Determining Roof Pitch - Hip Roofed Cedar

MrRoofer

Just wondering what method works best to do this. Normally I just go off a rake, but on a hip roof obviously this cannot be done. I use a little floaty needle pitch finder, and usually stick it onto one of the flashings if present. However, this came back to bite me recently, as the 4/12 actually was a 3/12 .

This is particualrily an issue with the thicker profiled roof products, such as heavy cedar shakes. Does anyone have a tried and true way to do this without removing shakes or measuring from inside the attic?

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Harmoney Const

There are some new gadgets out on the market that you can set on a roof to determine slope or pitch of the roof. I use the good old fashioned method of takn a small level 2' or 4' measure 12" on the level mark a line put the 0" point on the level on roof adjust level to level and measure from the 12" point on bottom side of level to top of shingles make your tape hooks edge or corner touched the shingle n not the other side or else it will throw your pitch measurement off about a 1/2 a pitch!

MrRoofer

Actually yes I do have one of those new fangled gadget action deallys, but the problem with getting an accurate measurement of pitch on an old cedar roof for example is the product in some cases tapers from almost nothing at the top end to 2" thick in some cases at the bottom end, so you aren't actually measuring the pitch of the roof, you are measuring the pitch of the roof plus the thickness of the product.

I wonder if laying a flat piece of metal or something solid over a couple of course, then putting my pitch gauge on top of that would work accurately.

Sometimes my wordery leaves a lot to be determined

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Framer53

or you could remember the old A2xB2=C2 Measure the with of the building, measyre the height to the peak and get your calc. out.

BattleRidge

just curious, what are you doing that you need to know the pitch within 2 inches over like 20 ft?

J-Peffer

I just eye ball it.

if I can walk on it. okay.

If I can't, the price goes up.

MrRoofer

Battleridge, it's more like 2 inches over 18 or 24 inches. It does actually make a big difference in pitch when you just lop a pitch gauge on top.


If you put a pitch gauge on top of the shakes, the number will not be the same as it is on the roof deck.

It really matters when you get down to manufacturer warranties and such, or specification purposes. A 3 1/2 in 12 pitch is a heck of a lot different to deal with than a 4/12 pitch for example. Lots of factors to consider ie full felt or full I&W. Cost to the customer and cost to me from my subs (rates of pay tend to depend mightily upon pitch). Over 60 squares of roof that can factor a difference of up to $2000.00, or more, equating 10% or more difference in cost of the job.

I sometimes do over 20 estimates a day, so I'm looking for a quick sort of solution, which is also why I got rid of the level tape measure method some time ago.

Of course if the customer knows the actual pitch of roof and you don't it doesn't help sales either.

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OCRS

Just lay a straight 2x4 down. It'll even out the differences.

Tinstaafl

Took the words right out of my fingers!

BattleRidge

I thought when you were talking about 2 inches thick at the bottom end you were talking about some thick shake with a starter row. Not just a shake. I guess for me its just not that big of a deal if its 3.8/12 or 4/12 its the same difference and if its 3/12 or less I can tell. You seem like a much larger operation though.

MrRoofer

Yea, I dunno, I get pretty particular with low slopes because with the heavy dumps of snow we get here and all the ice damming i dont mess around with felt underlay on extremely low pitches, that's for sure.

If I lose the job on a 3.8 in 12 because I quoted I&W over the guy who quoted felt, it's no skin of my arse. The problem is manufacturers are getting so damn sticky with warranties here now I don't push beyond stated allowable limits, it's not worth it. It also depend upon the manufacturer, but even if they say full I&W on a 2/12 is acceptable (as some but not all do )I don't go there...I've got enough headaches as it is lol.

I can usually eyeball stuff pretty good, but I always measure! 'They' seem to have built a lot of # and a half pitched roofs here over time.

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Railman

It seems to me that you could just stand on the ground, & sight across the edge electronic level on the same plane as the roof for a few seconds, & then hit the hold button. That way you'd get a good average of the pitch without having to get on the roof. It would be like using a surveyors pocket sight level, only on a slope.
Joe