How Do You Read A Roof Pitch?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

, , , ,

Roof pitch (or slope) tells

you how many inches the roof rises for every 12 inches in depth

. An Example of a roof pitch would be a “6/12 pitch” which means that the roof rises 6 ” for every 12′′ inward towards the peak (or ridge).

How do you read the slope of a roof?

Roof pitch (or slope) tells

you how many inches the roof rises for every 12 inches in depth

. An Example of a roof pitch would be a “6/12 pitch” which means that the roof rises 6 ” for every 12′′ inward towards the peak (or ridge).

What does a 4/12 roof pitch mean?

A roof

that rises 4 inches for every 1 foot or 12 inches of run

is said to have a “4 in 12” slope. … The slope ratio represents a certain amount of vertical rise for every 12 inches of horizontal run. For example, a “4 in 12” slope can be expressed as the ratio of 4:12. A “6 in 12” slope is expressed as 6:12.

What is a 1/12 roof slope?

Roof pitch is often expressed as a ratio between rise and run in the form of x:12. For example, a pitch of 1:12 means that

for every twelve yards of building length, the rise will be equal to one yard

.

What is the most common roof pitch?

Conventional slope roofs are most common with residential roofs. This means the slope has a pitch

between 4/12 and 9/12

on most homes. Roofs with a pitch exceeding 9/12 are called steep slope roofs.

What is the minimum roof pitch?

Corrugated roofing is a great material on traditional pitched roofs – but it has severe limitations when the pitch gets below

5 degrees

. That is why all roofing manufacturers recommend the 5 degree pitch as the minimum slope and they will not provide any guarantees if it is installed flatter than this.

What roof pitch is 18 degrees?

Convert Roof Slope from Degrees to Rise-in-Run 16° 3.441 in 12 17° 3.669 in 12 18°

3.899 in 12
19° 4.132 in 12

What pitch roof can you walk on?

Common Roof Slopes Expressed in Rise/Run and Angle + Slope expressed as Grade Roof Slope Expressed as Rise / Run in Inches Roof Slope Expressed as an Angle Walkability 0 / 12 0 ° or 180 ° Easy to walk on
1 / 12


4.76 °
2 / 12 9.46 °

What degree cut is a 4/12 pitch?

Roofs with a pitch of 4/12 are

approximately 18.4 degrees

, depending on how exact you’d like to be in your measurement. Check out our roof angle chart for more examples of the exact angles (expressed in degrees) of common roof pitches.

What does a 3/12 pitch mean?

A 3/12 roof pitch angle is

about 14°

, so on and so forth. 4/12 is quite typical. Anything under 3/12 is a low pitch roof. Anything above 6/12 is a steep roof pitch since it becomes harder to walk on the roof.

Is a 3/12 roof pitch good?

Any roofs up to 3:12 are

generally considered “low slope

.” In the residential arena, we see lower slope roofs as part of the home’s architectural design. … Then, when you get into roofs of 3:12 or greater pitch, most other metal roofs can be used and that generally is the pitch requirement for asphalt shingles as well.

What is a normal roof pitch?

What are common roof pitches? For a typical roof pitch to use for a traditional house, you should start with the 4/12 pitch cited above, but anything falling in the

range between 4/12 and 9/12

is pretty common. If your pitch is lower, you will see it sporting a slight angle, hence the term low-slope roofs for them.

Is a 4/12 roof pitch good?

As well, a slope of 4:12 is

most commonly considered the lowest slope for “standard shingle installations”

. Most manufacturer and industry recommendations require, or at the very least recommend, special underlayment or other considerations on roofs between 2:12 and 4:12.

What is the best roof pitch for snow?

Roofs in snowy climates should have a slope of

at least a 10-degree pitch minimum

. A steeper angled roof sheds the snow more quickly. While the angle of the roof helps shed snow, adding too many angles to the roof for a more aesthetic effect could cause structural problems with snow shedding in the wintertime.

What roof pitch is 5 degrees?

Roof Pitch (slope) Roof Angle (degree) 2:12 Pitch 9.46° 3:12 Pitch 14.04° 4:12 Pitch 18.43° 5

:12 Pitch


22.62°

What is the minimum pitch required for a metal roof?

For metal panel roof systems with nonsoldered seams with applied lap sealant, IBC 2018 prescribes a

1/2:12 minimum

roof slope. For standing-seam metal roof panel systems, a 1/4:12 minimum roof slope is prescribed.

David Martineau
Author
David Martineau
David is an interior designer and home improvement expert. With a degree in architecture, David has worked on various renovation projects and has written for several home and garden publications. David's expertise in decorating, renovation, and repair will help you create your dream home.