Gingerbread house contest size limits
Contests count size in different ways: some cap the whole entry, base included, and some cap only the base. A roof with an overhang and a base with room to carry it make a house larger than its wall sizes suggest. This page turns three real limits into the biggest house that fits, with the piece sizes to cut.
Three real size rules
I read the rules of three contests. They count different things, so a house that fits one can be refused at another.
- The Portsmouth Historical Society (New Hampshire) 2026 rules set a maximum base of 15” by 15” and forbid attaching several bases together. They ask for edible materials only, including the glue and the support inside, and for a sturdy base because entries get moved several times. There is no height limit in the text.
- The Gwinnett County (Georgia) entry form (the 2022 flyer) limits the size including the base to less than 24” square, meaning high, wide and long, and 50 lbs. All parts except the base must be edible.
- The ArkDes gingerbread house competition in Stockholm allows 40 × 40 cm in total, base plate included. Height is free, and only the base plate may be inedible.
Rules change from year to year and between organizers. Check the current text of the contest you enter.
Why the house is bigger than its walls
A limit on the base is a limit on the widest thing standing on it. Three parts of the house add to the wall sizes:
- The roof sticks out past the walls. With the generator's default 1/2 in overhang and a 45° roof, the eaves add about 0.7 in to the width (two overhangs times the cosine of the pitch), and the roof panels run 1 in longer than the house is deep.
- The base needs a border. A house that touches the edge of the board is the first thing to get chipped when the entry is lifted. The numbers below leave 0.75 in (2 cm for the metric rule) free on every side, my own margin.
- Under a rule that counts height, the board counts too. A 3/4 in cake board takes 3/4 in off the top.
The largest house under each rule
Each house below keeps the proportions of the 6 × 8 in classic with 4 in walls and a 45° roof, scaled up until the roof's outer size plus the border fills the limit. Every size is rounded down to 1/4 in (1/2 cm). The dough is the generator's estimate with 25% for trimmings.
| Rule | Walls (w × d × h) | Roof outer size | Peak | Dough |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portsmouth Historical Societybase up to 15 × 15 in | 9.25 × 12.25 × 6 in | 9.96 × 13.25 in | 10.62 in | 2,958 g |
| Gwinnett Countybase included, under 24 in high, wide and long | 16 × 21.25 × 10.5 in | 16.71 × 22.25 in | 18.5 in | 8,760 g |
| ArkDes, Stockholmbase included, up to 40 × 40 cm | 24.5 × 32.5 × 16 cm | 26.6 × 35.5 cm | 28.3 cm | 3,080 g |
Portsmouth Historical Society: 9.25 × 12.25 in, 6 in walls
Inside a 15 in base with 3/4 in of board on each side, the roof can be 9.96 in wide and 13.25 in long. The peak reaches 10.62 in, which is allowed because the text names no height limit. The pieces fit 6 half sheets.
| Piece | Cut | Width × height |
|---|---|---|
| Front and back wall | 2 | 9.25 × 10.62 in |
| Side wall | 2 | 11.75 × 6 in |
| Roof panel | 2 | 13.25 × 7.04 in |
Peak 10.62 in, about 2,958 g of dough with trimmings. Print this template
Gwinnett County: 16 × 21.25 in, 10.5 in walls
The footprint limits this one: the roof is 16.71 in wide and 22.25 in long, and with a 3/4 in board the peak sits at 19.25 in, under 24 in. At about 19.3 lb of raw dough before icing and candy, the 50 lb limit is not close. The bigger issue is baking: the walls are wider than a half sheet pan, so the pieces need a larger pan or an oven rack, or the long walls get cut in two sections and joined with icing.
| Piece | Cut | Width × height |
|---|---|---|
| Front and back wall | 2 | 16 × 18.5 in |
| Side wall | 2 | 20.75 × 10.5 in |
| Roof panel | 2 | 22.25 × 11.81 in |
Peak 18.5 in, about 8,760 g of dough with trimmings. Print this template
ArkDes, Stockholm: 24.5 × 32.5 cm, 16 cm walls
A 40 cm base with 2 cm free on each side (my margin) leaves room for a roof 26.6 cm wide and 35.5 cm long. Height is free here, so a steeper roof or taller walls cost nothing. The pieces fit 6 oven trays of 40 × 30 cm.
| Piece | Cut | Width × height |
|---|---|---|
| Front and back wall | 2 | 24.5 × 28.3 cm |
| Side wall | 2 | 31.3 × 16 cm |
| Roof panel | 2 | 35.5 × 18.8 cm |
Peak 28.3 cm, about 3,080 g of dough with trimmings. Print this template
Common houses against a 15 in base
The same calculation for houses from the dimensions guide. The last column adds 3/4 in of border on each side to the widest direction of the roof, which is the smallest base the house sits on comfortably.
| House | Roof outer size | Peak | Base needed | 15 in base |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 × 5 × 3 in | 4.7 × 6 in | 5 in | 7.5 in | Fits |
| 5 × 6 × 4 in | 5.7 × 7 in | 6.5 in | 8.5 in | Fits |
| 6 × 8 × 4 in | 6.7 × 9 in | 7 in | 10.5 in | Fits |
| 8 × 10 × 6 in | 8.7 × 11 in | 10 in | 12.5 in | Fits |
| 10 × 12 × 7 in | 10.6 × 13 in | 13 in | 14.5 in | Fits |
| 12 × 14 × 8 in | 12.7 × 15 in | 14 in | 16.5 in | Too big |
45° roofs except the 10 × 12 in house at 50°. Overhang 1/2 in, dough 1/4 in thick.
Before you bake
- Measure the finished roof on the board with a ruler before you carry it anywhere. Icing and candy at the eaves add to the outer size.
- Lay the paper pieces on the board first. The generator prints at actual size, so the paper shows how much of the board is left.
- Plan the assembly for a day before the drop-off so the icing sets. The assembly guide has the order. Larger houses need more icing, see how much royal icing.
- Under edible-only rules, the inside supports and the glue count too. Royal icing and gingerbread qualify. Wooden dowels or foam do not.