Make Roof Pitch Steep

Pitch is a measure of the steepness of a roof.

Make roof pitch steep.

The pitch of the roof is determined by the vertical rise in inches for every horizontal twelve inch length. Pitch can vary a great deal from a shallow slope up to a very steep pitch. Pitch is the slope or angle from the wall plate to the roof ridge line. Pitch for a gable roof the most common is generally 1 4 or 1 3.

A roof with a pitch of less than 5 has a shallow slope and a roof pitch of more than 8 appears to have a steep slope. A pitch over 9 12 is considered a steep slope roof between 2 12 and 4 12 is considered a low slope roof and less than 2 12 is considered a flat roof. Meanwhile tile and shingles do better on steep pitches while low pitches may need metal or concrete roofing instead limiting your design options. Any pitch higher than 9 12 is considered a steep pitch.

So if your roof rises 4 inches for every 12 inches of horizontal length then the pitch of your roof is expressed as 4 12. The way pitch also known as roof slope is measured is rise over run. A ratio is the most common way of expressing roof pitch or roof slope but degrees are also possible. Which is equal to 1 4 or 1 3 the total span of the building not counting any overhang.

Single ply or torch down roof structures are made specifically for flatter rooftops and cannot be used when building a steeper roof. The table below shows common roof pitches and the equivalent grade degrees and radians for each. A flat roof would have a 2 12 pitch while the average roof pitch would be between 4 12 and 9 12.