Understand Roof Pitch

Although most homeowners do not need to measure pitch it still pays to understand this term.

Understand roof pitch. Pitch angle incline slope they all can be used to refer to the steepness of a roof. Pitch compares the roof s span to the rise while slope compares rise and run. First measure 12 inches from one end of the level and make a mark. Then in the attic place the end of the level against the bottom of a roof rafter and hold it perfectly level.

Roof pitch or slope is a measure of vertical rise to horizontal run expressed in inches per foot. Roof pitch roof pitch refers to the amount of rise a roof has compared to the horizontal measurement of the roof called the run. The roof pitching is essentially how steep the roof is going to be they are either going to be flat or pitched. The rise is the height of the roof from the base to the top.

For example given a roof with a rise of 4 feet and a span of 24 feet the pitch is 1 to 6 pitch which can be expressed as the fraction of 1 6. For example if a roof is 8 feet high and spreads out from the center covering 12 feet in each direction the rise over the run would be 8 12. In the roofing trade the go to term is pitch and it is expressed in terms of 12 inches so the pitch of a roof is determined by how many inches the slope rises for every 12 inches it runs horizontally. A a roof with a 6 rise for every 12 run has a 6 per foot or 6 in 12 pitch.

To calculate pitch you simply divide rise by span and display your result as a fraction. Technically roof pitch is the ratio of total vertical roof height the rise to total horizontal distance from wall to wall the span. Mathematically the pitch of a roof is different calculation than roof slope. To see how pitch impacts the look of a garage and changes cost click the design center button on our pole barn kits page.

A proper roof pitch is important for maximizing the effectiveness of your roof. Roof pitch is the rise of the roof over the run of the roof. In this instance we want to take a look at how this can be changed and improved with the help of a roof pitch chart. You ll often hear experts express pitch as x over y.

How to measure roof pitch to measure the roof pitch you ll need an 18 or 24 inch level a tape measure and a pencil. 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.