Asphalt composition shingles are designed to be installed on roof slopes greater than a 4 in 12 pitch.
Minimum roof pitch for three tab shingles.
That works out to about nine degrees if that works better for you.
This number corresponds to the number of inches of rise in a 12 foot run.
The 2 12 number is rise over run or two units of vertical for every 12 units horizontal.
The only function the three tab shingles perform at that low a slope is decorative that s a legitimate use of shingles when you wish to preserve a consistent appearance but they do not function as a weather barrier in such installations that function is being performed it s being performed at all by the underlayment and or flashing below the shingles which in this case must be a.
Shingles of all types need to have a slope to function properly.
There are differing opinions as to the minimum slope for a roof but the generally accepted minimum is 3 12.
The minimum requirement is 2 12.
Asphalt shingles continue to be the most widely installed roof covering option in north america.
Minimum roof pitch for shingles it is important for shingle roofs to function properly and one method of ensuring that this is achieved is to observe the pitch requirements for the shingles.
Therefore the asphalt manufactures base their warranties around the minimum recommended pitch of 4 in 12.
For those who don t understand the roof pitch number here is a way to envision it.
The short simple answer is 2 12 has traditionally been considered the absolute minimum acceptable roof slope suitable for asphalt shingles.
Some people recommend not installing asphalt shingles on slopes below 5 12 but a skilled roofer may well be able to make this work.