Roof Pitch Chart: Every Pitch from 1/12 to 12/12 and Beyond
One chart answers the recurring questions: what each pitch means in degrees, the multiplier that converts footprint to true area, and which roofing each slope allows. Bookmark it; every roofing decision touches it.
Reading pitch notation
American roofing states pitch as rise over a 12-inch run: a 6/12 roof climbs 6 inches for every horizontal foot. Degrees are the same fact in surveyor language (6/12 is 26.6 degrees), and the multiplier is the practical payoff: the factor that converts flat footprint into true sloped surface, the number every estimate and material order silently uses, and the arithmetic our pitch guide teaches you to measure and our calculators compute live. The chart below is those three columns for every common pitch, plus what each slope means for materials and walking.
The full pitch chart
| Pitch | Degrees | Multiplier | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flat-1/4:12 | ~0-1.2 | 1.000 | Membrane territory: TPO, EPDM, PVC, mod-bit |
| 1/12 | 4.8 | 1.003 | Mechanically seamed metal minimum; membranes rule |
| 2/12 | 9.5 | 1.014 | Shingle absolute floor (special underlayment); low-slope rules |
| 3/12 | 14.0 | 1.031 | Exposed-fastener metal floor; shingles marginal-legal |
| 4/12 | 18.4 | 1.054 | Shingles comfortable from here; the ranch-house pitch |
| 5/12 | 22.6 | 1.083 | The suburban standard band begins |
| 6/12 | 26.6 | 1.118 | The classic American pitch; everything works |
| 7/12 | 30.3 | 1.158 | Steepening; roof jacks appear for crews |
| 8/12 | 33.7 | 1.202 | Steep-slope labor rates typically begin |
| 9/12 | 36.9 | 1.250 | Colonial and craftsman steepness; harness territory |
| 10/12 | 39.8 | 1.302 | Visually dramatic; all work is staged |
| 12/12 | 45.0 | 1.414 | The 45-degree A-frame class |
| 14/12-18/12 | 49-56 | 1.54-1.80 | Chalets, Victorians, steeples; specialist access |
| Mansard faces | 60-80+ | 2.0+ | Effectively walls; the mansard story |
The material zones
The most consequential column of the chart is the notes, because slope gates material: below 2/12 is membrane country, where only sealed systems from our flat roofing pillar belong; 2/12 to 4/12 is the caution band, shingles legal at 2/12 only over doubled or ice-and-water underlayment, exposed-fastener metal wanting 3/12, and low-slope discipline applying throughout; 4/12 to 9/12 is the freeway, every material comfortable, shedding strong, work routine; and above 9/12 the physics reverse, water flies off but people cannot stand, so labor, staging and safety systems drive cost more than material. Most material-mismatch leaks in the field are chart violations: shingles on porch ties below their floor, wavy-lap metal at 2/12, the errors the notes column exists to prevent.
Using the multiplier
The multiplier turns plans into orders: a 2,000-square-foot footprint under a 6/12 roof carries 2,000 x 1.118 = 2,236 square feet of true surface, 22.4 squares before waste, the arithmetic that sizes every bundle count and every honest estimate. Steepness compounds cost twice, more area per footprint and higher labor rates past 8/12, which is why identical footprints quote differently under different rooflines, and why the calculators page asks for pitch before it prices anything. Measure yours from the attic or with the smartphone-level method in the pitch guide, find your row above, and most roofing math that follows becomes checkable at your kitchen table.
Pitch chart FAQs
What does a 6/12 roof pitch mean?
Six inches of vertical rise per twelve inches of horizontal run, 26.6 degrees, with an area multiplier of 1.118 (the roof surface is 11.8% larger than the footprint under it). It is the classic American pitch: every material works, water sheds well, and crews work it routinely, the center of the residential band.
What is the minimum pitch for shingles?
2/12 is the code floor, and only with special provisions, doubled underlayment or ice-and-water membrane beneath, with 4/12 the comfortable threshold where standard practice applies. Below 2/12, shingles are a leak subscription regardless of underlayment, and the roof belongs to membranes or mechanically seamed metal.
How do I convert roof pitch to degrees?
Degrees = arctangent of (rise / 12). Landmarks: 4/12 is 18.4 degrees, 6/12 is 26.6, 9/12 is 36.9, and 12/12 is exactly 45. The chart on this page lists the conversion for every common pitch, and the calculators page computes it live from any rise-and-run measurement.
What is a roof pitch multiplier?
The factor converting flat footprint to true sloped area: the square root of (1 + (rise/12) squared). A 1.118 multiplier at 6/12 means 11.8% more surface than footprint; by 12/12 it is 41.4% more. Estimators apply it silently to size materials, which is why pitch is the first question behind every honest roof price.
At what pitch does roofing labor cost more?
Around 8/12, crews shift to staged, harnessed, slower work, and steep-slope labor rates commonly apply, rising again past 10/12 where everything is planked and roped. Steepness therefore compounds cost twice: more true area per footprint (the multiplier) and higher rates per square, the double effect complex steep roofs are famous for.
Know your pitch, want the real numbers?
Measured estimates that show the multiplier math instead of hiding it. Get yours free.
Get a Free Estimate