Roof Pitch Off By 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.

Roof pitch off by inches.

However you can only use this pitch with built up roofing or specialized synthetic roofing. Roof pitch or slope is a measure of vertical rise to horizontal run expressed in inches per foot. Roof pitch is used to describe the slope or angle 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.

Express roof pitch as the ratio of the amount of the vertical rise of a roof or rise over the corresponding horizontal distance or run you write the pitch assuming a run of 12 inches thus the ratio would describe how much a roof rises for each foot of the run. For example if you used a 24 inch level and your measurement was 12 inches the pitch in your roof is 6 in 12. A roof with a 6 rise for every 12 run has a 6. This measurement is best done on a bare roof because curled up roofing shingles will impair your measurement.

You can also estimate a roof pitch by eyeballing it from the ground from the gable side with a level and ruler. This forms an angle of 18 5 between the horizontal section and the roof and creates a gentle incline that is seen as a midpoint between a low pitch and medium pitch roof. The roof pitch is important in determining the appropriate installation method and how much roofing material will be needed.