Minimum Shed Roof Angle

Use a pitch of more than ten degrees for more efficient rain protection.

Minimum shed roof angle.

Fix your roof deck and you are done. The minimum pitch for a roof is 1 4 12 which translates to 1 4 inch rise to 12 inches of run. Any roof from 4 12 to 9 12 is considered an ordinary angle for a roof. Well there are a few more steps to add the roof covering and trim but you can read about them below potential roof framing for a flat roofed shed.

This translates into a fall of just under 2 5 on an 8 foot roof. A flat roof is more likely to allow rain to pool and this can cause damage especially if the roof is made of a porous substance like wood. That works out to about nine degrees if that works better for you. Again the most important consideration is the weather.

Much depends on what your intended use for the shed actually is. The 2 12 number is rise over run or two units of vertical for every 12 units horizontal. The requirements for an asphalt shingles roof are contained in the international building code. The minimum requirement is 2 12.

The roof comprises a simple beam. I always recommend at least a minimum pitch of 1 in 40. A shingle roof like this north dallas garage in the photo above may have a failure no matter how good a job the installer did. A pitch of 10 degrees or less is typically regarded as a flat roof.

If you are only trying to keep a wood pile dry or storing a few outdoor tools and light machinery out of the weather then you might consider a simple single pitch roof since most everything inside will be stored at ground level and pulled out from the outside of the shed.