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.
How Many Bundles Of Shingles Do I Need For 120 Square Feet
You will need approximately 4 bundles of standard size 3-tab asphalt shingles or 5 bundles of architectural shingles for 120 square feet.
Thus, for a 120 square foot gable roof, you would need 4 bundles of shingles plus 10% of ridge, starter and wastages. Thus, it will take 4 bundles of 3-tab standard size shingles to cover 120 square feet roof. Thus, there are 4 bundles of standard size 3-tab shingles you will need to cover 120 square feet roof.
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.
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What Is A Square In Construction
A square is an imperial unit of area used specifically in the construction business in the US and Canada. It is equal to 100 square feet.
Typically, you can expect to see squares in calculations connected with roofing, and it’s also not uncommon to use it for siding materials, like wallpaper or drywall. The unit can come in handy in the case of larger construction endeavors.
How Many Bundles Of Shingles Do I Need For 1700 Square Feet
You will need approximately 51 bundles of standard size 3-tab asphalt shingles or 68 bundles of architectural shingles for 1,700 square feet.
Thus, for a 1700 square foot gable roof, you would need 51 bundles of shingles plus 10% of ridge, starter and wastages. Thus, it will take 51 bundles of 3-tab standard size shingles to cover 1700 square feet roof. Thus, there are 51 bundles of standard size 3-tab shingles you will need to cover 1700 square feet roof.
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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.
How Do You Measure The Surface Area Of Your Roof
Before we start determining the amount of shingles you need, lets talk about the ways on how you can measure your roof to get the total surface area.
The easiest and most accurate way you can do this is to measure the length and width of your roof or the particular area wherein you will need remodeling. When you have acquired these values, simply multiply the length and the width to get the square footage of each roof plane.
SAFETY TIP
Measure the width of the building instead to get the width of your roof, if applicable, from the ground. Then, measure the height from a ladder while using a metal measuring tape.
Another method you can use is the sheath-count method. This is applicable when the sheathing is still exposed, and can be done from the ground.
This is done by counting the number of shingles from left to right in order to get the width of the section in feet. One 3-tab shingle is approximately 12 x 6 in measurement so you can estimate the value from this.
After getting the width of your section, you can then count the number of rows of shingles between the eaves to the ridge. Divide this result by 2 to get the height of your roof.
Similarly, you can multiply the height and width to get the total surface area 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.
How Many Bundles Of Shingles Do I Need For 1600 Square Feet
You will need approximately 48 bundles of standard size 3-tab asphalt shingles or 64 bundles of architectural shingles for 1,600 square feet.
Thus, for a 1600 square foot gable roof, you would need 48 bundles of shingles plus 10% of ridge, starter and wastages. Thus, it will take 48 bundles of 3-tab standard size shingles to cover 1600 square feet roof. Thus, there are 48 bundles of standard size 3-tab shingles you will need to cover 1600 square feet roof.
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What If You Have A Steep Roof
To measure a steep roof, use one of the following alternate methods:
Method 1
Calculate the roof length by measuring the exterior walls plus the overhang for the length of the house parallel to the ridge.
Next, throw a rope over the ridge and mark it where it meets each eave. This will give the width dimension to use in figuring your area. This should be done on each roof section containing a horizontal ridge.
Method 2
Determine the roof area by using a mathematical formula that accounts for the roof length, total span, and roof pitch:
How Many Bundles Of Shingles Do I Need For 2500 Square Feet
You will need approximately 75 bundles of standard size 3-tab asphalt shingles or 100 bundles of architectural shingles for 2,500 square feet.
Thus, for a 2500 square foot gable roof, you would need 75 bundles of shingles plus 10% of ridge, starter and wastages. Thus, it will take 75 bundles of 3-tab standard size shingles to cover 2500 square feet roof. Thus, there are 75 bundles of standard size 3-tab shingles you will need to cover 2500 square feet roof.
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How Much Does A Bundle Of Roofing Shingles Weigh
When most people plan to get a new roof, they dont realize that most roofers wont handle the disposal of their current roof. The contractor will rip off the old shingles to prep the roof for new materials, but youll have to get rid of those shingles yourself. You can try loading it all up into a truck and making a few trips to the dump, but renting a dumpster instead will be much easier. Youll need to estimate the weight of the old shingles so you can get a dumpster thats the right size.
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How Many Bundles Of Shingles Do I Need For 180 Square Feet
You will need approximately 6 bundles of standard size 3-tab asphalt shingles or 7 bundles of architectural shingles for 180 square feet.
Thus, for a 180 square foot gable roof, you would need 6 bundles of shingles plus 10% of ridge, starter and wastages. Thus, it will take 6 bundles of 3-tab standard size shingles to cover 180 square feet roof. Thus, there are 6 bundles of standard size 3-tab shingles you will need to cover 180 square feet roof.
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How Many Roofing Nails In A Square Of Shingles
Roofing nails are used to hold the singles in place securely, preventing them from coming loose in high winds or under the weight of snow. The number of roofing nails you should apply to each individual shingle can vary, and it is determined by a number of factors, including the slope of your roof, the type of shingle, the local building code, and local climate.
You should always check your local building code before embarking on DIY construction projects to ensure your home meets the necessary requirements for safety. You should also check the instructions that come with your shingles, as this may dictate that the shingles you have chosen need fewer roofing nails or more roofing nails.
As a general rule, for standard shingles, you would want to fasten each shingle in place with four roofing nails, with the exception of the starting row, which should have five roofing nails on each shingle.
For standard shingles, which have four roofing nails per shingle, this will equate to approximately 320 roofing nails per square, based on average-sized shingles. As with the number of shingles you order, you should also order extra roofing nails to account for any that you drop and lose while on the roof.
For some more complex styles of roof, or for those situated in climates that routinely experience high winds, it is recommended that each shingle should be fastened with six roofing nails. This will equate to approximately 480 roofing nails per square.
How Many Bundles Of Shingles Do I Need For 2100 Square Feet
You will need approximately 63 bundles of standard size 3-tab asphalt shingles or 84 bundles of architectural shingles for 2,100 square feet.
Thus, for a 2100 square foot gable roof, you would need 63 bundles of shingles plus 10% of ridge, starter and wastages. Thus, it will take 63 bundles of 3-tab standard size shingles to cover 2100 square feet roof. Thus, there are 63 bundles of standard size 3-tab shingles you will need to cover 2100 square feet 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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How To Measure A Roof For Shingles
There are several different methods to calculate the square footage of your roof. If you remember back to grade school, youll recall that youll multiply the length times the width to find the area of a rectangle.
If you are lucky enough to have a simple roof, say a gabled roof with two identical sides or even a single sloping roof, then calculating your roof area will be a breeze. On the other hand, if you have a roof with hips and multiple gables, then youll need to spend a bit more time calculating your roof square footage.
Here are several ways to measure roof area for shingles.
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How Many Nails Will You Need
Nails will also be required for any roofing project. The average 3-tab shingle needs four nails per shingle. High wind areas and other types of shingles may need more. 320 nails will be needed to install a square of standard 3-tab shingles, assuming four nails per shingle and 80 shingles per square.
Stacking Shingle Bundles On A Roof
Contractors save time by stacking several shingle bundles on a roof before installing them. However, if stacked poorly, the shingles can become damaged, which will adversely affect the overall longevity of the roof. Read on for some tips and tricks for stacking shingles on a roof.
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How Many Bundles Of Shingles Do I Need For 130 Square Feet
You will need approximately 4 bundles of standard size 3-tab asphalt shingles or 5 bundles of architectural shingles for 130 square feet.
Thus, for a 130 square foot gable roof, you would need 4 bundles of shingles plus 10% of ridge, starter and wastages. Thus, it will take 4 bundles of 3-tab standard size shingles to cover 130 square feet roof. Thus, there are 4 bundles of standard size 3-tab shingles you will need to cover 130 square feet roof.
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How To Measure Your Total Roof Area
Length x width = square footage
In order to determine the amount of shingles you need for your roof, youll need to know the square footage of your roofs surface. Measurements for the area of the roof will depend on what roof type you may have, whether its a gable roof with fewer planes or a hip roof with more.
To find the square footage of your roof, measure the roof length and roof width of each plane, including overhangs, and multiply them together. Then, add up the square footage of each plane. This will give you the total square footage.
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How Do You Estimate Roofing
adding the square footage of each of the planes together skyroofadmin Aerial Roof MeasurementRoof measurementSatellite Roof MeasurementTo find your roofs total square footage:
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How Many Square Feet Does A Bundle Of Shingles Cover
One bundle of shingles covers roughly 33 square feet of roof. Some manufacturer bundles will cover slightly less and will range from 28 up to 33 square feet.
For some brands and types, the square feet per bundle may vary. A bundle of one type of shingle may have one extra than a bundle of the same type and brand. Some bundles will indicate a shingle minimum on the package. If that is the case, the square footage of the bundle will also vary, but not by much and it will always be at or around of 100 square feet.
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How To Calculate The Number Of Shingle Bundles For Your House
Determining the number of roofing shingles required by your house can be easy when using a proper method. You also have to consider the number of extra shingles you need for overlaps and waste. So, how do you calculate the number of roofing shingles?
Here is a step-by-step guide to help you find the number of roofing shingles you need.
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