The roof pitch app for roofers and contractors
Read the slope with the phone already in your pocket. Pitch Please shows the pitch as X:12 with the angle in degrees, the way the crew writes it, and saves a photo with the number drawn on it before you write the bid.
What a roofer gets from Pitch Please
X:12, not a bare angle
Imperial mode reports rise over 12 with the degrees beside it. No converting a protractor reading on the tailgate, and no arguing with the supplier about what 26 degrees means.
Direct Mode on the deck
Rest the phone on a safely accessible slope, long edge in line with the fall, and read its inclination from the motion sensors. Check calibration and placement, then save the measurement screen.
Camera Mode from the yard
Keep the fixed guide and device reading with a roof photo from a safe position. Camera Mode reads phone inclination, not roof geometry from the image. See the alignment limits.
The number stays on the photo
Captures stay in the on-device Saved Pictures archive. Add job labels to an annotated copy, keep the original, and export for an estimate, inspection, or claim file.
Pitch multiplier: projected area to sloped roof area
Once you have verified the pitch, multiply the horizontal projected area of each roof plane by its slope factor. For example, 2,400 square feet at 8:12 times 1.2019 is about 2,885 square feet, or 28.8 roofing squares. Include overhangs in the projected area, calculate different pitches separately, and add waste and other allowances afterward. A building's floor area alone may not be the roof's projected area.
| Pitch | Angle | Multiplier | 2,400 sq ft projected area becomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4:12 | 18.4° | 1.0541 | 2,530 sq ft (25.3 squares) |
| 6:12 | 26.6° | 1.1180 | 2,683 sq ft (26.8 squares) |
| 8:12 | 33.7° | 1.2019 | 2,885 sq ft (28.8 squares) |
| 10:12 | 39.8° | 1.3017 | 3,124 sq ft (31.2 squares) |
| 12:12 | 45.0° | 1.4142 | 3,394 sq ft (33.9 squares) |
The multiplier is website reference math, not a feature of the app. Use the verified pitch in the free roof pitch calculator and full 1:12 to 24:12 chart for the factor and projected-area calculation.
What we mean by steep pitch
Above 8:12
On this site, "steep pitch" describes slopes above 8:12. Exactly 8:12 is outside that description. This is a description for homeowners and roofers, not a material, code, or fall-protection threshold. Follow the applicable manufacturer instructions, building code, and safety requirements. A 12:12 roof is 45 degrees; pitches above 12:12 rise more than they run.
Specifications and safety are separate
Material suitability, underlayment, access, and fall protection follow the manufacturer instructions and rules for the job. For example, OSHA's construction fall-protection definitions use a different dividing line: low-slope is 4:12 or less and steep is greater than 4:12. See 29 CFR 1926.500(b). Our descriptive above-8:12 wording does not replace those requirements.
Measurement note. Pitch Please is a field reference and documentation tool. Verify final code, engineering, safety, or construction decisions with the required professional instruments and your local requirements.
Estimators: verify the pitch before calculating
Document the contact reading and setup, verify each roof plane, and then apply the factor and allowances appropriate to the job. Pitch Please keeps the picture and job notes available for the estimate file. For full commercial low-slope estimating and multi-manufacturer takeoffs, see our sibling brand Feathers AI.
Frequently asked questions
Does Pitch Please report roof pitch as X:12?
Yes. In Imperial, the default, Pitch Please shows the roof pitch as X:12 with the angle in degrees on the same screen, so there is no conversion to do on the tailgate. International switches the reading to slope units.
Can I measure a roof without climbing it?
An accessible attic rafter can provide a contact reading without climbing onto the roof. Camera Mode can document a roof from a safe, permitted position with a fixed guide and phone-inclination reading; it does not calculate roof geometry from the image. Independently verify consequential measurements with an appropriate method.
Does the app calculate the pitch multiplier for me?
No. The app provides device-sensor pitch readings and photo documentation. The free calculator and chart on this website provide the multiplier. Apply it to the horizontal projected area of each roof plane, including overhangs, then add waste and other allowances separately.
Is Pitch Please accurate enough to order material from?
Use Pitch Please as a field reference and documentation tool. Independently verify the pitch, roof dimensions, and allowances before a material order or final estimate. Verify code, engineering, and safety decisions with the required instruments and local requirements.
Get Pitch Please
Available now on the Apple App Store and Google Play. Current pricing and device compatibility are on the store listings.
Related: Camera Mode documentation and alignment limits, using the phone as a digital pitch gauge, and the Pitch Please support page.