During a roofing project, you may hear terms thrown around that you don’t understand. While this is a common experience for homeowners, we feel that roofing education is the most effective way to protect your home and yourself.
Today, we’re going to help you understand some common roofing terms you may encounter during a roofing project. What is a roofing square? How does it impact your home? How does it relate to shingle bundles? All these questions and more will be addressed in our guide here!
So, What Is a Roofing Square?
In basic terms, a roofing square is a 10×10-foot (100 total square feet) square on your roof. The total number of roofing squares on your roof helps inform the amount of roofing materials you’ll need for either a significant roofing repair or a roof replacement.
This measurement can be used to determine the number of shingle bundles, underlayment, and other installation tools required for your roofing project. So, if you hear your roofer say your home has 15 roofing squares, that means your roof requires 1,500 square feet worth of materials to complete your roof installation.
How Are Roofing Squares Calculated?
In order to accurately calculate your home’s roofing squares, you need to have specialized measuring tools and equipment on hand. However, if you want to get a rough estimate, there are ways to calculate your roof’s square footage without professional assistance.
Please note that this calculation may not be entirely accurate, but it should be somewhat close.
- First, you’ll want to multiply the width and length of your home together. This will give you your home’s “footprint.” Don’t forget to include all roofing parts, including overhang, in your calculations. A common mistake is just measuring along the home’s walls rather than taking the entire roof into account.
- Next, you’ll want to try to determine the slope of your roof. We don’t recommend getting on your roof as this is a dangerous task, but as a rough estimate, you can multiply your home’s footprint by 1.3 if you have a standard, walkable roof. More complex roofs can have a multiplier as high as 1.6 to 1.8.
- Optionally, if you have tools that allow you to measure each section of your roof from the ground (such as the measuring tool on your phone), you can multiply the width and length of each section and then add them together to get the total square footage.
- Finally, take the total number you have (for example, 2,000 square feet) and divide it by 100 to get the number of roofing squares. So 2,000 would equal 20 roofing squares.
What Is a Shingle Bundle?
When you have a roofer out to measure your roof, you may hear them toss around the term “shingle bundle” or just “bundle” about the number of roofing squares your home has. This term is referring to the fact that shingles are often sold as a package—or bundle—rather than individually.
The number of shingles in a bundle will vary depending on the manufacturer. For example, a company using ShingleMaster Certified products will have a different number of shingles per bundle than a company using another roofing brand.
How Many Bundles Are in a Roofing Square?
Because each manufacturer has a different number of shingles per bundle, it’s hard to say exactly how many bundles are in a roofing square. However, most manufacturers try to have their bundle cover about 33 square feet of roofing. So, if a roofing square covers 100 square feet of your roof, you can expect that 3 to 4 bundles are needed to cover one roofing square.
Tip: It’s never a bad idea to purchase more bundles than you may need. Any extra shingles can be saved in a dark, dry area and used in case you need a roof repair in the future.
Reasons Why Roofing Squares Don’t Equal Home Square Footage
Now, after all this math we’ve presented, you may be wondering why you can’t just use your home’s square footage to determine your roofing squares. Unfortunately, a home’s square footage does not equal your roofing square footage—in fact, the number can be quite different. Here are a few reasons why this is the case.
1. Roof Shape
Most homes have a sloped roof, and your roof may even have several sections and slopes to it. Because of this, your home’s roof is going to have a different square footage than your home.
Even if you have a one-story, square home, the slope of your roof could have more square footage than your floor, causing a difference between home square footage and roofing squares.
2. Multiple Floors
While not as common in Florida, two- or multi-story homes are going to have square footage that includes all the floors of your home. But your roof only covers the top floor of the building. In these cases, the square footage of your home is going to be much higher than your roof’s square footage.
3. Unfinished Rooms
In some homes, your roof may cover areas of your home that are not included in your home’s square footage (also known as unfinished rooms). These rooms could include your garage, patio, attic, basement, and more. However, your roof needs to be large enough to cover these areas. So while it may not be included in your home’s square footage, your roofer will consider these areas during a roofing project.
We Handle the Math, so You Can Enjoy Your Roof
We know that there have been a lot of calculations in this guide, and that can be overwhelming when you’re trying to plan a roofing project. That’s why our team at McFall handles the calculations for you during your roofing project. We keep in contact with you, so you know exactly what our plan is, but you don’t have to worry about hours spent measuring your roof yourself.
Whether you need an inspection to plan for a future project or are replacing your roof, we make the process seamless and stress-free. Get in touch with us today to get a free estimate for your next project!