Measure Pitch Of Roof

Even carpenters often use the terms slope and pitch interchangeably.

Measure pitch of roof.

Roof pitch or slope is a measure of vertical rise to horizontal run expressed in inches per foot. Slope the slope of a roof is represented as x 12 where x is the number of inches in rise for every 12 inches of run. A a roof with a 6 rise for every 12 run has a 6 per foot or 6 in 12 pitch. Most people interested in roof pitch are actually measuring the slope which is the most useful measurement when considering roofing material and rainwater.

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. Thus a moderate 6 in 12 roof pitch means that the roof rises 6 inches vertically for every 12 horizontal inches it runs. How roof pitch is calculated to accurately calculate the area of your roof you must first determine its slope or pitch. Here s an easy safe way to determine the pitch from inside your attic.

First measure 12 inches from one end of the level and make a mark. There is no standard universal roof pitch. In the usa the range of standard pitches is anywhere between 4 12 and 9 12. A roof s pitch is the rise for every 12 inches it runs.

The run is the horizontal length from the outside edge of a perimeter stud wall to the center of the house. Roof pitches are measured by their riseand run. Roof pitch is the measurement of a roof s vertical rise divided by its horizontal run. A roof s pitch is determined by how much it rises vertically for every foot it runs horizontally.

Then in the attic place the end of the level against the bottom of a roof rafter and hold it perfectly level. Roof pitch varies depending on culture climate style and available materials. This is very useful information for many purposes especially for roof framing the slope sometimes called pitch is calibrated on speed squares. It is often compared to slope but is not exactly the same.

In the united states a run of 12 inches 1 foot is used and pitch is measured as the rise of the roof over 12 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. The rise is the vertical length from the top of a stud wall to the peak of the roof. Slope is the correct term for the ratio of vertical to horizontal distance on a particular plane of the roof.

As aforementioned there is no standard pitch of a roof. To measure the roof pitch you ll need an 18 or 24 inch level a tape measure and a pencil.