Roof replacement is an opportunity to change the roof’s pitch, which can address issues such as reduced visibility from the curb and poor drainage. It’s important to note that changing the roof’s pitch has a direct effect on the resulting roof replacement cost. In today’s post, the roofing contractors at Lankford Roofing & Construction LLC take a look at the relationship between roof pitch and roof replacement costs.

Understanding Roof Pitch

The pitch is the measure of a roof plane’s steepness. It is represented as the number of inches of rise for every 12 inches or one foot. For example, the most commonly-used roof pitch is 9/12, which means there are 9 inches of rise (vertical) for every foot of run (horizontal). Every type of roof has an incline to some degree: low-slope roofs, as seen in Ranch-style architecture, typically have 3/12 pitch. Contrastingly, steep roofs typical of Tudor and Gothic-style homes have roofs with pitches as steep as 16/12. Flat roofing on commercial properties are also pitched at a slight 0.25/12.

How Does Roof Pitch Affect Replacement Cost?

But how exactly does roof pitch impact replacement costs? It’s primarily due to how roof pitch is directly proportional to the roof area — that is, the steeper the pitch, the greater the roof area. Consequently, the steeper roof will require more materials. Your roof repair contractors will need to use more wood for the framing and more outer roofing material, be it asphalt shingles or sheet metal. Other components such as insulation and underlayment will also need to be increased.

The increase in pitch will have a corresponding increase in labor hours. It’s not just the increased area: steeper roofs are more difficult to work on, and have higher safety risks. In some cases, additional equipment such as scaffolding may need to be used to ensure roofer safety. Lastly, the increase in roof pitch will increase its efficiency at shedding rainwater, which means the roof will need bigger gutters. All of these will be ultimately on the roofing estimate.

A local roofer like Lankford Roofing & Construction LLC can help you find the roof pitch that will fit your roof replacement budget. To learn more about our roofing and window replacement services, give us a call at (903) 465-7677, or fill out our contact form to schedule an appointment. We serve communities in Sherman and Denison, Texas.