What Roof Pitch is Best for My Metal Building?

When designing a pre-engineered metal building, one of the main decisions you will have to make involves what type of roof pitch you’d like your structure to have. The roof pitch, or the slope of your building’s roof, determines how many inches your roof rises for every 12 inches of horizontal space, and there are advantages and disadvantages to high and low roof pitches.

Generally speaking, lower roof pitches are more cost-effective, so unless you want a certain exterior aesthetic or if you want a higher clearance in the interior of your building, you may find it beneficial to opt for a building with a lower roof pitch. Most of the time, our customer’s do exactly this, relying on standard roof pitches ranging between 1:12 and 5:12. Any roof pitch higher than a 5:12 requires custom engineering which could hike up the cost of your building. In addition to this, when you have a higher pitch, you will need to order a colored roof because the roof is seen. This will add to your building cost as well.

.5:12 PITCH

HIGHER THAN 5:12

5:12 PITCH

4:12 PITCH

3:12 PITCH

2:12 PITCH

1:12 PITCH

It used to be thought if you live a snowy area, you will need a higher roof pitch. This mentality is a thing of the past. It really doesn’t matter if you have a 1:12 roof pitch or a 6:12 pitch, as long as the building is engineered to code.  Local snow codes are set for this exact reason. In fact mini storage buildings are designed with a standard lower pitch of .5:12 because owners want to avoid the snow falling in front of the individual unit doors.

Sunward has the experience and knowledge to help you determine the right pitch for your building. Whether you need a gable roof or a single slope roof, we can help you!