Roof pitch guides

Long-form references that explain the maths behind every calculator on My Roof Pitch — how to measure a roof, convert pitch to degrees, check code minimums and turn a slope into a material order.

Measuring

How to Calculate Roof Pitch: 6 Methods That Actually WorkSix field-tested ways to find the pitch of a roof — from the ladder, from the attic, from a photo — plus the arithmetic that turns any measurement into X:12, degrees and percent.Updated 2026-08-05

Conversions

Roof Pitch to Degrees: Full Conversion Chart and FormulaThe complete pitch-to-degree conversion table, the trigonometry behind it, and why 6:12 is 26.57° rather than the 30° people expect.Updated 2026-08-05

Reference

Codes

Minimum Roof Pitch by Material: IRC Limits for Every CoveringEvery covering has a slope below which water gets under it. Here are the code minimums, the underlayment upgrades that unlock them, and what to use when your roof is too flat.Updated 2026-08-05

Materials

Roof types

Shed and Lean-To Roof Pitch: How to Choose and Calculate ItSingle-slope roofs use the whole building depth as run, which changes every calculation. Here is the geometry, the wall-height math and the pitch to pick for a shed, lean-to or carport.Updated 2026-08-05

Cost & estimating

Roof Replacement Cost: How Roofing Quotes Are Actually BuiltRoofers price per square, not per square foot of house. Here is how material, labour, tear-off, steepness and access combine into the number on your quote — and where the extras hide.Updated 2026-08-05