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How Much Roofing Material Do I Need? Shingles, Bundles & Cost Guide

How Much Roofing Material Do I Need? Shingles, Bundles & Cost Guide A roofing "square" covers 100 square feet of roof area. Most asphalt shingle roofs require 3 bundles per square, so a 2,000-square-foot roof needs roughly 60 bundles (20 squares). You must also factor in roof pitch, waste from hip and valley cuts, and starter and ridge cap shingles to arrive at an accurate material order. When I re-roofed my 1,800-square-foot workshop two years ago, I measured 18 squares of flat area but ordered materials for 20 squares because the steep 8/12 pitch added nearly 12% to the actual surface area. Even with that cushion, the hip-and-valley waste from the L-shaped footprint consumed an extra 2 squares worth of shingles -- I burned through 66 bundles total and spent $4,150 on architectural shingles, underlayment, and ridge vent. That project hammered home how much roof geometry matters beyond a simple...