Estimating The Cost Of The Roof
Once you know the area of the roof, you have to decide on the scope of works. Do you want to build the roof from scratch, or maybe replace the old layers? You also need to decide on the finishing material. For example, asphalt shingles will be less expensive than clay tiles.
After you’ve made all of these decisions, it’s best to contact your local contractor and ask about the cost of both materials and labor per square meter or square foot of roof area. Remember that this unit price should include all additional elements such as fasteners, as well as the cost of removing all layers and disposing of them .
The most typical cost of roofing falls between $2 and $4 per square foot . If the price proposed by your contractor deviates from these values, it is advisable to check with other contractors before starting the works.
If you cannot contact any contractor, calculate the cost of materials and multiply this price by 2.5. You will obtain an approximate price including labor, assuming that 40% of the cost is taken by the materials and 60% by the labor.
The last thing you have to do is to multiply this cost by your roof area and voilà, you now know the total cost of your roof! Remember that the real cost might differ from this value a bit due to waste, so plan ahead and assign more funds to this construction work.
If you are not on a tight budget, maybe you’d like to add solar panels?
Also, make sure to take a look at our concrete slab cost calculator, too!
Convert Among Square Inch Square Foot Square Yard And Square Meter
You could, for example, perform all of your measurements in inches or centimeters, calculate area in square inches or square centimeters then convert your final answer to the unit you need such as square feet or square meters.
To convert among square feet, yards and meters use the following conversion factors. For other units use our calculator forarea conversions.
- Square Feet to Square Inches
- multiply ft2 by 144 to get in2
Calculate The Square Footage Of A Gable
To calculate the square footage of a gable wall section, you need to know the wall length and the height of the gable. If for some reason you can’t get the height of the gable, you don’t have a ladder long enough, or you are one of those that should not be at heights if you know the pitch of the roof and the wall length, you can also calculate the square footage of a gable.
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What Is The Minimum Roof Pitch For Snow
The minimum roof pitch for shedding snow is around 30°, or a 6:12 or 7:12 slope. However, this is not a definite, as the material of your roof, the direction of the snow and wind are some factors that can affect whether or not snow will slide, as roofs of as little as 10° have been reported to shed snow. Roofs of steeper pitches will likely retain less snow, so, if you live in snow-prone regions, a steeper pitch is highly desired.
Measuring Or Calculating Gable And Hip Lengths
The slope factor is also used to determine gable lengths when the run length is known. For example, in Figure 4 the bottom left gable measures 16 across from eave to eave and therefore has a run of 8. When this is multiplied by 1.202 the gable distance is 98 . Note that this run can also be multiplied by the hip/valley factor of 1.563 to get a valley length of 126.
Record all your calculations on your drawing as seen in Figure 5 below.
Figure 5. Completed Roof Plan Drawing
Pro Tip: A Note About Waste Factor
Once you have figured out your roof area, you will need to also calculate how much room you need to allow for waste. For metal roofing products on a medium complex roof a waste factor of 15% is advisable. In other words for the 2468 ft2 roof in our example you should multiply by 1.15 giving you 2838.2 ft2 roofing material needed.
Important Note: Most metal roofing products are packaged and sold by the square so for our example roof the number of squares or boxes to purchase is 29.
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What Is A Bundle Of Shingles
A package of roofing shingles is called a bundle.
How many bundles of shingles per square?
Laminate or architectural shingles, one of the most common types of roofing shingles, are generally packaged in three bundles per square:
3 bundles = 1 roofing square
So in the 2400 square foot gable roof example, you would need 72 bundles of shingles .
Here are a couple more examples:
Find The Area Of The Footprint Of The Roof
To calculate a roofs dimensions, you need to measure the roof as if it were flat, then account for roof pitch, calculate square footage, and finally determine how many squares of material are required for the roof.
The calculator above can handle all of this, simply enter the length, width, and pitch, and it will determine the size of the roof in squares.
Start by measuring the roofs length and width in feet as youre standing on the ground. Remember that the length and width need to be found for the roof, not the house, so take into account that the roof overhangs the building.
Then determine the area of the roof as if it were flat. Multiply the length by the width in feet to get the area measurement.
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How To Figure Out The Square Footage Of A Roof
Repairing or replacing your roof can be expensive, especially if you dont know how to calculate its square footage. A wrong estimate can cost you thousands of dollars and might even delay your roof repair, leaving your home exposed to the elements. The good news is you can easily estimate the square footage of your roof with a few tools and basic geometry.
How Many Rolls Of Felt Will You Need
Roofing felt is sold by the roll. The average roll of 15-pound roofing felt covers about 400 ft2, or 4 squares, while the average roll of 30-pound roofing felt covers about 200 ft2, or 2 squares.
Rolls of felt are 36 wide x 144 long for 15# and 72 long for 30#. Consider other underlayment options as needed, such as rubber or tar products.
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Tips For Getting Started
Tip 1: Measuring to the nearest inch along eaves and across gables can be done from the ground just dont forget the overhang.
Tip 2: If you know the dimensions of your previous asphalt roofing job, you can use this info to cheat a little. Typical 3 Tab asphalt shingles have tabs that are 1 foot wide with a vertical exposure of 5 inches. Make sure to physically verify these dimensions by measuring 4 or 5 courses. Counting the shingles can give you eave to ridge dimensions from the ground.
Tip 3: 100 Square Feet = 1 Square in Roofing Terms
Calculating The Area Of Complex Roofs
If your roof is not the classic Gable shape, or if it has multiple sections such as hips and valleys, wed recommend splitting the roof into each section and working out the areas individually. If youre unsure of how to do this, get in touch with a roofing professional. Learn how to find a good roofer.
Or, alternatively get in touch with us! Our customer service team will be able to help you calculate your roof area, and anything else you might need for your project. Call them on 01295 565 565, email , or use the handy live chat below.
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How To Calculate Your Roof Area
Knowing how to calculate your roof area can be a beneficial first step in estimating the cost of a new metal roof. In roofing we call the calculation of roofing materials needed a take-off.
A good roofing contractor will take the time make sure that the take-off is accurate. Proper measurements and attention to roof details ensure that material shortages are avoided and prevent overages .
What Degree Angle Is A 12 12 Pitch Roof
A 12/12 pitch roof has a pitch angle of 45°. To convert between American roofing ratios and pitch degrees, follow these steps:
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Why Should I Measure My Own Roof
If you plan on re-roofing your own home then you will need to calculate materials so you wont waste your own time and money. If youre like most people, youll need to hire a professional.
Knowing your numbers will help you figure out what roofing materials are within your budget and having your square footage handy is a great way to protect yourself from inflated quotes.
What Else Impacts The Cost Of Your New Roof
Now you know how to roughly calculate your roofs square footage and 3 more factors that impact the cost. Remember, the only way to get a 100 percent accurate measurement is to have a local roofing contractor come out to professionally measure your roof.
Knowing your square footage and the 3 other cost factors lays the groundwork for learning the size of your roof investment. However, there are even more factors that impact the cost of your new roof besides whats listed in this article.
To understand where your hard-earned money is going when you invest in a new roof, we broke down the 9 factors that affect the cost of your new roof.
The team at Bill Ragan Roofing has provided high-quality roofing services in the Nashville area since 1990. We give you an experience rare in the roofing industry with our workmanship and customer service.Thats why were proud to offer you a lifetime warranty.
To learn what affects the cost of your replacement, check out 9 Factors That Impact the Cost of Your New Roof.
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Keep The Slope And Complexity Of Your Roof In Mind
You have to keep in mind the makeup of your roof when doing the calculation for the square footage. The steepness and complexity will change the number you multiply the footprint by.
For example:
For an easy up and over, walkable gable roof, youll multiply the footprint of the roof by 1.3 to get the square footage of your roof.
For a hip roof with a low slope, you’ll multiply the footprint of the roof by 1.4 to get the square footage of your roof.
For a steep and complex roof, you’ll multiply the footprint of the roof by 1.6 to get the square footage of your roof.
How To Calculate Square Footage
Square footage is area expressed in square feet. Likewise, square yardage is area expressed in square yards. Square meters is also a common measure of area.
Assume you have a rectangular area such as a room and, for example, you want to calculate the square footage area for flooring or carpet.
The way to calculate a rectangular area is by measuring the length and width of your area then multiplying those two numbers together to get the area in feet squared . If you have on oddly shaped area, such as an L-shape, split it into square or rectanglualar sections and treat them as two separate areas. Calculate the area of each section then add them together for your total. If your measurements are in different units, say feet and inches, you can first convert those values to feet, then multiply them together to get the square footage of the area.
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What Is The Best Pitch For A Roof
The best roof pitch depends on the style of roof you are going for. If you are looking for a sleek, modern style, a flat roof with a pitch of 1:40 should be used.
For a Gothic style, the rafters must equal the span , while an Elizabethan style requires the rafters to be longer than the span.
In snowy areas, your roof should be at least 10/12 to allow snow to shed, while the safest roof pitch in very windy areas is between 4/12-6/12 .
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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What Roof Pitch Is Walkable
A roof pitch of 6/12 or less is considered easily walkable, and no extra precautions are required. A roof of pitch 7/12 is manageable, but caution should be taken. Pitches between 8/12 and 10/12 are also considered walkable, but it is not advisable and, if you have to walk on these roofs, extreme caution should be taken. Roofs any steeper than this are considered not walkable, and special equipment or scaffolding is required. Please do not take risks on roofs, as the fall can be fatal.
What Is A Roofing Square
In roofing, one square equals 10 X 10 ft., or 100 sq. ft. This unit of measurement determines how many shingles you’ll need for every 100 sq. ft. of rooftop. As you prepare for your roofing project, you’ll use squares to determine the amount of roofing materials you need, from asphalt shingles down to the underlayment.
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So What Is A Roofing Square
A roofing square is a measurement, but it has nothing to do with square feet, meters, yards, or miles. A roofing square is commonly used by roofing companies and is roughly equivalent to 100 square feet. This measurement does not change whether it is a square of shingles or a square of tarp. This is because roofing squares are used to make calculating the cost of materials and labor easier than if you had to use square feet or yards.
How To Calculate Roof Area
Easy to follow guide compiled by a roofing installation expert.
Installing a new roof is a capital intensive affair that requires you to establish your budget in advance. Thankfully, it is easy to estimate the costs by calculating the roof area and then using the sum to determine the cost of shingles per square foot.
Heres how to calculate roof area of your home:
Requirements: A strong ladder, large level, tape measure, marker, paper, and pencil.
1.) Measure the pitch
This is the first thing to do when you set out to calculate the area of your roof. Use your measuring tape to measure 12 inches on your large level and put a mark at the 12-inch line.
Place the ladder beside your building at the gable end. Ascend to the top of your roof. Thereafter, place the level against the gable trim and flat against the side of the house.
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Use your measuring device to measure from the 12-inch mark on your level all the way to the bottom of the edge of your gable trim. This figure is your rise measurement.
Each rise dimension is inscribed as # in 12 and this is the pitch of your roof. For example, if your rise measurement is 4 inches, your roofs pitch is 4 in 12.
2.) Calculate the estimated roof area
When pressed for time, you can easily use your pitch calculation to get an estimated area of your roof. This is how to do it:
3.) Calculate the exact roof area
Follow these steps to figure out the exact area of your roof:
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How To Calculate Roofing Squares
The number of roofing squares affects the cost .
If you want to replace your roof, or your house is under construction, and you would like to know the cost or square, I will show you an excellent method of calculating your square roof footage.
However, it is essential to note that the best way to get a correct measurement is by hiring a local roofing contractor to measure the roof.
Here are some highlighted steps to calculate your square roof feet:
What Is The Smallest Pitch Of A Roof
The smallest pitch of a roof is 0.5/12. A completely flat roof is a poor design, as water and snow will collect on it, eventually leading to your roof collapsing in from the weight of it all.
A common choice for flat roofing material is EPDM rubber, as it is highly durable, waterproof, and can be made from recycled materials. Flat roofs also tend to be cheaper and require less maintenance than traditional roofing, making them a perfect addition to your home.
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