How to Measure and Cut Rafters

Build a roof! How to measure or figure rafter length and mark and cut them accurately. In this video you will learn all about common rafters: Figuring roof pitch; Using math to figuring lengths; making birds mouth cuts and top cuts; heal and toe terminology; And different ways to do rafter overhangs. You will also learn the basic functions of a speed square.

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[jaketmurphy]

Best explanation on the internet for this. Really. Short and sweet and to the point.

[michaelhowell]

These dudes are killin it. Came out of nowhere. Seriously the best building channel on YouTube !

[danielbianchi]

Awesome job, been a carpenter for 16 yrs& never got to learn to cut Rafters, great expectation! Thankyou

[ssarraf]

My hat’s off to you!! In many many videos, and I have watched quite a few, you are the only one who mentions “so that you are not measuring diagonally across the board”
I like your method of measuring on the bottom edge of the rafter. This is more accurate.
Thank you 🙏🏼

[Iamfirebird]

You know what I like about your videos, you dont act like a know it all king of kings carpenter, even when you clearly are very skilled. So many other guys on here are so pretentious and make it intimidating for others to learn.
I've worked construction my whole life and definitely dont know everything and would never claim too. I enjoy watching how others work and sometimes pickup little tips and tricks others have learned over time or relearn things I've simply forgotten over time.
Great video.

[bryanleverett]

This is the best thing ever as long as your building specifically a 12/12 pitch roof. That “it’s just 45, mark mark mark”. Well…. Everything that ISNT a 12/12, isn’t 45. Love the videos !!! This one just left me cutting the ridge angle, placing it up there ( 12ft off the floor to a 10ft wall ), marking it from the wall, getting it down and cutting it like a cave man. Came out good. But I watched this like 13 times before I gave up and cut my 2x6x12 (7) times before throwing it away lol

[bps]

It's always nice to be able to refresh your memory if you're not a building professional like myself. Thanks!

[michaelmccone]

Quick, simple, and yet super informative. Measuring to the bottom of where you want your rafter to butt into the ridge let's you easily deal with an already fixed height ridge. Been looking for that information all week. Thanks.

[redskiclayton]

Your video is probably the best and easiest to show how to do it without all the theories in between each move...
Watched the toolbelt pro and almost fell asleep, couldn't take it any longer, left him half way through video, hard to believe I even made it that far!
Thanks Perkins

[scottfrench]

I have drove myself mad before with these. I too layout from the bottom of rafter because I can compensate for the drop caused by the birds mouth. But just like you showed, you have to align the bottom of the rafter to the bottom of the ridge...resulting in rafters that are slightly higher than the ridge board. I had no idea anyone else in the world did these like this. Lol. Great video

[webshepherd]

You guys are my favorite channel for construction. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!

[torreyintahoe]

Awesome! The thing that always confused me was how cutting a birds mouth doesn't change the pitch, but if you measure the short point then it works. Love your videos guys.

[IVORY]

I am a master carpenter and that was a decent explanation for those who are learning . I happen to get complex .Perhaps too complex for videos to be made . . I measure span then subtract the thickness of ridge .. In this case I see 4 LVL's which should be 1.75" x 4 which equals 7" .. but in the real world isn't .. more like 7.25" -7.375" .. So I'd measure the ganged up thickness .. by either through memory or stacking 4 scraps of LVL and measuring ..Then deduct it from the span, Divide by 2 and multiply by the square root of 2 to find the rafter length "Laughter Rength " to HPCL " Heel Plumb Cut Line " . Then measure the absolute thickness of the 2 x 12 and multiply Square root of 2 and find the heel height for a full bearing 5.5" plate . Now for the story pole support .. I'd add the run of the rafter in this situation and heel height then subtract the height " perhaps 16" of the ridge and the amount of breathable clearance .. That gives me the support height .. The chunk out for the sheathing @6" is alright but I make sure on each rafter I transfer unto each the HPCL .. That where the rafter lines up to . not the sheathing . . On lower pitches and smaller dimension lumber " 2x8 . after laying out the HPCL .. Taking that extra 1/2 " in run out of the birds mouth can be crucial in the weakness of a rafter and can fall beneath Code for allowable notching of a rafter .. My remedy is to establish the full bearing and where the rafter notch forms a right angle . Pivot the vertical cut line and make it an obtuse angled birds mouth with a mark for the HPCL . . I call it " Sheathing Avoidance " .. On more complex bastard roofs . I draft a picture of a 1/4 pyramid with each pitch .. I do the math and and write the numbers on each relative to the next .. .. With that I can always see what I can relate one calculation into the next for . hips, common length differences, jack angles, sheathing angles . angles of pitch tangents and cosines .. I call it The Rosetta Stone .. It helps in watching the math move

[seankhan]

Man dude you have no idea how much help you’re providing for people who are stuck in other areas of life and how this is going to help me get out of a hole

[kevinobrien]

It's great to see guys still hand framing roofs everything is truss here buy us even valleys.

[chaceakina]

Keep making videos. This explanation is better than my teacher

[grantquinones]

Good video ...you would be a good boss because the way you explain all details without getting frustrated .cheers 🔨

[shaneeastman]

Thank you for all of your great videos. I am a new builder and learning more and more as I go! These are helpful refreshers if not learning tools.

[cheapirishbastard]

Dude, you just offered an excellent explanation on rafter cutting.

[joetownsend-]

Very Proud of YALL‼️ Your Father taught You Both Well and It is in Your Blood Now‼️
Hand digging a Foundation only takes 1 shovel at a time‼️⛰✨🙏🔨⛏🧱💵⚒🛠📐📏🔐
“Measure Twice~Cut Once”