How Many Shingles for a 12x16 Shed Roof?
Roofing squares needed
2.2 squares
A 12 by 16 foot shed at a 4/12 pitch with ten percent waste.
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How that number is worked out
These are the figures this page was built with and every line the calculator produces from them. Change anything above and all of it moves.
- Building length12 ft
- Building width16 ft
- Roof pitch, rise per 12 in4 /12
- Waste allowance10 %
- Ridge length, 0 if unknown16 ft
Roofing squares needed2.2 squares
| Footprint area | 192 sq ft |
|---|---|
| Slope multiplier at 4/12 | 1.05 x |
| Actual roof surface | 202 sq ft |
| Squares before waste | 2 |
| Squares with 10% waste | 2.2order to this number |
The material list this produces
| Shingles, bundles (3 per square) | 7 |
|---|---|
| Synthetic underlayment, rolls (10 sq each) | 1 |
| Starter strip, linear ft | 60 |
| Ridge cap, linear ft | 16 |
| Drip edge, linear ft | 56 |
| Roofing nails, lb | 5 |
Roof pitch compared
Pitch is the number most people guess at, and it is worth more shingles than any other input. Same house, five pitches.
| Roof pitch | Roofing squares needed |
|---|---|
| 4/12 | 2.2 squares |
| 6/12 | 2.4 squares |
| 8/12 | 2.5 squares |
| 10/12 | 2.7 squares |
| 12/12 | 3 squares |
What else matters here
A hundred and ninety two square feet of footprint at 4/12 is 202 square feet of roof and 2.2 squares with waste, which is seven bundles.
This calculator assumes a gable, meaning two planes meeting at a ridge. Many sheds this size are built with a single sloping plane instead, which is confusingly also called a shed roof, and the arithmetic changes in two places.
The surface is the same, because a single plane over the same footprint at the same pitch covers the same area. What goes away is the ridge cap, since there is no ridge, and what appears instead is a longer run of drip edge along the high edge and usually a flashing detail where the high wall meets the roof. Ignore the ridge cap line on the material list and add a piece of edge metal for the top.
What this calculator assumes
- Footprint times the slope multiplier gives the actual roof surface. A 6/12 roof is 11.8 percent larger than the ground it covers, which is the number most people forget.
- Three bundles per square is standard for both three tab and architectural shingles. Check your brand, a few premium lines run four.
- Synthetic underlayment is figured at 10 squares per roll, starter and ridge cap at one linear foot per foot.
Questions people ask
How many bundles of shingles for a 12x16 shed?
About 7 bundles at a 4/12 pitch with ten percent waste, which is 2.2 squares.
Does a single slope roof need ridge cap?
No. With only one plane there is no ridge, so the cap comes off the list and edge metal goes along the high side instead.
Is a single slope roof cheaper than a gable?
Slightly, on materials, because there is no ridge cap and no ridge vent. The surface area over the same footprint and pitch is identical.
The roofing calculator takes any dimensions you like and hands back the same list.