How Many Square Feet In A Roofing Square
Well, heres a question that has bugged many a homeowner. It may sound as simple as taking a look at your roof and estimating what would equal a square and ask your contractor to come up with some magic. Well, it doesnt really work that way.
Its not only doctors or musicians that have jargon specific to their industry and workplaces, but also something common in every organization and industry. This also makes it true for roofing contractors. Whereas the words may mean one thing to you the outsider, they have a totally different meaning to people in a specific industry.
The Definition Of Roofing Square
In the roofing industrys terminology, a roofing square or per square is 100 square feet. A 100 square foot area of roof makes a roofing square. However, a square is not 100 square feet of roofing material. It is the amount of material needed to cover 100 square feet of roof.
While you may have heard that you can use simple geometry or an online program to calculate the number of roofing squares on a roof for the overall price of replacing your roof, a simple mistake can be costly. It can also cause a shortage of material that will mean delays.
For example, a complex roof with hip-end sections and gable ends may be difficult to accurately estimate even if you prepare a detailed drawing.
Whats The Right Roofing Style For You
This question wont typically affect the size or amount of roofing material we need to do the job, yet its an important question to ask as you begin the process of redoing your roof. The right style of roofing is different for everybody, so choose how youd like it to look, and we can help every step of the way!
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Join Our Facebook Roofing Group
Hey everybody,
We are going social and have created a new Facebook group for people who want to know more about roofs, roofing problems, fixes, ask pros, etc. Feel free to join. It is a private group so once we get your request to join we will approve it as quickly as possible.
How Many Shingles Do I Need For A 2424 Garage
For this example, well use the same type of roof a simple gabled roof. For our purposes, well say that the roof extends 1.5 around each side.
Well first calculate one face of the roof. The length of the roof is 24+1.5+1.5, which equals 27. The roof pitch is 4:12, which means the width of the roof is about 12.5. Add 1.5 of overhang to this number and you get 14 of roof width on one roof face.
Multiply 27 by 14 and you get 378 square feet for one roof face. The total roof area is 756 square feet. Divide this number by 100 to determine the amount of roof squares youll need, which equals 7.56 roofing squares.
Multiply 7.56 roofing squares by 3 bundles per square. Thus, 23 bundles of shingles are required to cover a 24×24 garage with 1.5 overhangs on all sides.
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How Many Nails Required
After you are done calculating the total square footage, you need to determine the number of nails you will need.
Usually 4 nails are used per shingle. As mentioned earlier, shingles come in three tabs, which means you would need around 1,120 nails/sq.
If you live in a high windy area, then you will need 6 nails per shingle, which brings the count to 1,680 nails/sq.
This calculation is based on 280 shingle squares, according to the gable roof measurement. For the right nailing pattern, refer to the instructions that comes with the shingles.
And this is how you measure your roof area and the number of shingles and nails needed. If you are looking for more informatory articles such as this, then visit Epic Home Ideas.
Figure Out Your Homes Footprint
If you use the square footage of your home, youll only get a vague idea of what the square footage of your roof is. Thats why you have to figure out your homes footprint.
A person of average height will have a stride somewhere between 2 to 2.5 feet. To figure out your homes footprint, you can step off the dimensions of your roof by counting the steps you take to get the length of your home. You will then step off the width of your home.
After stepping off the length and width of your home, youll multiply the two numbers to get your homes footprint.
Length x width = your home’s footprint
Your calculations are going to be off, but measuring this way can give you a basic idea of your homes footprint. Keep in mind, square footage of a house does not equal the square footage of a roof.
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How To Measure Your Roof With Google Earth
Using your computer to get a ballpark estimate of your roof area is easy and fast. However, using satellite imagery may not be an ideal solution if your structure is in a very remote location that hasnt been 3D scanned. Thats because well need to grab an accurate representation of your roofs pitch for measuring purposes. From above with a 2D image, everything looks flat. If you were to just measure your roof area from directly above, you wouldnt be accounting for its pitch, or slope.
Consider two homes with the same base area square footage, but one of them has a much steeper roof pitch than the other. That structure would need to be taller, and there would be a lot more roofing material to account for. If youre just measuring from above in 2D, both of these structures might look identical. If you dont account for roof pitch, youre going to underestimate your materials requirements, which could be a costly mistake.
Satellite technology has progressed a lot in the past few years. With , you can easily find your address and a 3D replica of your structure, including your roofs pitch. Lets get to it. Once you load the site, youll be presented with our beautiful planet:
While you can switch to 2D mode by clicking the button in the lower right, youll want to stay in this 3D view so you can get a good view of your roofs pitch.
Why Use This Term
A roofing square is a standardized way of thinking about roofing materials and is understood by everyone in the industry.
The reason why the term is so prevalent is because there are so many types of roofs for residential and commercial buildings. For example, there are flat roofs, gable roofs and mansard roofs, and each has different dimensions.
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Other Factors To Consider
Note that the roofing squares is not the only information needed to estimate the required amount of roofing materials. You also need to factor in the roof pitch when doing the calculations as it also affects the total cost of materials required for the entire job.
The higher the roof pitch, the more roofing materials youll need to cover the entire roof effectively. If the roof also has many complex elements like valleys and dormers, it will need specialized materials to ensure that they are reinforced against damages or leaks.
What Else Impacts The Cost Of Your New Roof
Now you know how to roughly calculate your roofs square footage. And dont forget to plug that number into our roof calculator to get a rough estimate for your roof replacement.
Remember, the number of squares your roof has is one of the biggest cost factors for your replacement. But to truly understand what goes into the size of your investment, you need to know the other important factors that impact the cost of your new roof.
Because a roof replacement is such a sizable investment, we want every homeowner to understand what exactly factors into the final cost. Thats why we wrote another article breaking down the 9 factors that impact the cost of your new roof.
Since 1990, the team at Bill Ragan Roofing has proudly helped homeowners in Nashville and surrounding areas with all of their roofing needs. Giving you a positive and educational experience during a stressful time is our main goal. Even if you decide were not the right fit, at least youll have the knowledge needed to make the right decisions.
Check out this article on 9 Factors That Impact the Cost of Your New Roof to learn how a roofing contractor comes up with the final number for your replacement estimate.
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How To Measure Your Roofs Number Of Squares
If you want to measure the number of roofing squares on your roof, you should first find out the total square footage of the roof. Youll then use the figure to calculate the roofing squares. The calculation methods depend on the number of panels on your rooftop.
Here are the steps to help you determine the number of squares on your roof.
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Measure The Base Area Of Your Property
Now, use that tape measure again and take the distance from the edge of one of the eaves to the other edge along the same wall. Record that figure in feet. That will be the roof base width.
Then, measure the distance of the other side of the structure from the edge of the eave to the other. That will be the roof base length.
Multiply those figures together to get an estimate of the base area for the roof structure. For example, if your roof base width is 35 feet and your roof base length is 60 feet, the total base area would be 2,100 square feet.
Who Does Not Use Squares
Most flooring contractors use square feet instead of squares when calculating flooring prices, unless of course the project consists of 200 squares of carpet or laminate flooring. Electricians, Plumbers and Brick layers, etc., do not use squares.
Also Europeans dont use squares as I said before they use square meters, but the idea is the same you dont say 1260000 square centimeters one can break their tongue trying to say things like that 10 times a day it is 126 square meters. They merely use different measurement units, but also simplify things.
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Consider The Slope And Roof Complexity
The slope of your roof, as well as how complicated the design is, directly impacts square footage. In your estimate of your roofs square footage, you must consider the steepness and roof design.
For a simple, walkable gable roof with a low slope, you will multiply your home footprint by 1.3. For a hip roof with a low slope, multiply your home footprint by 1.4. For a steep roof with a lot of complexity, multiply your home footprint by 1.6.
How Roof Area Is Measured
In order to find out how many shingles your roof will require, you first need to estimate its total square footage. This is done in three easy steps:
Here are a few examples of different roof types:
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Estimate The Square Footage
Keep in mind that the final number you come up with will be a rough estimate of your roofs square footage. Simply plug the numbers to the equation below to get the estimated square footage of your roof:
÷ 100 =
As noted before, this equation example will give you a rough estimate and wont determine your roof replacement estimate with 100 percent accuracy, though it may give you an idea of the ballpark cost. The exact size and complexity of your roof, as well as the materials you select, all impact the final cost.
What Is A Roofing Roofing Square In Measurement
Generally speaking, the larger your roof, the more expensive the roof replacement. The way that roof size is measured is by roofing squares a 10-foot by 10-foot area equal to 100 square feet. Understanding the number of roofing squares needed to complete your roofing project helps contractors estimate the cost of materials and labor that will factor into the final price.
Keep in mind that the ultimate price of your home also depends on the materials you choose for your roof replacement. Some roof types cost more than others. Additionally, some roofs have a more complicated structure and, consequently, cost more to replace.
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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 of your home 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.
Regional Roofing Cost Differences
When you research shingle prices online and compare them to quotes from your local contractors you may discover a surprising fact: these prices can be VERY DIFFERENT.
This is not because online information is false, or roofers are out of touch with reality. Rather, actual roof installation costs vary widely, depending on where you live.
Different costs of living, from very high to very low, basically set the standard for labor rates in a particular region. If you live in an expensive city, such as New York or San Francisco, you will be paying a premium price for a new install.
This premium can be as high as 18% more than the national average. On the opposite end, if you live in a small town somewhere in the middle of Arkansas, you will be paying less than the national averages sited online. Often, as much as 16% less.
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S To Calculate Your Roofs Square Footage
You just learned what a roofing square is. The number of roof squares has a huge impact on the cost factors, such as the amount of materials used, labor, and time.
Before investing in a new roof, wouldnt it be great to know how much itll cost per square?
If you answered yes, we have a great way to roughly calculate your roofs square footage to give you an idea of the cost of your new roof. Be aware, the only way to get a 100 percent accurate measurement is to have a local roofing contractor come out to professionally measure your roof.
Varying Roof Styles Make The Term Roofing Square More Common
Another reason that you cant always divide square footage by 100 to get the number of square is because every roof shape and style is different
For example, measuring a gable roof is fairly straightforward, but measuring a gambrel or mansard style roof can be a bit more complicated. Waste becomes a major factor when measuring more intricate roofing types like mansard and hipped roofs. Waste happens when shingles need to be cut to fit tight spaces . They are not always nailed in even rows along the roof deck.
With more complex roof types, you quickly realize that not every square foot of measurement is created equal! Overall, the phrase roof square helps bridge the gap for projects both simple and complex.
As long as you have an experienced roofing contractor to work with, you can breathe easy knowing that at the end of the day, the correct amount of materials will get delivered and that your roof installation will go 100% according to plan! You can skip the hassle of measuring your roof, ordering materials, and DIYing the project by hiring Roof Hub. Our guarantees, time-tested processes, and 50 year warranty are just a few of many reasons hundreds of homeowners have trusted us with their #1 asset. If youd like to get started on a roof estimate, click here.
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Figuring Out How Many Squares You Need
To figure out how many squares you need for your roof, the measurements are then converted into squares by dividing them by 100 feet .
So for example: if you wanted to know how many squares there were on a 6-foot wide side of a house, we would divide 72 inches by 12 yards = 6 squares per yard or 36 total squares.
