Roofing & Gutters
Shingle Calculator
Enter the roof surface in square feet, the total length of eaves and rakes, the length of ridges and hips, and your waste percentage. You get bundles of field shingles, starter and ridge cap, and rolls of underlayment.
Worked example
- 2,200 sq ft / 100 = 22.00 squares; plus 10% = 24.20 squares.
- Standard shingles come 3 bundles to a square: 24.20 x 3 = 73 bundles (rounded up).
- Starter: 180 lin ft / about 105 ft per bundle = 2. Ridge cap: 40 / about 33 ft = 2.
Common sizes at a glance
| Size | Shingle bundles | Squares (with waste) | Starter bundles | Ridge cap bundles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 sq ft roof | 33 | 11.00 | -0 | -0 |
| 1,500 sq ft roof | 50 | 16.50 | -0 | -0 |
| 2,000 sq ft roof | 66 | 22.00 | -0 | -0 |
| 2,500 sq ft roof | 83 | 27.50 | -0 | -0 |
| 3,000 sq ft roof | 99 | 33.00 | -0 | -0 |
Start with roof surface, not house size
The area here is the sloped surface of the roof. If you only know the house dimensions, get the surface first with the roof square footage calculator, which applies the pitch for you.
Edges are measured in linear feet. Eaves are the low horizontal edges, rakes are the sloped edges at gable ends, and ridges and hips are the peaks where planes meet.
Bundles per square
Standard three-tab and most architectural shingles come 3 bundles to a square. The example roof of 2,200 sq ft is 22 squares, 24.20 with 10% waste, and that becomes 73 bundles after rounding up.
Some heavy designer shingles pack 4 or 5 bundles to a square. Check the wrapper. If yours differs, multiply squares by the number on the package instead.
Choosing a waste figure
Waste covers cut-offs at rakes, valleys and hips, plus a few damaged pieces. A plain gable roof with long straight runs wastes little. A cut-up roof with dormers, valleys and hips wastes much more, so raise the percentage.
- Simple gable: low end of the waste range
- Hips and valleys: middle of the range
- Many dormers, turrets or short runs: high end
- Keep one unopened bundle for repairs if returns are allowed
The accessories people forget
Starter strip runs along eaves and often rakes; we assume about 105 ft per bundle, so 180 ft of edges needs 2 bundles. Ridge cap covers ridges and hips at about 33 ft per bundle. Underlayment comes in rolls; we use 400 sq ft rolls, which gives 7 for the example.
You will also need drip edge, nails, flashing and vents. The attic ventilation calculator sizes the vents. For the full job with labor at roofer wages, see the roof replacement cost calculator.
Questions
How many bundles of shingles for a 1,500 sq ft roof?
With 10% waste, 16.50 squares, or 50 bundles at 3 per square.
Can I use cut field shingles as starter or ridge cap?
Some three-tab shingles can be cut for that, but many architectural shingles need the matching starter and cap product. Follow the shingle maker's instructions.
Is roof work a DIY job?
Some homeowners do it, but falls are a real hazard. The local building code and a licensed professional have the final word on roof work.
How this works: formulas and typical values are listed on our method page; every data source and its license is on sources.
Last reviewed November 2026.