Roofing Calculator

A full takeoff for a gable roof — squares, bundles, underlayment and cap.

Roof

Unit system

Code references and product data are quoted in the units their source uses.

= 480" (40')

= 336" (28')

= 18" (1' 6")

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Roofing · Result

Calculated

BUNDLES (INCL. 10% WASTE)

47 bundles of shingles

Squares
15.25
Product
TruDefinition Duration
Bundles / square
3
Waste
10%

Waste allowance 10%

SUGGESTED DEFAULTChange

Coverage 98.4 ft2 per square and 3 bundles per square are the manufacturer's published figures, not the definition of a square

MFR SPEC
Code references & assumptions · 2

How this result is supported

Coverage is Owens Corning's printed figure for TruDefinition Duration, from Owens Corning Section 073113, Fiberglass-Based Asphalt Shingles & Accessories (revision not recorded; retrieved 2026-09-04).
ASSUMPTIONWaste applies to shingles only; starter, cap and drip edge come from edge lengths. Underlayment uses the manufacturer's printed roll coverage — felt sheets print it with the lap already netted, synthetic sheets print the gross roll area — so lap the sheets per their instructions and allow for it where the printed figure is gross
UNVERIFIED
MFR SPECCoverage 98.4 ft2 per square and 3 bundles per square are the manufacturer's published figures, not the definition of a square
PRIMARY-VERIFIED
What do these evidence labels mean?
PRIMARY-VERIFIED
directly supported by one authoritative primary source, quoted with section/page/figure
CROSS-VERIFIED
independently supported by two or more appropriate authoritative sources
DERIVED
mathematically derived from PRIMARY-VERIFIED values; the derivation is preserved in data and in code
INTERPRETED
a source exists but translating it into calculator behaviour required interpretation
CONVENTION
recognised trade practice, not a mandatory provision
ASSUMPTION
product/design assumption or useful default with no authoritative basis
UNVERIFIED
insufficient authoritative evidence
Full methodology →

Code references and product data are quoted in the units their source uses.

Reference checks are informational, not compliance determinations.

How roofing is calculated

Give the building footprint and the pitch and the calculator does the whole takeoff: it works the sloped area from the plan area, adds the overhangs, converts to squares, and then reads the bundle count off the product you selected rather than off an average.

A gable and a hip over the same footprint have the same sloped area — the hip's four triangles reassemble into exactly the gable's two rectangles. What differs is the cap: the gable wants ridge only, the hip wants ridge and hips, and that is why the preset changes the accessory quantities without changing the area.

Every accessory is counted against its own product's printed coverage. Underlayment layers follow the pitch, because manufacturers double the layer on low slopes, and the calculator says which band it applied rather than leaving it to be discovered on site.

sloped area = plan area × slope factor

squares = sloped area ÷ 100

A roofing square is 100 ft².

bundles = ceil(squares × (1 + waste) × bundles per square)

Questions

What is a roofing square?
100 square feet of roof surface, measured along the slope rather than on the plan. It is the unit shingles are sold and priced in, which is why the takeoff converts to squares before it counts anything.
Does a hip roof need more shingles than a gable?
Over the same footprint and pitch, no — the sloped area is identical. It needs more cap and generates more waste from the hip cuts, which is where the extra cost actually comes from.