What Is My Roof Pitch

Roof pitch is the measurement of a roof s vertical rise divided by its horizontal run.

What is my roof pitch.

On blue prints architects engineers usually display the pitch of a roof in the format shown on the image where number 4 represents a rise and number 12 represents a length. You can also estimate a roof pitch by eyeballing it from the ground from the gable side with a level and ruler. There is no standard universal roof pitch. In the united states a run of 12 inches 1 foot is used and pitch is measured as the rise of the roof over 12 inches.

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. It always makes sense to the standard roof pitch angle spot on as the benefits of doing so are quite obvious. In the usa the range of standard pitches is anywhere between 4 12 and 9 12. A a roof with a 6 rise for every 12 run has a 6 per foot or 6 in 12 pitch.

Roof pitch and corresponding angles. Roof pitch or slope is a measure of vertical rise to horizontal run expressed in inches per foot. X research source although most homeowners do not need to measure pitch it still pays to understand this term. It is often compared to slope but is not exactly the same.

Even if you want to use a flat roof. With the help of these roof pitch degree calculator programs you can make sure that your home is nice and balanced. Technically roof pitch is the ratio of total vertical roof height the rise to total horizontal distance from wall to wall the span. 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.

This measurement is best done on a bare roof because curled up roofing shingles will impair your measurement. Pitch is thus the ratio of the rise in inches to a 12 inch run and is often expressed using a semicolon for example 6 12. Roof pitch varies depending on culture climate style and available materials. For example if you used a 24 inch level and your measurement was 12 inches the pitch in your roof is 6 in 12.

Divide the results by the number of 12 inch segments in your level. This means if a roof rises 4 in the length of 12 your roof pitch would be 4 12 or 18 43 degrees. Thus a moderate 6 in 12 roof pitch means that the roof rises 6 inches vertically for every 12 horizontal inches it runs. To accurately calculate the area of your roof you must first determine its slope or pitch.