How Many Shingles for a 1,600 Square Foot House?
Roofing squares needed
19.7 squares
A 1,600 square foot footprint, 40 by 40, 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 length40 ft
- Building width40 ft
- Roof pitch, rise per 12 in6 /12
- Waste allowance10 %
- Ridge length, 0 if unknown40 ft
Roofing squares needed19.7 squares
| Footprint area | 1,600 sq ft |
|---|---|
| Slope multiplier at 6/12 | 1.12 x |
| Actual roof surface | 1,789 sq ft |
| Squares before waste | 17.9 |
| Squares with 10% waste | 19.7order to this number |
The material list this produces
| Shingles, bundles (3 per square) | 60 |
|---|---|
| Synthetic underlayment, rolls (10 sq each) | 2 |
| Starter strip, linear ft | 180 |
| Ridge cap, linear ft | 40 |
| Drip edge, linear ft | 160 |
| Roofing nails, lb | 43 |
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 | 18.6 squares |
| 6/12 | 19.7 squares |
| 8/12 | 21.2 squares |
| 10/12 | 22.9 squares |
| 12/12 | 24.9 squares |
What else matters here
Sixteen hundred square feet of footprint at 6/12 is 1,789 square feet of roof, 19.7 squares with waste, sixty bundles.
Sixty bundles is around twenty four hundred nails at four per shingle, which is the standard pattern, and six per shingle in high wind zones or on steep slopes. The material list figures 43 pounds of coil nails for this roof, which is roughly two boxes.
Where the nails go matters more than how many. Every shingle has a nail line printed or embossed on it, and on a laminated shingle that line is over the double thickness and just below the sealant strip. A nail above it misses the course below entirely and holds only one layer. A nail below it goes through the exposed part and will leak. Overdriven nails cut through the mat and underdriven ones leave a hump that telegraphs through the course above, so the compressor gets set for the deck and checked again after the first bundle.
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 1,600 sq ft house?
About 60 bundles at a 6/12 pitch with ten percent waste, which is 19.7 squares.
How many nails per shingle?
Four in a standard installation and six in high wind areas or on steep slopes. The manufacturer's instruction governs, and the six nail pattern is often required for the full wind warranty.
Where do roofing nails go on a shingle?
On the nail line printed on the shingle, which sits over the double thickness just below the sealant strip. Above it the nail holds only one layer, below it the nail is exposed to water.
The roofing calculator takes any dimensions you like and hands back the same list.