How Many Shingles for a 1,300 Square Foot House?
Roofing squares needed
16 squares
A 1,300 square foot footprint, 52 by 25, at a 6/12 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 length52 ft
- Building width25 ft
- Roof pitch, rise per 12 in6 /12
- Waste allowance10 %
- Ridge length, 0 if unknown52 ft
Roofing squares needed16 squares
| Footprint area | 1,300 sq ft |
|---|---|
| Slope multiplier at 6/12 | 1.12 x |
| Actual roof surface | 1,453 sq ft |
| Squares before waste | 14.5 |
| Squares with 10% waste | 16order to this number |
The material list this produces
| Shingles, bundles (3 per square) | 48 |
|---|---|
| Synthetic underlayment, rolls (10 sq each) | 2 |
| Starter strip, linear ft | 180 |
| Ridge cap, linear ft | 52 |
| Drip edge, linear ft | 154 |
| Roofing nails, lb | 35 |
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 | 15.1 squares |
| 6/12 | 16 squares |
| 8/12 | 17.2 squares |
| 10/12 | 18.6 squares |
| 12/12 | 20.2 squares |
What else matters here
Thirteen hundred square feet of footprint at 6/12 is 1,453 square feet of roof, exactly sixteen squares with waste, forty eight bundles.
In any region with a history of ice damming, part of that roof gets a self adhering ice and water membrane instead of ordinary underlayment. The code requirement in those areas is that it run from the eave edge to a line at least twenty four inches inside the exterior wall, measured along the slope.
On a roof with an overhang and any real pitch, twenty four inches inside the wall means more than one three foot course at the eave, and this is where it usually gets shorted. The same membrane belongs in every valley and around every penetration whatever the climate. It is the one material on the roof that seals around a nail shank, which is exactly what is needed where water is likely to stand or back up.
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 1,300 sq ft house?
About 48 bundles at a 6/12 pitch with ten percent waste, which is 16 squares.
Where is ice and water shield required?
In cold climates, from the eave edge to at least 24 inches inside the exterior wall line measured up the slope. Check the local code, since the adopted edition and any amendment govern.
Should I use ice and water shield in a warm climate?
Not across the field, but yes in valleys and around penetrations. It is the only underlayment that seals around a nail, which is what those areas need.
The roofing calculator takes any dimensions you like and hands back the same list.