What Is A Roofing Square?
A roofing square refers to a 10-foot by 10-foot area of your roof (or 100 square feet). We use roofing squares to calculate the overall size of your roof and estimate how much material we need to order for your roofing project.
How Your Roof Is Measured With Roofing Squares:
Calculate Total Square Footage. To calculate the number of roofing squares on your roof, you’ll need to know the total square footage first. We don’t recommend doing this alone due to the danger of climbing on top of your house. It’s best to hire a professional with the proper tools and expertise to measure your roof for you.
They will measure the length and width of each section of the roof. A simple gable roof, for example, will have two sections (or planes), but a more complex roof may have several sections that need to be measured separately. Once they have the measurements for each section, they will calculate the square footage by multiplying the length and width and adding them together.
Calculate Roofing Square. This step is relatively simple. Once you have the total square footage of your roof, divide that number by 100 to calculate the number of roofing squares. So three roofing squares are 300 square feet. If your roof’s total square footage is 2,000 sq ft, it would equal 20 roofing squares (2,000 / 100 = 20).
Measure Pitch. The pitch refers to the steepness of your roof. The pitch is important because it affects the amount of roofing material needed and can also impact the cost of labor for installation. Your contractor will measure your roof’s pitch using a special tool called a pitch gauge or a level and tape measure.
Roofing Squares to Square Feet
One roofing square is equal to 100 square feet. So if your roof measures ten roofing squares, it’s 1,000 square feet (10 x 100 = 1,000).
How Many Bundles of Roofing are in a Square?
The number of bundles in a roofing square will vary depending on the material used. Generally, it takes about three bundles of standard asphalt shingles to cover one roofing square. But for other materials, such as wood shakes or metal panels, it may be different. Your contractor will be able to give you an estimate based on the specific materials and project.
How Many Shingles are in a Square?
Again, this will vary depending on the type and size of shingles used, but there are typically about 29 individual shingles in one bundle of standard asphalt shingles. So if three bundles are needed to cover one roofing square, that would be approximately 87 shingles. The number of shingles in a square can widely vary from about 57 (for large shingles) to 87 (for standard-sized shingles).
How Much Does a Roofing Square Cost?
The cost of a roofing square will depend on various factors, including the type and quality of materials, the roof’s pitch and complexity, and the labor cost. Your contractor should be able to give you an estimate for the price per roofing square for your specific project.
It’s important to remember that the overall cost of a roofing project will not be based solely on the number of squares. The roof’s pitch and complexity can impact the labor and material costs, so make sure to consider those as well when getting estimates from contractors.
Contact A Professional To Measure Your Roof
As we mentioned earlier in this article, measuring your roof and calculating the number of roofing squares can be dangerous, so it’s best to leave it to the professionals. They will have the proper tools and expertise to accurately measure your roof and determine the material needs for your project. Don’t risk injury!
If you’re in New Jersey and need to determine the size of your roof, contact Alte Exteriors today. We have been in business for over 50 years and have the experience and expertise to handle any roofing project. Our team will ensure your roof is measured correctly and that you have all the materials necessary for a successful installation. Give us a call at 908-495-7345 or fill out this form to schedule an appointment.