Residential Roof Slopes

A steep slope roof is one whose slope is greater than 3 12.

Residential roof slopes.

Pitches lower than 4 12 have a slight angle and they are defined as low slope roofs. The slope of the roof on this modern pond side house allows the solar panels to take in as much energy as possible and lets rain water fall back into the pond to help with drainage around the house. The roof makes up much or all off the walls of the home. Roofs at the lower end of the range about 4 12 to 6 12 are relatively easy to walk and work on.

Steep slope roofing also. Residential low slope roofing can generally be divided up into two broad categories. 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. 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. 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. 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. Pitches above 9 12 are very highly angled and are designated steep slope roofs.

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. When it comes to residential construction your roof is a visible part of the structure. Holly smith architectsdesigned this louisiana home. The list below contains the common roof slopes and the terms which classify them.

21 12 and higher steep slope roofing products. The following tableprovides the minimum required allowable roof slope for each type of roofing material mentioned in the code. 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. 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.

The majority of north american residential roofs have historically been constructed with a slope between about 4 12 and 9 12. Roof slope equivalents as rise. The most commonly used roof pitches fall in a range between 4 12 and 9 12. Photography by marc lamkin.