Normal Home Roof Pitch

Some of the most common roof pitch types are conventional slope type roofs designed with pitch ranging from 4 12 to 9 12.

Normal home roof pitch.

This measurement is best done on a bare roof because curled up roofing shingles will impair your measurement. Roof pitches exceeding the level of 9 12 or approximately 37 degrees are termed steep slope roofs. These are utilized in residential applications. Gable roofs offer the advantages of easily shedding rain and snow in cold climates.

The minimum pitch for a roof is 1 4 12 which translates to 1 4 inch rise to 12 inches of run. For most home styles roof pitches fall in a range 4 12 a moderate slope up to 8 12 fairly steep. Examples of extreme slopes range from 1 4 12 almost flat to 12 12 sloping down at a perfect 45 degree angle. 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.

This steep pitch is also an essential ingredient of cottage style. However you can only use this pitch with built up roofing or specialized synthetic roofing. 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. High and low pitch examples two examples at each end of the spectrum.

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. Roof pitch is simply calculated as follows. A 5 12 would be 5 inches of rise for 12 inches of run. Hipped roofs are also common which offer a slightly different design and lower pitch.

Pitches above 9 12 are very highly angled and are designated steep slope roofs. 3 5 12 pitch is 3 5 inches of rise per 12 inches of run. Pitches lower than 4 12 have a slight angle and they are defined as low slope roofs. Gable roofs on ranch style homes can have a variety of pitches from low to steep.

Pitches of less than 2 12 are considered flat roofs even though they may be very slightly angled. Many manufactured home builders will even do 6 12 or 7 12 pitch roofs. The most commonly used roof pitches fall in a range between 4 12 and 9 12. So the pitch of a roof is determined by how many inches the slope rises for every 12 inches it runs horizontally.

On a single wide home the roof can be considered flat since it is typically under a 3 5 12 pitch. Roof pitches can be as high as 12 12 according to the mhimperialhome website.