Normal Home Roof Pitch

For most home styles roof pitches fall in a range 4 12 a moderate slope up to 8 12 fairly steep.

Normal home roof pitch.

If a roof increases in height by four inches for every foot of horizontal run it is considered to have a 4 in 12 pitch or just a 4 pitch talk in terms of pitches and you will always be understood in the roofing universe. So the pitch of a roof is determined by how many inches the slope rises for every 12 inches it runs horizontally. These are utilized in residential applications. Pitches lower than 4 12 have a slight angle and they are defined as low slope roofs.

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. Thatch is used occasionally on new dwellings and demands a roof pitch of at least 45 and more likely 50 to allow the rain to flow off quickly and prevent ingress. The most commonly used roof pitches fall in a range between 4 12 and 9 12. Gable roofs offer the advantages of easily shedding rain and snow in cold climates.

Many manufactured home builders will even do 6 12 or 7 12 pitch roofs. Roof pitch is simply calculated as follows. A 5 12 would be 5 inches of rise for 12 inches of run. Roof pitch in layman s language simply refers to the steepness of the roof.

The minimum pitch for a roof is 1 4 12 which translates to 1 4 inch rise to 12 inches of run. However you can only use this pitch with built up roofing or specialized synthetic roofing. Some of the most common roof pitch types are conventional slope type roofs designed with pitch ranging from 4 12 to 9 12. This measurement is best done on a bare roof because curled up roofing shingles will impair your measurement.

Gable roofs on ranch style homes can have a variety of pitches from low to steep. This steep pitch is also an essential ingredient of cottage style. This home was thatched by dodson brothers image credit. Pitches above 9 12 are very highly angled and are designated steep slope roofs.

Roof pitches exceeding the level of 9 12 or approximately 37 degrees are termed steep slope roofs. Examples of extreme slopes range from 1 4 12 almost flat to 12 12 sloping down at a perfect 45 degree angle. Hipped roofs are also common which offer a slightly different design and lower pitch. On a single wide home the roof can be considered flat since it is typically under a 3 5 12 pitch.

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. 3 5 12 pitch is 3 5 inches of rise per 12 inches of run.