Proper Roof Pitch

You can also estimate a roof pitch by eyeballing it from the ground from the gable side with a level and ruler.

Proper roof pitch.

The pitch of a roof is arrived at by dividing the vertical rise and its horizontal span or what people in the roofing industry would refer to as the slope. This measurement is best done on a bare roof because curled up roofing shingles will impair your measurement. Care must be given so. The minimum pitch for a roof is 1 4 12 which translates to 1 4 inch rise to 12 inches of run.

In the uk the typical house has a pitch between 40 50 although 45 should be avoided. If your roof pitch is greater than 3 your roof is considered pitched. A a roof with a 6 rise for every 12 run has a 6 per foot or 6 in 12 pitch. Roof pitch is expressed as a ratio of the amount of the roof s vertical rise over a corresponding horizontal distance called the run pitch is written assuming a run of a foot or 12 inches so the ratio describes how much the roof rises for every foot of its run.

Since the pitch of the roof is lower it can act as a catch all for tree limbs and other debris. However you can only use this pitch with built up roofing or specialized synthetic roofing. Divide the results by the number of 12 inch segments in your level. The numerator or first number refers to the vertical height measurement of the roof.

Contemporary houses often have flat roofs which shouldn t be completely flat but should be around 1 40. In the usa the range of standard pitches is anywhere between 4 12 and 9 12. The roof pitch is important in determining the appropriate installation method and how much roofing material will be needed. Due to the gradual low slope of this type of roof rainfall will not drain as effectively.

There are different kinds of roofs and all these have particular specifications for their installation. For example if you used a 24 inch level and your measurement was 12 inches the pitch in your roof is 6 in 12. Roof pitch in layman s language simply refers to the steepness of the roof. The roof pitch measures the steepness of your shed roof and typically takes values from 1 to 12.

There is no standard universal roof pitch. The denominator or second number denotes the horizontal length measurement of the roof. The picture below shows the pitch of a 7 12 roof slope meaning that for 12 of horizontal measurement roof run the vertical measurement roof rise is 7. Roof pitch or slope is a measure of vertical rise to horizontal run expressed in inches per foot.

This may eventually cause. Roof pitch varies depending on culture climate style and available materials.