Normal Roof Pitch

Thatch is one of the oldest roofing materials and needs a steep pitch to drain properly some types of stone roofs have a very restrictive roof pitch.

Normal roof pitch.

Pitches above 9 12 are very highly angled and are designated steep slope roofs. 4 12 to 20 12 pitches. The minimum pitch for a roof is 1 4 12 which translates to 1 4 inch rise to 12 inches of run. With insufficient pitch a roof can leak rain and with a pitch too great its stones will fall loose.

The pitch of the roof is determined by the vertical rise in inches for every horizontal twelve inch length. 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. In the uk the typical house has a pitch between 40 50 although 45 should be avoided. Most roofs in america follow these dimensions where pitch range is kept between 3 to 7 1 2.

Display of roof pitches 1 12 through 18 12. Roof pitch varies depending on culture climate style and available materials. In the usa the range of standard pitches is anywhere between 4 12 and 9 12. An average person can easily and safely walk upon these roofs without need of additional equipment.

Pitches lower than 4 12 have a slight angle and they are defined as low slope roofs. Slopes above 19 12 are not recommended since tiles on very steep roofs can rattle. If you want to build a shed garage or other similar type of building then 4 to 6 is a preferable pitch type. Pitches of less than 2 12 are considered flat roofs even though they may be very slightly angled.

A flat roof would have a 2 12 pitch while the average roof pitch would be between 4 12 and 9 12. Pitch is a measure of the steepness of a roof. Any pitch higher than 9 12 is considered a steep pitch. So the pitch of a roof is determined by how many inches the slope rises for every 12 inches it runs horizontally.

This measurement is best done on a bare roof because curled up roofing shingles will impair your measurement. Clay or cement tiles can be used on a wide range of roof pitches. However you can only use this pitch with built up roofing or specialized synthetic roofing.