Minimum Roof Pitch For Snow Loads

You can safely measure the roof pitch from inside your attic with a level that is either 18 or 24 inches a tape measure and a pencil.

Minimum roof pitch for snow loads.

A minimum slope of 1 inch per foot is recommended in snow country. If you live in the us our snow load calculator compares the total weight on your roof with the permissible load calculated according to the standards issued by the american society of civil engineers regarding the minimum design loads for buildings and other structures asce7 16. If you are adding an addition to your home or installing skylights knowing the existing pitch is important. The key factors are usually snow loading requirements adequate slope and the use of snow guards when needed.

Sloped roof snow loads are assumed to be acting on the horizontal projection of the surface. Metal roofing systems have a good track record of performance in harsh winter environments as long as they are properly designed. When the roof slope is greater than 5 the roof is considered sloped. You can click on the map below to find the minimum roof design snow load for that location.

All commercial buildings and structures should use the ground snow load values from the 2009 ibc and not the residential design values given below. P s c s p f. Begin by measuring 12 inches on your level and marking it with a pencil. The minimum roof slope allowed by code for any type of roof is in 12 applicable only to coal tar pitch roof systems.