How Do You Measure A Roof Of A Building

Measuring the area of your roof isn t the simplest process.
How do you measure a roof of a building. To measure a roof start by measuring the length and width of the building s exterior walls and multiplying them to get the area. Record these values as roof rise over run with the vertical measurement listed first and the horizontal second. For example if your roof has valleys and dormers that will change the way you measure it. Measuring the amount of metal roofing you need is accomplished in various ways depending upon the style of your roof.
At this point you will also need to estimate or measure the overhang if you have one. Obviously you want to stay safe while still getting a close estimate. After this you will need to measure the length of the building from the ground. The roof area for a hip end is the same as for a gable end the intersection is equivalent to a hip slightly conservative so there is usually no need to consider triangles when measuring a roof.
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. The roof area is simply 114x18x2 plus 30x18x2 giving 5184 square feet which is perfectly adequate for estimating materials. On a ladder beside the roof place the level a foot or so up the roof hold it level and measure from the 12 inch mark on the level s bottom straight down to the roof. 8 inches and you have an 8 in 12 pitch.
Once you have these measurements you will need to calculate the area of the roof and then you. The next step is to measure the pitch also referred to as the roof slope of the roof deck. Here we describe a basic measure for a ranch style home. This overhand measurement will need to be added to the measurement of the building.