How To Figure Roof Pitch With Speed Square

In the united states a run of 12 inches 1 foot is used and pitch is measured as the rise of the roof over 12 inches.

How to figure roof pitch with speed square.

Set the level on the edge of the speed square as shown below then place the heel of the speed square on a rafter or gable edge of the roof. Roof pitch refers to the slope which the rafter creates. Divide the first part of the ratio by 12 to work out the pitch. Often you express roof pitch as the ratio between the rise and the run in the form of x 12.

To see how pitch impacts the look of a garage and changes cost click the design center button on our pole barn kits page. Check your results with the omni roof pitch calculator. Marvel at your mathematical. Finding the pitch of a roof is simple with a speed square.

Before miter saws and even since professional carpenters used speed squares as a quick saw guide for cutting 45 and 90 degree angles. Roof pitch is the measurement of a roof s vertical rise divided by its horizontal run. Find the inverse tangent of the pitch to find the angle in degrees. To convert between american roofing ratios and pitch degrees follow these steps.

A speed square and level can be used to easily find the pitch of a roof. A 12 12 pitch roof has a pitch angle of 45. Roof pitch refers to the amount of rise a roof has compared to the horizontal measurement of the roof called the run. Photo 2 shows how to use the speed square to mark a 33 1 2 degree angle the same as you would need on a rafter tail for a roof with an 8 12 pitch.

It is often compared to slope but is not exactly the same.