As an example, if your overhang is 12 inches, you’ll add 2 feet to the overall length and 2 feet to the overall width of the house. This process is usually rather easy, fast and pretty accurate. Edit to answer new question: It appears that currently you'd measure the height from "the highest part of the adjoining land. Pitch is expressed as “X-in-12 (inches)”. A 14 in (36 cm) difference, for example, indicates a pitch of 7 in (18 cm). 14 July 2020. Then, calculate the pitch of the roof by placing a level against it, angling the level so the bubble is centered, and measuring the distance between the end of the level and the roof. 1. Dormers are separate protruding structures that house windows in the upper floors of the house. Roof pitch is given as the number of inches in height change over the distance of one foot. Rocco. Rectangle = (Base x Height) 3. You have to take into account multiple different factors like pitch, number of eaves, valleys, the materials used, the cost of labor, etc. Even a small miscalculation could end up costing you time or money. I should mention that I use a Canon digital camera that has a 10x “optical” zoom along with a 40x “digital” zoom (not really sure what the hell that means exactly) but it allows me to zoom in really close to get great photos of the flashing as well as the condition of the current roofing materials. A distance of 7 inches (18 cm), for example, would mean your roof has a pitch of 7-in-12. First I make a drawing of the roof from a bird’s-eye view, which requires a … So your building; as planned, is in compliance. All that matters is that you have a visual aid to keep up with the various dimensions you’ll be using to make your final calculations. The basic formula for finding the area of a triangle is ½ the base times the height (in this case, the distance between the base and the peak). I have done it this way before, but the only issue with this method is that shingles generally have 5 inches revealed instead of 6 inches. Gable roof The roof below is drawn in 1/8″ scale This means that, if using a regular tape measure that 1 inch would equal 8 feet. To measure a roof, start by measuring the length and width of the building's exterior walls and multiplying them to get the area. The first thing you need to do is download and install Google Earth Pro. How to Measure a Roof with Google Earth - Page 2 Page 2 of the Roof Online article that gives step-by-step directions for using Google Earth to find the area of a roof. They're ordinarily roofed separately. How many bundles of three-tab equals one square? Multiple the number of shingles times the width of each shingle (which you can measure at ground level) to get ‘b’ in the figure below. This was before I started using these two calculations. I can find a flat peak in north and south and that works, but can't find one in east or west. Here’s How I Measure a Roof. We also live in an institution shake. Measure eave to ridge and rake to valley for S4 and S5. Rounding before you begin multiplying and adding may throw off the accuracy of your final estimate. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Generally there is a two foot over hang on all sides of a roof. Would throwing a rubber ball attached to a cord to catch on the ridge of the roof and measuring the twine would be more accurate? S6 and S7 is from eave end to valley end as well as eave to ridge. Find the length and width of the building’s exterior walls. Add these figures to your recorded measurements to account for the additional area. In order to calculate this, measure the vertical rise of your deck over a 12 inch horizontal distance in inches. ", which would mean that you'd measure from the up side of the slope.Source.. An Overhead view of a Hip and Gable Roof split in sections Fig. Now, measure the distance between the roof surface straight down from the level’s opposite edge – refer to the diagram below: Method 2 – Guesstimate roof pitch off the ground. ‘Height’ - references to height (for example, the heights of the eaves on a house extension) is the height measured from ground … This article was co-authored by David Bitan. To calculate the roof perimeter just measure the house at ground level at the drip line and add a correction factor for gable ends. … I have done it this way before, but the only issue with this method is that shingles generally have 5 inches revealed instead of 6 inches. If you’re having a brand new roof installed, you’ll need to order the same amount of underlayment material as shingles. In this context, a “plane” is defined as each flat, continuous section of the roof. In the United States, a run of 12 inches (1 foot) is used, and pitch is measured as the rise of the roof over 12 inches. Triangle = (Base x Height) / 2 2. There’s no need to account for chimneys, pipes, or other irregularities. This measurement is different from the height of the roof, which is taken at the apex where both … Keep lining off the different parts of your roof until each section is a square, rectangle, or triangle. The easiest and most accurate method to measuring a roof plan is to … Don’t round your roof measurements up or down. I then multiply these 2 numbers together and I take that number and multiply it by 1.35. Externally, try to take a floor to underside of eaves measurement. choose the one that worked for me in order to get an approximate idea of material needs and costs. Measure the horizontal run of the roof surface from the ground (‘a’ in the third figure below). Last Updated: November 10, 2020 This has shed a light on my getting great pictures and how to accurately measure the roof from the ground. 1. Record these values as roof rise over run, with the vertical measurement listed first and the horizontal second. Take the following steps to measure your roof from the ground: Determine your roof pitch ( See roofpitch) if you need help.Make a outline of your roof on paper. For example, a roof with a rise of 3-in-12 will have a pitch multiplier of 1.031, while one with a rise of 8 in 12 will use a multiplier of 1.202. Go all the way around your house and fill in your outline with your measurements making sure to account for overhang. But every roof maintenance green and black are the most common and early shingled roof things I didn’t know that your choices when it is generally provide a soothing from curtains and finishes with a … ", "Good information that can be put to use quickly.". 1. Once you've measured the building’s walls, estimate the length of the overhangs on either side (if your roof has them). For help determining the area of a sloped roof, see here. Measure your house at ground level, then add in the roof’s overhang for greater accuracy. Estimating the area from ground level is less precise than measuring each side individually, but it can make a quick, easy, and safe alternative when redoing a square or rectangular roof. This will be done once it’s time to determine the number of shingles you need. There is a right way. What I’m about to share with you is one of the best kept secrets for measuring residential roofing jobs without your feet leaving the ground. ", figure out how many squares worth of shingles to order, Unlock this expert answer by supporting wikiHow, https://www.finehomebuilding.com/2002/11/01/dont-fall-short-on-shingles-how-to-estimate-materials-for-roofing-projects, https://www.proconstructionguide.com/how-to-do-roof-estimates-quickly-and-accurately/, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGkPQbnH2nE&feature=youtu.be&t=176, https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/how-to/a9631/dont-be-an-idiiot-how-to-use-any-kind-of-ladder-safely-16123359/, https://www.roofingcalc.com/how-to-measure-and-estimate-a-roof-like-a-pro/, https://www.caaquebec.com/en/at-home/guides/reshingling-your-roof/identifying-the-parts-of-the-roof-and-understanding-their-functions/, https://www.britannica.com/technology/dormer, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoyN-eQi5zw&feature=youtu.be&t=113, http://www.mathwarehouse.com/geometry/triangles/area/index.php, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoyN-eQi5zw&feature=youtu.be&t=294, https://www.newscientist.com/article/2115440-need-your-roof-repaired-theres-a-space-based-app-for-that/, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. You’re just looking for the outer perimeter at this stage. If you’re using a 1 ft (0.30 m) level, the pitch is the distance between the edge of the level and the roof’s surface. To measure an irregularly-shaped roof, you'll need to get on top. It is often compared to slope, but is not exactly the same. Dividing by 12 gives the ratio of … With over 60 years of combined experience, Bumble Roofing provides easy, friendly services to structures including residential, commercial, industrial, multi-family, and government buildings along with hospitals, hotels, and churches. How To Measure A Hip Roof From The Ground To do this your best bet is definitely finding a good hip roof construction calculator so that you can work it all out in a timely and simple fashion. Next, you will need the roof slope height. 0: host CatAdjuster.org Founder Posts:708. To learn how to measure a roof by making a diagram, keep reading! [1] X Research source … How to use a folding rule to measure angles, roof slope, pitch, area and other dimensions: here we show how to use a carpenter's folding ruler to obtain the slope and other dimensions of a roof. And then I will count the # of rows of shingles between the gutter and the peak of the roof and then divide the number by 2, which gives me the height measurement. For instance, if the measurement is four inches over the 12 inch horizontal distance, your roof slope will be 4/12. This roof pitch calculator UK will require some measurements – usually asking for either the run or span of the roof, and the rise. "The article gave me 3 different methods to figure my calculations, and one way to figure roof pitch. By using our site, you agree to our. If you’re using a 2 ft (0.61 m) level, divide the distance between the level and the roof by 2 to get the true pitch. There are 22 shingles in a bundle for 3-tab. Google Earth also offers a perimeter for the shape of the area that you can use to measure out the edges or area of a lawn, fencing, yard, the roof and more. With over 60 years of combined experience, Bumble Roofing provides easy, friendly services to structures including residential, commercial, industrial, multi-family, and government buildings along with hospitals, hotels, and churches. The idea is to reduce your roof to a series of lines in order to simplify your subsequent calculations. And even "flat roofs" usually have a little bit of a slope, so you might want to use a roof pitch multiplier once you have your area figured out.)