Wall dormers are a continuation of the wall above the roof eaves. Occasionally, small earlier buildings have wall dormers. More commonly, later structures feature wall dormers as an important part of the eclectic assembly of elements that make up the Queen Anne style. An effective alternative to dormers, skylights provide light and ventilation. They are less expensive and less intrusive, but still must be designed and placed carefully.
Appropriate skylights are flat and extend no more than six inches above the roof's surface.
Surviving historic dormers should be preserved intact as much as possible. Dormers added to a roof should be narrow, preferably only one window wide like historic dormers. Maximum dormer length should never be more than one-half the roof's length. New dormers should be roof dormers, not wall dormers. Their walls should be held back from the roof eave at least one foot.