A roof pitch chart turns the way roofers talk about slope (4/12, 6/12, 8/12) into the numbers you need for everything else: the angle in degrees, the percent grade, and the multiplier that tells you how much bigger the roof is than the floor under it. The chart below covers every common pitch from nearly flat to a steep 16/12.

Pitch is written as rise over run. A 6/12 roof climbs 6 inches for every 12 inches it travels horizontally. Once you know yours, the chart gives you the rest without any math.

Roof Pitch Chart: Degrees, Grade, and Slope Multiplier

If you only need one conversion, our page on 4/12 pitch in degrees walks through the most common residential slope in detail.

How to Read the Roof Pitch Chart

Degrees

The angle of the roof from horizontal. It’s the number you set on a miter saw, an angle finder, or a solar or snow guard bracket. The formula is the inverse tangent of rise divided by run, so a 6/12 is arctan(6 ÷ 12), or 26.57 degrees.

Percent grade

Rise divided by run, times 100. It’s how engineers and road crews describe slope, and it’s easy to confuse with degrees. A 12/12 roof is a 100 percent grade but only 45 degrees.

Slope multiplier

This is the column that matters most when you’re buying roofing. A sloped roof has more surface than the flat footprint under it, and the multiplier tells you how much more. Multiply your footprint (overhangs included) by it to get roof area, or multiply a horizontal run by it to get the length up the slope.

A 30 by 40 footprint at 6/12 is 1,200 square feet on the ground but about 1,342 square feet of roof (1,200 × 1.118). That gap is why you can’t price panels off the floor plan.

How to Find Your Roof Pitch

You don’t need to climb up. From the attic or at a gable end, hold a level against the underside of a rafter, mark 12 inches along the level, and measure straight up to the rafter. That measurement is your rise, so 6 inches means a 6/12.

A phone level app or a digital angle finder laid on a rafter gives you degrees directly. Find the closest number in the chart and read across to the pitch. If you’re planning a new build, the pitch is on the truss drawings.

What Each Pitch Range Means for a Metal Roof

Under 3/12: low slope

The International Residential Code sets minimum slopes for metal roof panels in section R905.10.2: 3/12 for lapped, nonsoldered seam panels without lap sealant, 1/2 in 12 for those panels with lap sealant, and 1/4 in 12 for standing seam. Below 3/12, you’re either sealing the laps on an exposed fastener panel or moving to a standing seam system. Our guide to the minimum slope for a metal roof covers it, and the panel maker’s published minimum for your profile is what governs the install.

3/12 to 6/12: the common range

Most shops, pole barns, and plenty of houses land here. Both families of panel work: exposed fastener profiles like Tuff Rib and the PBR Panel, and concealed fastener standing seam like QuickLoc and Snap Lock. The standing seam vs exposed fastener comparison helps you pick between them.

7/12 and steeper

Steep roofs shed water and snow fast and show off a panel profile from the street, which is part of why standing seam is popular on them. The tradeoff is surface area: by 12/12 you’re buying about 41 percent more roof than the footprint suggests.

Pitch, Snow, and Safety

In the Pacific Northwest, pitch also decides how snow behaves. Painted steel sheds snow better than shingles, and the steeper the roof, the sooner it lets go. On lower pitches, snow tends to build and then slide in a sheet once the sun warms the panels. If that slide would land on a walkway, a deck, or a lower roof, plan for it. Our article on snow guards for metal roofs covers when they’re worth adding.

Pitch also changes how you work on the roof. OSHA’s construction standard treats a roof of 4 in 12 or less as low-slope, and anything steeper as a steep roof with different fall protection requirements. Painted steel gets slick when it’s wet, frosty, or dusty at any pitch.

FAQ

What is the most common roof pitch?

For houses, 4/12 to 6/12 covers most of what you’ll see. Shops and pole barns often sit at 3/12 or 4/12.

How do I convert roof pitch to degrees without a chart?

Divide rise by run, then take the inverse tangent (tan^-1 on a scientific calculator, set to degrees). For 8/12, that’s arctan(0.667), or 33.69 degrees.

How do I use the slope multiplier to order roofing?

Multiply the footprint area by the multiplier for roof area, or multiply the horizontal run by it for panel length. Our step-by-step guide to figuring metal roofing uses the multiplier to work out panel counts, lengths, and trim.

Is a 2/12 pitch too flat for metal?

Not for the right panel. Standing seam is allowed down to 1/4 in 12, and lapped panels can go to 1/2 in 12 with lap sealant. Check the specific panel’s published minimum before you order.

The Bottom Line

A roof pitch chart gives you three things from one number: the angle for your cuts and brackets, the grade, and the slope multiplier that turns a footprint into real roof area. Find your pitch, read across, and you’ve got what you need to start planning.

When you’re ready to price it out, our custom length metal roofing panels are cut to your measurements. Give us a call or request a quote, and we’re happy to send free color samples.