Roof pitch

In building construction, roof pitch is a numerical measure of the steepness of a roof. Roofs may be functionally flat or "pitched".

The pitch of a roof is its vertical rise divided by its horizontal span (or "run"), what is called "slope" in geometry and stair construction, or the tangent function in trigonometry. In the imperial measurement systems it is typically expressed with the rise first and run second. In the USA, the run is denominated by the number 12, giving a ratio of how many inches of rise or fall there are to each 12 inches (one foot) of run. For example, 3:12, 4:12, 5:12, and so on. Countries which use metric measurement systems use a degree angle, or what fall there is per unit of run, and expressed as a "1 in x" slope, a 1 in 1 slope being 45°. Where convenient, the LCMs are used, e.g. a 3 in 4 slope, rather than "9:12) or "1 in 1 1/3".

The pitch matters for a variety of reasons including the type of roofing material used, walkability, proportions to the building as a whole which is sometimes a critical factor in some architectural styles such as a steep pitch in Gothic architecture and a low pitch in Classical architecture, and combinations of pitches form distinctive roof shapes such as a gambrel roof. The basic ranges of pitch are not uniformly defined but range from flat, which are not perfectly flat but sloped to drain water up to 1/2:12 to 2:12 ( 1 in 24 to 1 in 6); low-slope roofing requires special materials and techniques to avoid leaks and ranges from 1:12 (2:12) to 4:12 (1 in 3);conventional from 4:12 (1 in 3) to 9:12 (3 in 4); and steep-slope roofing is above 9:12 (3 in 4) (21:12) (7 in 4) and may require extra fasteners.

US convention is to use whole numbers when even (e.g. "three in twelve") or the nearest single or two-digit fraction when not (e.g. either "five and a quarter in twelve" or "five point two-five in twelve", each expressed numerically as 5.25:12).

Definitions vary on when a roof is considered pitched. In degrees, 10° (2 in 12 or 1 in 6) is considered a minimum.

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