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Length imperial. Weight lb. Currency USD. Weight uses 1 lb = 0.45359237 kg. Currency converts US-dollar planning prices and does not change volumes, counts, or geometry.

12/12 Gable Rafter Length on a 24×40 Building

A 12/12 gable, 24 ft wide and 40 ft long, with a 12 in overhang and a 1.5 in ridge.

Formula SSC-2026.1

12.00 / 12 · 45.00°

Pitch angle

45.00°

Multiplier 1.4142

Common rafter

18 ft 3 9/16 in

Tail 1 ft 5 in

Cuts

45.00° plumb

45.00° seat

Roof area

1,537 ft²

15.37 squares

Shingle bundles

51

3 bundles per square + 10% waste

Sheathing / felt

53 sheets

5 underlayment rolls

Delivery weight

6,148 lb

2,789 kg · 70 lb bundles, 46 lb sheets, 28 lb rolls

Gable truss triangleLive scaled blueprint
Span 24.00 ft + overhangsRise 11 ft 11 1/4 in1212.012.0 : 12Rafter 18 ft 3 9/16 in · plumb 45.0° · seat 45.0°

Rise and run are scaled from the span, overhang, and pitch. The small triangle is the pitch ratio.

Bill of materials and shopping list
ItemNetWasteOrderUnit priceLine total
Architectural shingle bundles15.37 squares10%51 bundlesUSD$2,142.00
4x8 CDX sheathing48.0 sheets10%53 sheetsUSD$1,484.00
Underlayment rolls1,537 ft²overlap allowance5 rollsUSD$275.00
Ridge cap bundles42.0 ft ridge—2 bundles25 ft per bundle—
Side-by-side pitch comparison
PitchDegreesMultiplierRafterSquaresBundlesSheets
12.0/1245.00°1.41418 ft 3 9/16 in15.375153
12.0/1245.00°1.41418 ft 3 9/16 in15.375153
10.0/1239.81°1.30216 ft 10 1/16 in14.154749
Show the deterministic formula

Angle = arctan(rise ÷ 12). Multiplier = √(1 + (rise ÷ 12)²). Gable run = span ÷ 2 − ridge thickness ÷ 2. Rafter length = (run + horizontal overhang) × multiplier.

Plumb cut = pitch angle. Seat cut = 90° − pitch angle. Area uses both slopes on a gable and one slope on a shed, and it includes a rake overhang equal to the eave overhang.

Bundles = ceiling of squares × 3 × 1.10. Sheets = ceiling of area × 1.10 ÷ 32. Rolls use 360 ft² effective coverage. Delivery weight plans 70 lb per bundle, 46 lb per sheet, and 28 lb per roll, then the header converts that pound total at 1 lb = 0.45359237 kg.

Engineering notes

A 12/12 pitch is arctan(12/12). The multiplier is the square root of 1 plus (12/12) squared. On this 24 ft span the common-rafter run is half the span minus half of the 1.5 in ridge, then the 1 ft overhang is added before the multiplier. Bundles are 3 per square plus 10 percent. Sheets are the roof area times 1.10 divided by 32. The page does not size the rafter for snow or wind.

Code reference

IRC R802 covers conventional wood roof framing and R905 covers roof coverings. This page does not size the rafter for snow or wind.

Field questions

What is the angle of a 12/12 pitch?
It is the arctangent of 12 divided by 12, in degrees. The plumb cut uses that angle and the seat cut is 90 degrees minus that angle.
Does the rafter length include the overhang?
Yes. The reported length includes the body and the tail. The tail is also listed on its own.
How many bundles is a square?
The planning count is 3 bundles per 100 square feet, then 10 percent waste, rounded up.

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