Standard House Roof Pitch

Pitches lower than 4 12 have a slight angle and they are defined as low slope roofs.

Standard house roof 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. There is no standard universal roof pitch. The ibhs recommends a 4 to 6 pitch roof. Arctan 3 12 14 0 the primary purpose of pitching a roof is to redirect water and snow.

Gable roofs on ranch style homes can have a variety of pitches from low to steep. Some of the most common roof pitch types are conventional slope type roofs designed with pitch ranging from 4 12 to 9 12. Pitches of less than 2 12 are considered flat roofs even though they may be very slightly angled. The steeper the roof the more expensive the trusses get because the longer the boards get and the more roof area increases.

Pitches above 9 12 are very highly angled and are designated steep slope roofs. These are utilized in residential applications. The exact roof slope in degrees is given by the arctangent. The vertical rise of the top chord per 12 horizontal inches is the roof pitch or 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. Roof pitch varies depending on culture climate style and available materials. In the uk the typical house has a pitch between 40 50 although 45 should be avoided. For example 4 12 pitch means 4 inches of rise in 12 inches of run.

The table below shows common roof pitches and the equivalent grade degrees and radians for each. Gable roofs offer the advantages of easily shedding rain and snow in cold climates. This measurement is best done on a bare roof because curled up roofing shingles will impair your measurement. In degrees 10 2 in 12 or 1 in 6 is considered a minimum.

Hipped roofs are also common which offer a slightly different design and lower pitch. Thus pitch is typically greater in areas of high rain or snowfall. But since there is still a wide variety of slate roofing systems there are occasions when the minimum pitch can go down to as low as 15 0 depending on the uniqueness of the roof. Contemporary houses often have flat roofs which shouldn t be completely flat but should be around 1 40.

In the usa the range of standard pitches is anywhere between 4 12 and 9 12. Roof pitches exceeding the level of 9 12 or approximately 37 degrees are termed steep slope roofs. This is for the top level of a 3 story building that is 26 by 64. Definitions vary on when a roof is considered pitched.

What is the standard pitch for a roof. The most commonly used roof pitches fall in a range between 4 12 and 9 12.