The standard Bungalow is square or rectangular in plan, one-and-a-half stories high, with a low pitched gable or jerkin-head (clipped gable) roof, wide roof overhangs and gable or jerkin-head roofed front porch. A shed, gable, or jerkin-head roof dormer is also a common feature. Houses may be faced in brick, wood siding, or stone. The first floor is often brick or stone with wood shingles or clapboards in the gables. Another variation is a first floor sided in wood with a stuccoed upper floor. Exposed rafters and battered (tapered) porch supports are characteristic. Typical paint colors are brown, tan, terra cotta, white, gray, and muted greens.

Bungalows first appeared in California in the 1890s. They evolved from the California Craftsman movement, which sought to preserve simplicity and craftsmanship in architecture. The Bungalow style was influenced by other styles including Shingle, Stick, Swiss Chalet, and Spanish Colonial. The small but adequate Bungalow answered a growing need for low-cost housing and was popular in all parts of the country.

By 1910, the Bungalow style had reached Cincinnati, where it is now one of the most prevalent types of houses. It is particularly common in areas that experienced rapid growth between 1910 and 1940. Pleasant Ridge, Westwood, and Oakley are among neighborhoods with large concentrations of Bungalows.