Residential Roof Slopes

When it comes to residential construction your roof is a visible part of the structure.

Residential roof slopes. The roof makes up much or all off the walls of the home. Roof slope equivalents as rise. 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. 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.

Residential low slope roofing can generally be divided up into two broad categories. Holly smith architectsdesigned this louisiana home. The majority of north american residential roofs have historically been constructed with a slope between about 4 12 and 9 12. Pitches above 9 12 are very highly angled and are designated steep slope roofs.

Pitches of less than 2 12 are considered flat roofs even though they may be very slightly angled. 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. 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 list below contains the common roof slopes and the terms which classify them.

It s a very simple roof design and is inexpensive because the roof serves as both roof and walls. 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. 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.

It s steep pointed roof which extends all the way to the ground or close to the ground. Roofs at the lower end of the range about 4 12 to 6 12 are relatively easy to walk and work on. 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. Photography by marc lamkin.

Steep slope roofing also. Steeper slopes are ideal for areas that have higher snow loads and will also prevent the possibility of ponding water on the roof. A steep slope roof is one whose slope is greater than 3 12. 21 12 and higher steep slope roofing products.