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.

Many manufactured home builders will even do 6 12 or 7 12 pitch roofs. A 5 12 would be 5 inches of rise for 12 inches of run. This measurement is best done on a bare roof because curled up roofing shingles will impair your measurement. High and low pitch examples two examples at each end of the spectrum.

These are utilized in residential applications. For most home styles roof pitches fall in a range 4 12 a moderate slope up to 8 12 fairly steep. Pitches above 9 12 are very highly angled and are designated steep slope roofs. 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.

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. Pitches of less than 2 12 are considered flat roofs even though they may be very slightly angled. The most commonly used roof pitches fall in a range between 4 12 and 9 12. 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.

Gable roofs offer the advantages of easily shedding rain and snow in cold climates. Roof pitches exceeding the level of 9 12 or approximately 37 degrees are termed steep slope roofs. Examples of extreme slopes range from 1 4 12 almost flat to 12 12 sloping down at a perfect 45 degree angle. 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.

So the pitch of a roof is determined by how many inches the slope rises for every 12 inches it runs horizontally. Gable roofs on ranch style homes can have a variety of pitches from low to steep. Roof pitch in layman s language simply refers to the steepness of the roof. This home was thatched by dodson brothers image credit.

3 5 12 pitch is 3 5 inches of rise per 12 inches of run. This steep pitch is also an essential ingredient of cottage style. On a single wide home the roof can be considered flat since it is typically under a 3 5 12 pitch. Hipped roofs are also common which offer a slightly different design and lower pitch.

The minimum pitch for a roof is 1 4 12 which translates to 1 4 inch rise to 12 inches of run. However you can only use this pitch with built up roofing or specialized synthetic roofing.