The Golden Ratio He referred to 45° as 'the ugly angle'. Most traditional architects today will avoid that pitch when designing houses, and if you ask them why, a good number will say it's because it does not conform to the Golden Ratio. A slightly steeper pitch will achieve a much more satisfying result.

A 9/12 roof pitch (36.37 degrees). is the steepest standard slope. Anything above a 9 over 12 is considered steep slope.

Roof pitch is simply the steepness (angle) of your roof. You might also hear the term “roof slope,” but “pitch” is more commonly used in the roofing industry. A roof's pitch is calculated by the number of inches or feet it rises vertically for every 12 inches or feet it extends horizontally.

Roofs with a pitch of 12/12 are approximately 45 degrees, depending on how exact you'd like to be in your measurement. Check out our roof angle chart for more examples of the exact angles (expressed in degrees) of common roof pitches.