Garden Shed Roof Pitch

In the simplest possible terms shed roof pitch is defined as the amount of rise per foot of run.

Garden shed roof pitch.

In roofing it is expressed in inches of vertical rise over inches of horizontal run. Simply put pitch is expressed as rise over run just as the grade is simply this fraction expressed as a percentage. The roof pitch measures the steepness of your shed roof and typically takes values from 1 to 12. Worth noting is that the higher the first number in the equation is the steeper the pitch of your shed roof will be.

Remember that pitch is calculated as the height or rise of a roof pitch over 12 inches of horizontal run. It is expressed as x y where x rise and y run for example 4 12 or 5 12 and so on. Therefore if your roof rises 4 inches over the course of 12 inches of horizontal run then your roof pitch is 4 12. Pitched roofs are attractive and also can be used for additional space for a shed loft.

You should also contact your local building inspector to see if there are specific regulations in place governing the pitch of your shed roof. This is based on how much rain and snow you are likely to get in an average year. A 4 12 pitch being 4 inches of vertical rise over one foot or 12 inches of horizontal run. Constructing a new shed roof at the desired pitch is as easy as knowing how to use a speed square.

Read more about roof pitch at wikipedia. As stated in the video speed squares have useful markings on them from 0 to 12. If you know the rise and run of your roof you can use this shed roof pitch calculator to help determine the correct pitch. The basics of roof pitch geometry.

The loft space would be much larger with a roof pitch of 45 degrees.