For heavier material such as gage steel the metal roof purlins spacing length could go up to 4 feet.
Rafter spacing for corrugated roofing.
Visit the roof framing page for more information on cutting roof rafters and visit the roof pitch calculator for determining rafter lengths based on rise and run.
Stockbyte stockbyte getty images when placing rafters for a tin roof also frequently referred to as corrugated metal or steel it is common to set the distance between rafters based on the size of the roofing panels.
24 1 2 every 7 ft.
For example in the rafter span table below the highlighted cell in the 40 live load table indicates that 2 x 8 southern yellow pine joists that have a grade of 2 that are spaced 24 apart can have a maximum span of 10 feet 3 inches 10 3 if designing for a live load of 40 lbs ft 2.
For heavy roofs or in areas with substantial snowfall or winds call your local building department for code requirements.
Rafter spacing depends on the roofing panel size.
Maximum rafter spans for a patio roof in areas with mild climates patio roofs are generally designed for loads of 30 psf pounds per square foot.
24 1 2 every 6 ft.
Calculations determine the maximum spacing based on the material used rafter size and load the roof needs to hold so that the roof is safe and meets all building codes.