Roof Pitch to Degrees Converter (x/12 ↔ degrees)
Switch between the two ways slope is written: the roofer’s x/12 pitch and the degree angle a saw or bevel gauge reads. Pick a direction, enter the value you know, and get the other — plus grade and multiplier.
Calculator
A 6/12 pitch is 26.57° (arctan 6/12), a 50% grade, multiplier 1.1180.
Two trades, two vocabularies for the same slope. Framers and roofers think in x/12 — rise per foot of run — because it lays out directly with a framing square. Anyone cutting on a miter saw, setting a bevel gauge, or reading an engineering drawing thinks in degrees. This converter moves cleanly between them so nothing is lost in translation.
Choose the direction from the dropdown. Converting x/12 to degrees takes your pitch and returns the exact angle, grade and multiplier. Converting degrees to x/12 takes an angle and returns the exact rise per 12, the nearest whole common pitch to reach for, the grade and the multiplier. The unused field is simply ignored, so you only ever fill in the number you actually have.
Formula
- x/12 → degrees:
θ = arctan(x ÷ 12) - degrees → x/12:
x = 12 × tan(θ) - Grade:
% = tan(θ) × 100(orx/12 × 100) - Multiplier:
M = √(1 + (x/12)²)
The two conversions are exact inverses: arctan and tan undo each other, so a value converted one way and back returns to itself.
Worked example
Angle to pitch. You have a 30° roof and want the framing pitch:
x = 12 × tan(30°) = 12 × 0.5774 = 6.93→ about a 7/12 pitch.
Pitch to angle. A 6/12 pitch converts the other way:
θ = arctan(6 ÷ 12) = 26.57°, a 50% grade, multiplier 1.1180.
Rounding & where each unit is used
Rounding to a buildable pitch. A degree angle rarely lands on a whole x/12. When it doesn’t, the tool shows the exact value and the nearest common pitch — 12×tan(30°) = 6.93, which you would build as 7/12. If you are matching an existing roof, cut to the exact angle; if you are laying out new framing, snapping to the nearest standard pitch keeps the framing square and stock materials working for you.
Where each unit shows up. Degrees appear on saws, speed squares, digital angle finders and structural drawings. The x/12 form appears on shingle wrappers, ventilation and underlayment specs, and county permit sheets. Being able to move between them means a spec written in one convention never blocks work planned in the other. From here, take a pitch into the roof area calculator or the rafter length calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What is 30 degrees as a roof pitch?
12 × tan(30°) = 6.93, so about a 7/12 pitch. For layout you would typically build the nearest whole pitch, 7/12; to match an existing roof exactly, cut to the 30° angle.