Measure Roof Pitch From the Attic

The safest way to measure roof pitch — no climbing required. Just a level, a tape measure, and 5 minutes in your attic.

What You Need

1. Access the attic. Use a stable ladder or drop-down stairs. Turn on the light or bring a flashlight.
2. Find a rafter. A rafter is the angled beam running from the ridge to the eaves. Choose one that's clear and accessible.
3. Hold the level against the bottom of the rafter. Place one end of the 24-inch level against the underside of the rafter. The level itself should hang horizontally.
4. Center the bubble. Raise or lower the free end of the level until the bubble is centered — this confirms horizontal.
5. Measure 12 inches along the level. Starting from where the level touches the rafter, measure 12 inches along the level toward the free end.
6. Measure the gap. At the 12-inch mark, measure straight up from the level to the bottom of the rafter. This vertical distance is your rise.
7. Calculate pitch. If the rise is 6 inches, your pitch is 6/12. If it's 8 inches, you have an 8/12 pitch. And so on.

• Measure at least 2-3 rafters and average — old homes may have slightly different pitches
• Measure away from the ridge (avoid the angled cut at the top)
• If your level has a digital angle reader, it'll display the pitch angle directly in degrees
• The rise is rarely a round number — measure carefully and round to the nearest 1/8" for accuracy