 To determine how many roofing squares you need for your project,
enter the measurements—rounded to the nearest foot—into our pop-up calculator.
A 10 percent waste allowance is automatically added to the total.
Tips on Measuring for Roofing
To accurately calculate the area of your roof, you must first determine
its slope, or pitch. Roof pitches are described in terms of rise and run.
The run is the distance from the outside edge of a perimeter stud wall to
the center of the house. The rise is the distance from the top of a stud
wall to the peak of the roof. A roof’s pitch is determined by how much it
rises for every foot it runs. Thus, a moderate 6 in 12 roof pitch means
the roof rises 6 inches for every 12 horizontal inches it runs. A 12 in 12
pitch is a steep, 45-degree angle roof. Roof Pitch
Use one of these three methods to calculate your roof’s pitch. You’ll need
a level and a tape measure or ruler. Mark a spot on the bottom of the
level, 12 inches from one end.
- On a ladder beside the roof, place the level a foot or so up the roof,
hold it level, and measure from the 12-inch mark on the bottom straight
down to the roof. If it measures 4 inches, you have a 4 in 12 pitch;
8 inches and you have an 8 in 12 pitch.
- On a ladder at the gable end of your house, place the level against
the rake rafter (the one on the roof overhang) with the 12-inch mark
on the rafter’s bottom edge. Now measure from the end of the level up
to the bottom edge of the rafter. That is the roof’s rise.
- In the attic, place the level against a rafter with the 12-inch mark
on the bottom of the rafter. Measure from the end of the level up to
the bottom edge of the rafter. That is the roof’s rise.
Roof Area
Flat Roofs
If your roof is flat or has no more than a 3 in 12 pitch, you can calculate its
total square footage by simply multiplying the length by the width.
Steeper Roofs
Measure your house at ground level, then add in the roof’s overhang for
greater accuracy. As an example, if the roof overhang is 12 inches, you’ll
add 2 feet to the overall length and 2 feet to the overall width of the
house. This nominal square footage amount is then multiplied by a factor
associated with the roof’s pitch. (Note: These factors are listed to the
right for your reference. They will be integrated into the calculator when
you provide your roof pitch selections.) |
|
| Pitch |
Multiply by: |
| 4 in 12 |
1.06 |
| 5 in 12 |
1.08 |
| 6 in 12 |
1.12 |
| 7 in 12 |
1.16 |
| 8 in 12 |
1.20 |
| 9 in 12 |
1.25 |
| 10 in 12 |
1.30 |
| 11 in 12 |
1.36 |
| 12 in 12 |
1.42 |
|
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