When you hear something you don't understand regarding your roof's rough estimate, you question the contractor, "How to calculate roof squares?"

Trying to figure out how much a new roof will cost is a daunting task, and you're undoubtedly feeling the effects of that. You must first determine the size of your roof in order to estimate the cost of a roof replacement. So we're going to break down the process of measuring your roof squares.

What is a Roof Square?

It is common practice to measure the surface area of roofs using "squares."

In the roofing sector, the area of one hundred square feet of a roof is equivalent to one roofing square.

The number of squares on the gable roof example shown in this article may be calculated by dividing 2400 square feet by 100.

This means that a total of 24 shingles will be required to finish the roof construction. To consider the cost of trimming, round up the total cost of your materials to the nearest 10–15 percent as a factor of waste.

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How To Calculate Roof Squares With Waste Factor

A decent rule of thumb is between 10 and 15 percent; however, your actual results may vary from this range. Because there are often more shingles that need to be trimmed to fit around corners, walls, and edges of more intricate roofs, the overall waste factor will be larger.

It is not a problem if you miss a few shingles from your order. They should be stored away in case there is damage to the roof in the future or if there is a need for repairs in the future.

Consequently, in the case of the roof with 24 squares, you will need to add 2.4 squares, equivalent to around 7 or 8 more bundles.

How Much Roofing Underlayment Do I Need?

If you are also going to be installing roofing underlayment, then you will need precisely the same quantity of underlayment in order to cover the roof deck.

For the example of a gable roof that covers 2400 square feet shown on this page, you will need 24 squares of roofing underlayment.

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How Many Squares Are There On An Underlayment?

The width of the roll varies according to the type of underlayment product. Synthetic underlayment is sold in square rolls of 10 square feet each, while traditional #15 felt is sold in square rolls of 4 square feet each.

The synthetic underlayment is available in 10 square rolls, but the conventional #15 felt is only available in 4 square rolls.

24 squares ÷ 10 squares per roll = 2.4 rolls of synthetic underlayment

24 squares ÷ 4 squares per roll = 6 rolls of regular #15 felt

Keep in mind that you need to add an additional 10–15 percent for the waste factor on the underlayment.

In conclusion, if you have any inquiries about your estimate, you should consult a local roofing contractor. The majority of them will not mind providing you with a cost estimate at all.