Proper Roof Pitch For A Shed

This image shows a relatively shallow roof pitch of 15 degrees.

Proper roof pitch for a shed.

This slope works well for sheds that are fairly narrow like 4 to 6 feet but for sheds that are 8 or wider the shed roof becomes unsightly high. Constructing a new shed roof at the desired pitch is as easy as knowing how to use a speed square. If your roof pitch is greater than 3 your roof is considered pitched. This means that for every 12 inches of horizontal distance across the shed the roof will rise 4 inches.

Therefore if your roof rises 4 inches over the course of 12 inches of horizontal run then your roof pitch is 4 12. The loft space would be much larger with a roof pitch of 45 degrees. Asphalt shingles typically have a minimum slope rating of 4 in 12. Also it should correspond to some specifics.

The best roof pitch for shed constructions depends on the actual and intended use for the building. The minimum pitch for a roof is 1 4 12 which translates to 1 4 inch rise to 12 inches of run. Basically the steeper the pitch the better it can shed snow and rain. There are advantages and disadvantages to having a steep pitch versus a shallow or low pitch the most obvious of which is the roof s ability to shed or withstand heavy snow rain or wind.

Beyond that you re free to choose whatever slope best fits your plans for your shed. The term pitch refers to the slope of the roof. Remember that pitch is calculated as the height or rise of a roof pitch over 12 inches of horizontal run. The roof pitch measures the steepness of your shed roof and typically takes values from 1 to 12.

Read more about roof pitch at wikipedia. However you can only use this pitch with built up roofing or specialized synthetic roofing. For example for a shed dormer roof pitch it should be calculated according to the overall design of the building to maximize its function such as increasing usable floor space and increasing headroom.