How many inches must be provided for the slope of a roof with a specified pitch of 4:12?

To determine how many inches must be provided for the slope of a roof with a specified pitch of 4:12, it's important to understand how roof pitch is defined. The pitch of a roof refers to the vertical rise for a horizontal run. A pitch of 4:12 means that for every 12 inches of horizontal distance, the roof rises 4 inches vertically.

When calculating the rise for a certain length of horizontal run, you can use the following method: for a 12-inch run, the rise would be 4 inches. Therefore, over a 12-inch horizontal distance (the standard measure for calculating roof pitch), the roof should rise by 4 inches to maintain the specified pitch. This makes the correct answer 4 inches.

The other choices represent different measurements that do not align with the ratios of a 4:12 pitch. Understanding this relationship between rise and run is essential for ensuring proper drainage and structural integrity in roofing design.