How To Check Roof Pitch

Find the inverse tangent of the pitch to find the angle in degrees.

How to check roof pitch.

Place the end of your level the 0 inch point of your 12 marking against the roof surface. The term pitch has two different meanings when it comes to roofs. To convert between american roofing ratios and pitch degrees follow these steps. This is the amount your roof inclines in a 1 foot span or the pitch of your roof.

Simply mark a level at 12 hold it perfectly level and measure from the roof surface to your 12 mark this. Most people use it to mean the steepness of the roof. A 12 12 pitch roof has a pitch angle of 45. Some carpenters consider it more correct to use the term slope for the steepness and use pitch to describe the roof s overall dimensions.

Example a the measurements are taken from on top of the roof. Here s an easy safe way to determine the pitch from inside your attic. To measure the roof pitch you ll need an 18 or 24 inch level a tape measure and a pencil. Divide the first part of the ratio by 12 to work out the pitch.

Marvel at your mathematical. The example to right shows 2 different ways to determine or calculate roof pitch also called roof slope. Hold the level straight and level bubble centered and then measure the vertical distance down from the your 12 mark on the level down to the roof. The 7 means that the roof rises 7 for every 12 it runs.