Calculating the roof replacement cost involves many variables. Homeowners are already familiar with some of them, such as materials and labor. An important variable—one that relatively few people are familiar with—is roof pitch. In today’s post, the local roofing contractors at 4U Roofing share a look at roof pitch and how it affects roof replacement cost.
What Is Roof Pitch?
Roof pitch measures the incline of a roof. While often used interchangeably with slope, there are key differences, among them is how they’re expressed: the pitch is expressed as a fraction, while the slope is expressed as a ratio and always in inches per foot. For example, a typical residential roof rises 9 feet for every foot of run. This can be expressed as either a 9/12 pitch or a 9:12 slope. On architectural elevation drawings, pitch or slope is indicated by a small right triangle indicating both rise and run values.
How Does Pitch Affect Roof Replacement Cost?
If your roofing project requires roofers to rebuild its framing, then you have the opportunity to change it to a steeper one. This will affect the roof replacement cost in the following areas:
Roof area — Increasing the roof pitch will increase the roof area, which, in turn, will increase the required material to build it, including decking, underlayment, and the shingles themselves. The new roof will also require more insulation. Reducing the roof’s steepness can slightly reduce the materials needed, but won’t be an option if only the shingles and waterproofing barriers will be replaced.
Gutter size — The steeper the roof, the more efficient it is at shedding rainwater. This means the new roof will need bigger and more efficient gutters that will be able to handle the increased load. Larger gutters will require more materials and will factor into the cost of the new roof.
Ventilation requirements — Increasing the roof pitch will result in a bigger attic space, with a corresponding increase in ventilation requirements. In some cases, the new attic may require the installation of exhaust fans to ensure proper ventilation.
4U Roofing is your leading provider of roof repair and installation services. Give us a call at (251) 235-2222. You can also fill out our contact form to schedule an appointment.
