Residential Roof Slopes

The most commonly used roof pitches fall in a range between 4 12 and 9 12.

Residential roof slopes.

The list below contains the common roof slopes and the terms which classify them. A common range is given from 1 12 to 4 12 whereas conventional dimensions vary from 4 12 to 9 12 but the steep roofing technique follows slope above 9 12 with additional fasteners. Holly smith architectsdesigned this louisiana home. The following tableprovides the minimum required allowable roof slope for each type of roofing material mentioned in the code.

A steep slope roof is one whose slope is greater than 3 12. Roofs at the lower end of the range about 4 12 to 6 12 are relatively easy to walk and work on. The roof makes up much or all off the walls of the home. Residential low slope roofing can generally be divided up into two broad categories.

It s steep pointed roof which extends all the way to the ground or close to the ground. It s a very simple roof design and is inexpensive because the roof serves as both roof and walls. Run in degrees and as percentage the minimum roof slope allowed by code for any type of roofis in 12 applicable only to coal tar pitch roof systems. Pitches lower than 4 12 have a slight angle and they are defined as low slope roofs.

The international code council icc is a non profit organization dedicated to developing model codes and standards used in the design build and compliance process. The majority of north american residential roofs have historically been constructed with a slope between about 4 12 and 9 12. Steeper slopes are ideal for areas that have higher snow loads and will also prevent the possibility of ponding water on the roof. The typical roof slope follows specific materials and design techniques to ensure perfect safety from leakage.

Larger flat roofed applications low slope such as residential condominium complexes row homes and town houses and smaller applications such as residential porch and garage transitions from the main home where the slope of the roof changes dramatically from steep slope to low slope on the same structure. Roof slope equivalents as rise. Pitches above 9 12 are very highly angled and are designated steep slope roofs. Steep slope roofing also.

Pitches of less than 2 12 are considered flat roofs even though they may be very slightly angled. When it comes to residential construction your roof is a visible part of the structure. Steep slope roofing products are generally more visually appealing because they are critical aesthetic components for residential construction where the roof can consist of 40 of the exterior visual appearance of a home. The international codes i codes are the widely accepted comprehensive set of model codes used in the us and abroad to help ensure the engineering of safe sustainable affordable and resilient structures.