Free Tool

Roofing Squares Calculator: How Many Shingles Do I Need?

Enter your roof's ground footprint and pitch — or its actual area — and get the number of roofing squares, shingle bundles, and waste to order. One square equals 100 square feet.

Roofing Squares Calculator

1 square = 100 ft² · footprint × pitch, or actual roof area

You'll Need

Squares = roof area ÷ 100, plus waste. Footprint mode multiplies by the pitch factor √(rise² + 12²) ÷ 12. Bundles default to 3 per square (typical architectural shingles).

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Who this is for

Homeowners & pros
Homeowners

Budget a re-roof with confidence

Know how many squares and bundles your roof needs before you call for quotes — so you can sanity-check every bid and understand what you're paying for.

Roofers

Quote squares and bundles on site

Measure the footprint, pick the pitch, and get squares, bundles, and a priced total in seconds. In ServicePros Hub, the result drops straight into a proposal line.

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How the math works

Roofers price by the square — and one square covers 100 square feet of roof.

If you only know the building's ground footprint, the roof itself is larger because it's sloped. We multiply the footprint by a pitch factor — √(rise² + 12²) ÷ 12 — to get the true sloped area. A 6/12 pitch, for example, multiplies the footprint by about 1.118. If you already have the actual roof area, switch the mode and skip the pitch step.

Squares = roof area ÷ 100, plus a waste allowance (12% is typical, more for complex roofs with lots of valleys and hips). Architectural shingles come 3 bundles to a square; the calculator rounds bundles up to whole units.

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FAQ

Roofing estimates
What is a roofing square?

A roofing square is a unit of roof area equal to 100 square feet. Roofers estimate and price materials and labor by the square, so a 2,000 ft² roof is 20 squares before waste.

How many bundles of shingles are in a square?

Most architectural (dimensional) shingles come 3 bundles per square. Some heavier or specialty shingles run 4 or 5 bundles per square — adjust the "bundles per square" field to match your product.

How do I account for roof pitch?

If you measure the ground footprint, multiply it by the pitch factor √(rise² + 144) ÷ 12 to get the true sloped area. A steeper pitch means more roof area for the same footprint. The calculator applies this automatically in footprint mode.

How much waste should I add for shingles?

A 10–15% waste allowance is typical; 12% is a good default. Add more for cut-up roofs with many valleys, hips, and dormers, and for starter and ridge cap coverage.

How many squares is my roof?

Divide your total sloped roof area by 100. If you only know the footprint, multiply by the pitch factor first. A simple 1,600 ft² footprint at a 6/12 pitch is about 17.9 squares before waste.

Run every job from one simple app

This calculator is one of the trade tools inside ServicePros Hub — proposals, scheduling, invoicing, and card payments for home-service pros. One flat price. No tiers, no add-ons.

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