Determining How Many Shingles I Need

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 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 Ã 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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Calculating How Many Shingles Youll Need

1Convert the area into roofing squares, the measurement used for materials. In roofing terms, a square is 100 square feet . Therefore, divide your total area by 100 to get the number of squares.XResearch source

So, for instance, if your total is 2,381 square feet, thats approximately 23.8 squares or 24 squares, rounded up.

You can also use an app or a roofing calculator to decide how many shingles youll need.

If youre in a country other than the U.S., check the size of roofing bundles in your area before making this calculation, as they can vary from country to country.

2Determine the number of shingle bundles youll need by multiplying by 3. Shingles typically come in a bundle thats large enough to cover 1/3 of a square. To figure out how many bundles youll need, multiply the number of squares by 3.XResearch source

So if you have 24 squares, multiply that by 3 to get 72 bundles.

3Figure out the amount of roofing felt youll need by dividing by 2 or 4. Felt is what goes under the shingles. If youre buying 15-pound felt, 1 roll will be enough for 4 squares. If youre buying 30-pound felt, 1 roll will be enough for 2 squares. Divide your squares by one of these numbers to get the number of rolls youll need, depending on the thickness of felt you want.XResearch source

If youre trying to cover 24 squares, divide by 4 for a 15-pound roll to get 6 rolls.

If youre trying to cover 24 squares with a 30-pound roll, divide by 2 to get 12 rolls.

Calculate The Square Footage Of Your Roof

After considering the slope and complexity of your roof, youre ready to learn how to calculate the square footage of your roof.

To get a rough estimate for your roofs square footage, youll use this equation:

For example, if you have an easy up and over, walkable gable roof and a house that measures 56 feet lengthwise and 28 feet widthwise, your calculation will look like this:

56 x 28 = 1,568

1,568 x 1.3 = 2,038

Using this equation wont be 100% accurate, but knowing your roofs square footage is a great jumping-off point to learn how much youll have to invest in your replacement. After getting your roofs rough square footage, put that number in our free Roofing Calculator to get an idea on the cost of your new roof.

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What Depth Of Gravel Do I Need

You would usually lay a 10mm aggregate at a depth of 30-40mm, but on a driveway this would need to be at least 50mm. A 20mm aggregate would need to be at least 40-50mm deep, and at least 50-60mm on driveways. A larger aggregate will settle and bond together better than smaller ones. The depth you will need to select for your gravel or slate will always depend on the aggregate size and what the surface will be used for.

Finding The Size Of The Roof In Squares

Roofing contractors estimate projects and materials by the square, so it is crucial to find this measurement to estimate the amount of material needed accurately. A square simply refers to a 10 x 10 square of roofing. This is simply 100 square feet of roof.

To find the squares, divide the overall roof area by 100 and then round up. For instance, if the roof is 1550 square feet, then it is 16 squares.

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How Many Extra Shingles Should You Buy

If you order shingles based solely on the area of the roof, you wont have enough. Youll need shingles for starter courses along the eaves and sometimes at rakes, and youll need shingles to cap hips and ridges. Cutting shingles also generates waste. In some places, including at the rakes, against walls and chimneys, and at valleys, youll need to cut shingles. Some of the cutoffs will be big enough to use as starter shingles or in other areas where cut shingles are needed, but smaller cutoffs will be waste.

Builder Mike Guertin Explains 3 Ways To Calculate The Quantity Of Shingles Youll 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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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.

Whats Your Roof Slope

You will also need to know the slope of your deck.

To determine this, measure the vertical rise of your deck in inches over a 12 horizontal distance.

If this rise is 4, then your roof slope is 4 in 12.

Roof slopes are always expressed with the vertical rise mentioned first and the horizontal run mentioned second.

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How Far Can A Gambrel Roof Span

A gambrel roof can span any distance that is necessary, it all depends on the structure that is being built and the weight that the gambrel roof will be supporting. For example, if a small shed is being built, then the gambrel roof can span a shorter distance, whereas if a large barn is being built, the gambrel roof will need to span a longer distance.

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.

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How Many Shingles Do I Need For A 1212 Shed

How many shingles do i need for a 12×12 shed | How many bundles of shingles do i need for a 12×12 shed | how to calculate shingles quantity for 12×12 shed.

Calculation of shingles quantity is simple and easy if your shed roof is flat, but majority of house in US have pitch roof that makes calculation of square footage area for pitch roof difficult. The shed footprint is 12×12 = 144 sq ft but the roof surface is quite a bit more due to slope. Gambrel roofs have different slopes and configuration pitch but generally the roof surface is roughly twice the footprint in square footage.

This article describes the basic maths calculation to calculate roof materials such as shingles. If you have ever question yourself how many squares footage or square is my house roof? this article will help you find the square footage of your roof. This article describe about the maths formula to figure out how much shingles you need to order.

When you talked Roofing is about using the term square, a square equal to 100 square feet of roof or a 10 foot by 10 foot area. So a roof that has 200 square feet of area has 2 squares. Remember that unless the roof is flat, the square footage of the building is different than the square footage of the roof because of the slope or pitch of the roof and the overhangs.

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Should You Consider Diy Roof Installation

As we discussed before, professional labor to install a new asphalt shingles roof constitutes at least 70% of the total cost. This means that you can potentially save thousands of dollars if you can do the tear off and installation yourself.

The million dollar questions is, should you?

When it comes to asphalt shingles, one of their biggest benefits is that they are extremely DIY friendly. Indeed, asphalt shingles is one of the very few roofing materials that a handy homeowner can put up on their own.

Shingle installation does not require any special tools or technical training. This is the reason why so many roofers install them its the easiest entry point in this field.

You can purchase all the necessary materials and supplies at your local big box home improvement store, and avoid the hassle of hiring a roofing company. In fact, basic 3-tab roofing shingles is one of the cheapest roofing options out there, and you can have a brand new roof for under $3,000.

Moreover, there are many step-by-step guides and YouTube videos on how do this correctly.

Keep in mind that when you buy shingles, you need to carefully measure your roof and also buy extra shingles to account for the waste factor. Typically, gable roofs require about 5% waste, while hip roofs are about 7.5%

Still, if you do everything carefully and educate yourself about the nuances of proper installation, you can do a very successful shingle install and keep thousands of dollars in your pocket.

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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.

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:

Measure the length and width of each plane on the roof then multiply length times width.

Add the square footage of each of the planes together.

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:

Multiply length times width and length times width to get the square footage for each plane.

Add the two planes together.

For example:

Ready to get an estimate? Find an independent roofing contractor in the Owens Corning Roofing Contractor Network near you.

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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.

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.

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What Are Roof Shingles

Roofing shingles are watertight and wind-resistant seals that protect the roof from environmental damage. They are individual roof coverings that overlap one another when placed on the roof.

Many shingle installations are placed on top of an underlayment material such as asphalt felt paper which prevents leaks from rain and snow. In addition to having a variety of styles, colors, and textures, roofing shingles vary in price. On average, most homeowners pay between $8,000 and $9,000 for shingle installation.

Depending on the location, the availability of design varies per state. The type of shingle is considered before construction because the roof pitch and construction method varies. You can choose almost any kind of shingle to match your homes roofing design and increase the aesthetic of your home.

How Many Bundles Of Shingles Per Square

A package of roofing shingles is called a bundle. Laminate or architectural shingles, one of the most common types of roofing shingles, are generally packaged in three bundles per square.

So in the 2400 square foot gable roof example, you would need 72 bundles of shingles .

Here are a couple more examples:

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Calculating How Many Shingles You’ll Need

1Convert the area into roofing squares, the measurement used for materials. In roofing terms, a “square” is 100 square feet . Therefore, divide your total area by 100 to get the number of squares.XResearch source

So, for instance, if your total is 2,381 square feet, that’s approximately 23.8 squares or 24 squares, rounded up.

You can also use an app or a roofing calculator to decide how many shingles you’ll need.

If you’re in a country other than the U.S., check the size of roofing bundles in your area before making this calculation, as they can vary from country to country.

2Determine the number of shingle bundles you’ll need by multiplying by 3. Shingles typically come in a bundle that’s large enough to cover 1/3 of a square. To figure out how many bundles you’ll need, multiply the number of squares by 3.XResearch source

So if you have 24 squares, multiply that by 3 to get 72 bundles.

3Figure out the amount of roofing felt you’ll need by dividing by 2 or 4. Felt is what goes under the shingles. If you’re buying 15-pound felt, 1 roll will be enough for 4 squares. If you’re buying 30-pound felt, 1 roll will be enough for 2 squares. Divide your squares by one of these numbers to get the number of rolls you’ll need, depending on the thickness of felt you want.XResearch source

If you’re trying to cover 24 squares, divide by 4 for a 15-pound roll to get 6 rolls.

If you’re trying to cover 24 squares with a 30-pound roll, divide by 2 to get 12 rolls.

How Do You Calculate The Square Footage Of 1010 Shed Roof

Figure out the area of the shed plus the overhangs:- determine the squre footage of the shed foot print by measuring the length and width of the shed including the overhangs. Assume the overhangs are 1 feet both sides eves and rake then you have 2 feet extra, so each dimension for 10Ã10 shed roof with overhangs is around 12Ã12 = 144 square footage.

Find the roof pitch or slope:- the roof pitch is the amount of slope. The slope is described by the rise in inches or how far up it goes over the run in inches or how far horizontal it goes. We will use a 6 in 12 pitch. For every 6 inches the roof goes up to the peak it goes 12 inches horizontally.

Calculate the square of rise and run and sum it:- square of rise 6Ã6=36, square of run = 12Ã12 = 144, add both 36 +144 = 180.

Find the square root of the sum:- square root of 180 = 13.417

Sum divide by 12 to get the product:- square root of 180 = 13.417 is divided by 12 as 13.417 ÷ 12 = 1.118, hence 1.118 equals the product

Multiply the product by the flat roof area and divide by 100:- our 10Ã10 shed square footage with overhangs is 144 sq ft, so 1.118 x 144 = 161 square feet, 161 / 100 = 1.61 squares.

Add 10% for wastes:- wastages 10% of 1.61 squares = 0.161, so final squares of shingles do you need = 1.61+ 0.161 = 1.8 squares, it is rounded to 2 squares.

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