbridge, moat, battlements, merlons, crenels, wall-walk, machicolations, arrowslit. Crenels · Arrowslit · Curtain wall
Parts of a CathedralA Gothic cathedral's floor plan and cross-section: 17 numbered parts, from the narthex, nave and transept to the clerestory, rib vault and flying buttresses. Crossing · Altar · Arcade
Parts of a ColumnThe three Greek orders side by side with 19 labeled parts: base, shaft and capital, the volute and acanthus leaves, and the architrave, frieze and cornice above.

More about these tools

Every page is one drawing of a staircase, a deck, a roof, a chimney, a fence, a room or a whole building, with a numbered ring on each part. Open Study to read every name and what the part does. That is often enough to follow an inspection report or to ask for the right piece.

To learn the names for a trade class or a history lesson, switch to Find it or Name it, and missed parts come back at the end of the round. Each drawing prints blank or labeled. Names follow trade glossaries and reference articles, and where builders use two names for one part, the quiz accepts both.