Pitch calculator
There are different types of roofs found around the world depending on where you live. Sloped roofs are perfect for rainy and snowy regions while flat roofs are well known across arid climate regions and commercial buildings.
Sloped roofs are complicated to make as it requires accuracy when it comes to measurements. The roof pitch or the slope or angle of the roof determines the installation method of the roof ensuring a clean construction. It also lets builders know how much roofing material will be needed to complete the roof.
Structural engineers and construction workers have taken pride in creating amazing roofs because they have the knowledge and know-how on how to make sloped roofs. However, if you’re on a DIY mission and motivated to complete your sloped roof then an online roof pitch calculator will help you a lot.
A roof pitch calculator not only tells you the angles, rafters length, and other important measurements but it also ensures optimal that with these measurements in place your roof is as sturdy as it can get. Without a roof pitch calculator, your DIY project might lead to an unpleasant experience with cracks in the roof which can be highly dangerous and collapse with time.
So, what is a roof pitch exactly? It’s the slope or as the engineers say, the vertical rise against the horizontal run of the roof is known as a roof pitch. For example, a 6-inch rise for every 12-inch run has a 6 inch per foot pitch. Roof pitches are often written as a semicolon or a fraction form. In the previous example, the roof pitch is either 6:12 or written as 6/12.
There are three important things to remember when it comes to roof pitches. The rise, run, and angle of the roof. Our roof pitch calculator will help you determine your roof pitch by simply plugging in the available values.
Here is how you can go about calculating your roof pitch.
1. Taking the measurements from the roof
Get ready to start your DIY by taking measurements. Get hold of a trusty tape measure and a long ladder. You will also require a foot long level. Head to the roof and get out your level. Hold the level, perfectly straight. This will allow you to measure the height of the roof. Start measuring the height from the roof exactly 12 inches away from where the other end of the level is touching the surface. This is the measure of the rise of the roof.
For example, if this calculated value on the measuring tape is 4 inches, then the pitch is 4:12 or 4/12.
2. Taking the measurements from the attic
You can also measure the slope of the roof from your attic. When in the attic, hold the level perfectly leveled like before but this time it should be touching the rafter at one end. Then measure the distance between the rafter and the other end of the level with the same distance of 12 inches.
The calculator below is an easy way to calculate your roof pitch. Simply plug in your values or adjust the slider accordingly to calculate the roof pitch.
Enter the values for calculation
Results:
Grade: %
Angle: °
Pitch: /12
Rafter Length
Results:
Pitch: /12
Angle: °
Grade: %
Run:
Results:
Pitch: /12
Angle: °
Grade: %
Rise:
Rise:
Run:
Rise:
Rafter:
Run:
Rafter:
Unless you’re a professional, there is no way you can DIY a roof let alone a perfect roof slope. A roof pitch calculator is there to aid you in your DIY journey. You don’t need to rely on the experience of a handyman or an engineer with the roof pitch calculator. Simply read a couple of DIY guides on roof building and use the roof pitch calculator to provide you with accurate measurements.
DIY projects can be difficult to execute, however with the right tools and guidance you can easily accomplish the task. Staying dedicated to the project will help you in pushing through any obstacle you face. Having a roof calculator by your side will become your best companion through this journey as you jot down values and measurements.
The importance of roof pitch calculators
For my team and I, calculating roof pitches is an easy task since we hold that knowledge. However, those who have no idea on what a roof pitch calculator is or why it is needed, building a roof can become really difficult.
You can sit and do the math on a piece of paper. That’s perfectly fine and the result would be great too. But when you’re tasked with a lot of reading and instructions for your DIY project, you’re bound to make a lot of mistakes. In such cases, a roof pitch calculator serves as a quick calculation tool that is highly accurate. Don’t depend on mental maths as you’re not in a classroom anymore but the outdoors world. With millions of things to do and take note of, even a simple math calculation can result in a disaster if your mind is not focused enough.
DIY projects are not perfect and the end result may be different than those shown in the pictures. But taking on a roof DIY project, you need to be perfect. An inch here or there can result in leakages or make the roof more susceptible to natural disasters like heavy rains, snow storms, hurricanes and more. Slight cracks in the roof can accumulate overtime eventually leading to the entire roof collapsing.
Roof pitch calculator will help you with accurate measurements and also decrease costs on your roof construction. If you try to shoot in the dark by estimating roof measurements, you may end up overestimating resulting in higher raw material costs. A roof pitch calculator will help you maintain your costs by only purchasing the required material.
Things to know before calculating roof pitch
Another important piece of information when calculating roof pitch is to know what type of roof they are building. The type of roof determines what information is required for the calculator to process an accurate roof pitch measurement. If you’re new to all this, we recommend getting guidance from an expert in this field. Have a carpentry consultant over or resort to the internet for advice. There are many DIY enthusiasts and experts out there who will help you with what you need to know. Learn from the experts how to use a roof pitch calculator in person if you’re not able to understand the instructions online.
A roof pitch calculator is the first step to building your roof right and if you crack the code to it, your entire job will be a piece of cake. Why do we say that? Everything that comes after using the roof pitch calculator is manual labor which means that you would mostly be utilizing your hands.
The main calculations that are the foundation of any roof pitch are done by the calculator; almost like the roof pitch calculator helps formulate the blueprint of a roof pitch. Before you even start on your DIY roof project, whether it is building it from scratch or just replacing it, you ought to have a roof pitch calculator by your side.
The calculator will do the job faster and better than you can since you will be riddled with nerves of doing such a project while the calculator will work on pure mathematics. Roof pitches should only be calculated using a roof pitch calculator to produce precise measurements.
It is the only way to expedite the process of building a roof pitch that is safe to be lived under, does not cost an arm and leg, and requires the right amount of effort and time to be spent on it.
Which one is the right roof pitch calculator for you?
With so many roof pitch calculators online, which one do you choose? There are a lot of factors that one should take into consideration when narrowing down their search for the best roof pitch calculator. The biggest factor is the accuracy of it. A roof pitch calculator needs to be highly accurate. For this, you need to look at calculators that have been used by many so we recommend checking out online reviews. People share their experiences online, hence do a quick search and find out what people think is the best roof pitch calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a 4/12 roof pitch?
For every 12 inches in length, the roof slope rising 4 inches is referred to as a 4/12 roof pitch. A 4/12 roof pitch usually angles at about 18.5° which is a small incline. These types of roof pitches are seen in tropical countries or places with hot humid or arid weathers. The reason that these types of roof pitches are not seen in snowy regions is because the snow starts to accumulate due to the small incline.
What is the best pitch for a roof?
There are different types of roof that result in different roof pitch measurements. There is no such thing as a best pitch for a roof as it all depends on your needs. If you’re looking for a good incline on a roof pitch due to snowy weather, then a 40° incline is perfect. You may find really steep roof risings in church and gothic architectures while very low inclines in windy regions.
What is the smallest pitch of a roof?
A roof pitch is a rise of the roof so a flat roof does not mean a low slope pitch. Hence the smallest roof pitch that can be denoted as a pitch is about 0.5/12. Small roof pitches are not recommended for snowy or rainy regions as a lot of snow or rain water can collect causing the roof to either leak or collapse.
How to convert roof pitch degrees to the american ratio?
Follow our steps to find out the roof pitch calculation for converting degrees to ratios.
- Find the tangent of the angle which will give you the degrees of the roof pitch.
- Multiply the roof pitch by 12
- Check with our roof pitch calculator to see if your answer matches or not.
- If it does, then you have learned how to convert degrees into ratio.
What is a roof pitch multiplier?
Roof pitch factor or another word for that, the roof pitch multiplier, aids in calculating the total area of the roof. The roof pitch multiplier is multiplied by the area covered by the roof slope. This is a great way to find out how much material you will be needing to make your new sloped roof.