How Many Shingles In A Bundle
Im starting to think about re-shingling my roof as its got some age and the shingles are looking a little rough. Since my roof is a couple of rectangles, its easy to calculate the surface area. I figured I could estimate how many shingles I needed and the total cost. But before I calculated the cost, I still needed to know how many shingles in a bundle?
For traditional asphalt 3-tab roof shingles, there are 26 pieces in a bundle. Architectural shingles will have around 21 shingles per bundle for similar square footage, as they are larger than standard 3-tab shingles.
Depending on the shingle manufacturer, the number of shingles in a bundle can vary widely. Since shingle dimensions vary so much, it is often helpful to have a shingle calculator to determine the number of pieces and bundles youll need for your project.
In this article, well take a look at a shingle calculator that helps you with precise estimates for your roofing material, as well as various examples of roofs and how to determine shingle bundles and squares for a new, shingled roof.
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Finding The Total Roof Area
Once the area of the roofs footprint is known, the overall roof area can be found by accounting for the roofs pitch. The pitch of the roof is the rise over a 12-inch run. Use our roof pitch calculator to find the pitch of your roof.
Next, multiply the footprint of the roof by the multiplier below for your roof pitch to find the overall roof area.For example, a 4/12 pitch roof that is 100 square feet:
100 × 1.054 = 105.4ft2
Roof Pitch Area Multipliers
Multipliers for common roof pitches that can be used to find the total area of a roof.| Pitch |
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Builder Mike Guertin Explains 3 Ways To Calculate The Quantity Of Shingles You’ll Need For Your Next Roofing Job
One of the biggest challenges for experienced builder and novices alike is accurately estimating materials for a construction projectespecially for roofs, because they can be difficult to access for taking measurements.
But dont fretIn this excerpt from my book Roofing with Asphalt Shingles, I describe three reliable methods for determining the area of a roof, plus Ive included tips for estimating the number of extra shingles youll need for waste, overlaps, and starter shingles.
Note: be sure to take your time and double-check your numbers when calculating the quantity of shingles, underlayment, flashings, and other materials needed for yourroofing project. The more accurate your estimates, the less time youll waste waiting for material deliveries during the project.
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Only Stack Shingles On Flat Surfaces Whenever Possible
Some contractors will intentionally stack the shingle bundles over the roofs ridge. They may call this process breaking the bundles, which may help separate 3-tab shingles from one another. However, you must do this carefully. If you drop the bundles with force, you may damage them or the roof, especially in cold weather.
Also, breaking the bundles isnt recommended for laminate shingles because their two-layer construction resists bending. Flexing them could damage them or misalign the layers. It is ideal to lay them flat instead.
In the image above, you can see that the roofing team is unloading the shingle bundles with the help of a conveyor. The shingle bundles have been stacked correctly. If you were to stack the bundles higher than shown here, therefore concentrating the load of many bundles in a small area, you may cause long-term issues with the roof structure.
How Many Roofing Shingles Do I Need
To estimate how much roofing material you need, such as bundles of architectural shingles or rolls of synthetic roofing underlayment, you need to know the total square footage of your roofs surface.
How to Calculate Total Square Footage of Your Roof
To find your roofs total square footage:
Example #1: Shed Roof with One Roof Plane
For example, this shed roof has one roof plane.
Multiply length times width :
A x B = 40 x 30 = 1200 sq. ft. for the total square footage of the roof.
Example #2: Gable Roof with Two Roof Planes
This gable roof has two planes.
So to derive the total square footage of the roof, you would:
For example:
- Plane 1 : 40 x 30 = 1200 sq. ft.
- Plane 2 : 40 x 30 = 1200 sq. ft.
- Plane 1 + Plane 2 = 2400 sq. ft. for the total square footage of the roof.
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How Shingle Quantities Are Measured
Roof shingles are sold by both the bundle and by the square. A square of shingles is the quantity needed to cover 100 sq. ft. of roof. Shingles are packaged in paper- or plastic-wrapped bundles designed to be light enough for a person to carry, so heavier shingles require more bundles per square. Three bundles to a square is most common, which applies to most three-tab strip shingles and some lightweight laminated shingles. Heavier three-tabbed shingles and laminated shingles require four, or sometimes five, bundles to cover a square. When shingles come three bundles to the square, there are 29 standard-sized shingles in each bundle.
Figuring out the roof area is the first step to determine how many bundles youll need to order. There are two ways to size up a new or freshly stripped roof: the measurement method and the sheet-count method. Theres a third method for calculating bundles when youll be laying new shingles over old or if the old roof is still in place.
Once you have a bundle or square count for the main roof area, youll add additional shingles to account for waste, starter shingles, and extra shingles for hip and ridge caps.
Instructions For The Shingle Calculator
Enter the approximate value for how many square feet the house has in the first number box.
Select how steep the roof is. A 4/12 pitch is relatively easy to walk, an 8/12 is very difficult to walk, and a 12/12 is impossible to walk.
Select the complexity of the roof. One roof line is simple, two to four roof lines is average, and anything over four roof lines is complex.
Choose whether or not your roof is new or will have multiple layers to remove.
Finally, choose what type of new roofing will be used.
This calculator is only an estimation. It is not as accurate as measuring each roof plane and adding the square feet together. It does take into account for an average number of offsets and an overhang. It also takes into account for the starters, the edges, and the ride caps. The squares returned include everything.
The formula for solving for the area of a roof involves climbing onto the roof. Measure each roof plane. For shapes such as trapezoids, triangles, and trapeziums, find the average length by finding the center of the width. Remember to add two feet for valleys. Add the square footage of all of the roof planes together. Divide this by one hundred for the number of squares. There are three bundles of shingles for each square.
To determine how many will be needed for starters and edges, measure the entire perimeter of the roof and divide it by three. Since there are twenty six shingles in a bundle of twenty year shingles , divide the result by twenty six.
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How To Use Our Dumpster Calculators
To use our calculators, simply fill in the fields with the relevant information and click Estimate My Weight. Youll then see an estimated weight value for your debris displayed in both pounds and tons. Use this estimate to help determine the right dumpster size with a weight limit within range of the total weight of your materials. Call us at 1-866-284-6164 for more help finding the right dumpster for your project.
What Is A Square In Roofing
A roofing square is the amount of roofing material required to cover 100 square feet of roof. When calculating the number of shingles you need to cover your roof, youll calculate the area in terms of squares. Therefore if you have 2100 square feet of roof, youll need 21 squares of roof material.
A square of shingles is the number of shingles needed to cover a square of roofing. Whereas a bundle of shingles can vary in square footage, a square of shingles is always 100 square feet. This makes it easier when purchasing roofing materials since manufacturers will package 3 or 4 bundles of shingles to add to an even square.
A square in roofing is always 100 square feet. This refers to the square footage on the roof surface. It doesnt necessarily have to be a perfect square and is a quick way to calculate the quantity of roofing material that youll need for your job.
Youll always need more shingles than youd think to cover a square of roofing. Even if a shingle is 12 wide, some of that is covered by the shingle on top of it. Therefore, only about 6 to 8 of each shingle is showing. Thus, for standard 3-tab shingles, you may end up with 80 or more shingles in one square of roofing.
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How Many Squares Per Roll Of Underlayment
The roll size depends on the type of underlayment product. Synthetic underlayment comes in 10 square rolls, while regular #15 felt comes in 4 square rolls.
So for the 24 square roof example, you would need 2.4 rolls of synthetic underlayment, or 6 rolls of regular #15 felt.
- 24 squares ÷ 10 squares per roll = 2.4 rolls of synthetic underlayment
- 24 squares ÷ 4 squares per roll = 6 rolls of regular #15 felt
Remember: Add 10%-15% for the waste factor on underlayment, as well.
Finally, if you have any questions about your estimate, ask a roofing contractor in your area. Most will be happy to give you a free estimate.
What About The Waste Factor Should I Order Extra Roofing Materials
You want to order extra material to account for waste. Waste factors vary.
10%-15% is a good rule of thumb, but your results may be different. More complicated roofs will have a higher waste factor because there are usually more cut shingles around corners, walls, and edges.
It is okay to have a few shingles left over. They can be saved in case there is roof damage later or if repairs need to be done in the future.
So for the 24 square roof example, you would want to add 2.4 squares which equal about 7 or 8 more bundles.
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How Much Does Drywall Weigh
The weight of drywall, sheetrock and plaster can be calculated using the square footage of debris and the thickness of the material. A single sheet of 4 foot by 8 foot, ½-inch thick drywall weighs close to 50 pounds. Use our drywall weight calculator below to estimate the weight of your drywall and determine the right size dumpster for your job.
| How many square feet of debris need to be disposed of? | sq ft |
Hip And Ridge Cap Shingles
Hips and ridges are covered with cap shingles, which are 1-ft. shingle squares that wrap over the hip or ridge. Like regular shingles, they overlap for a 5-in. exposure.On roofs shingled with three-tab or no-cutout shingles, you simply cut standard shingles into caps. You can cap about 35 lin. ft. of ridge or hips with each bundle of three-tab shingles that come three bundles to the square. You can also salvage waste shingle pieces and portions of damaged shingles for use as caps.
For roofs shingled with laminated shingles, multi-cutout shingles, and other patterned shingles, youll have to order hip-and-ridge shingles that are manufactured as companions to the specific shingle product you are using. Theyre sold by the bundle and usually cap 35 lin. ft., but check with your supplier because some products vary. Just measure the length of the ridges and hips and divide by 35 to determine how many bundles of regular or hip-and-ridge shingles youll need.
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How Many Shingles In A Square
For regular 3-tab, non-laminated shingles, youll have around 78 shingles per square. Some older styles of 3-tab shingles will have up to 87 shingles per square. Architectural shingles will have anywhere from 57 to 66 shingles per square.
The number of shingles in an architectural or laminated shingle bundle vary since there are many, many different varieties of these types of shingles available for purchase. Sizes are different and therefore the number of shingles in a square differs from square to square for that type of shingle.
Count The Sheathing Pieces
The easiest method to figure your square footage is to estimate using the exposed roof sheathing. If youre shingling over your old shingles, then this method wont work. But if you are completely removing your old roofing or completing a new build, then this method works for you.
A complete piece of roof sheathing is 4 x 8. Thus, the square footage of one piece is 32 feet squared. Count up all the sheets on all sides of your roof. Add them up. Then account for half or quarter pieces on the edges and roughly add them up to make complete pieces.
Once complete, you can multiply the number of sheathing pieces you have by 32, which will give you a fairly accurate picture of the square footage of your roof.
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Avoid Debris When Stacking Shingles
While you should be roofing on a clean surface, debris may blow onto the roof while you are installing your shingles. If debris collects on the shingles adhesive band, it may not seal properly, limiting the roofs wind resistance. Keep shingles in their packaging up until you install them in order to minimize their exposure to dust, dirt and other debris.
Whether youre using asphalt shingles or another product, stacking your materials on a roof requires you to consider safety and how to minimize the risk of damaging the roof and your materials. Following the tips above will help keep your roof installations top-notch. To learn more about roofing best practices, visit our learning and idea center.
The information on this website is subject to change without notice. IKO assumes no responsibility for errors that may appear on this website.
IKO strives to accurately reproduce the screen images of the shingle swatches and house photos shown. However, due to manufacturing variances, the limitations of your monitor resolution and the variation in natural exterior lighting, actual colors may vary from the images you see. To ensure complete satisfaction you should make final color selections from several full size shingles and view a sample of the product installed on a home. Please refer to our Legal Notices for U.S.A. or our Legal Notices for Canada.
Save Money Measure Better
Hi, my name is Robert Kinghorn & I am a roofing contractor in Newnan, GA. Here is a quick article to help you out.
If you’re a roofer or a DIY’er you want to know exactly how much material you’ll need on a given job. Specifically you want to be as close as humanly possible so you have very little leftover material. The average trip fee just to pick up more shingles probably costs an hour in lost time, and $20 in gas!
Here are some tips and trick on how to get the most accurate estimates for your roofing jobs.
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Nail Quantity Per Square
Shingle manufacturers recommend using four nails per shingle in the main part of the roof and five nails per shingle in the first row. This amounts to an average of 320 nails per square, or 100 square feet. In high-wind areas, you need five nails per shingle, or 480 nails per square. One-and-a-half-inch roofing nails typically have a large, 11-gauge shank and an oversize, 7/16-inch flat head. Moreover, they are hot galvanized to help them withstand the rain and sun on the roof. Approximately 140 of these nails make a pound, so you need about 2 1/4 pounds of them to install a square of shingles in normal conditions and about 3 1/2 pounds in windy conditions.
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How To Calculate Shingles
To calculate the number of shingles youll need, youll need first to measure the square footage of your roof, which is covered above.
Once you have the square footage, divide that number by 100. This will tell you how many roofing squares you have. If your roof is 4500 square feet, divide this number by 100 and youll get 45.
Since we know that most shingles require three bundles to make a square, youll multiply 45 times 3 to find out how many bundles you will need. In this case, youll need 135 bundles of shingles.
If you want to take it a step further and calculate the amount of individual shingles youll need for your project, multiply 135 by the number of shingles indicated on the bundle.
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Calculate The Weight Of A Bundle Of Your Shingles
The best way to estimate the weight of your old shingles is by figuring out how many bundles were laid onto your roof. You can calculate the bundle amount by using your roof’s square footage. Each bundle is 33 square feet if your roof is 1200 square feet, that means you have 36 bundles of shingles. The weight of each bundle depends on the type of shingles that you have. Here’s a breakdown of some common roofing materials:
- Asphalt shingles typically weigh 60-80 pounds per bundle
- Clay tile shingles are about 200-300 pounds per bundle
- Steel roof panels range from 50-100 pounds per bundle, depending on how reinforced they are
- Bundles of concrete tiles weigh about 200-300 pounds
If your current roof uses an uncommon material or you would like to be as specific as possible, you may need to ask the roofer who initially completed your roofing project or have your current contractor perform an estimate. Some shingles, such as asphalt, are often laid in layers to add additional resistance to the wind and rain, so make sure you count each layer when calculating the weight of your old tiles.
