How do I Determine How Many Roof Shingles I Need?

The easiest way to determine how many roof shingles you need is to call a roofing contractor and let them do it for you! However, if you are a do-it-yourselfer, you will need to choose your shingles (they are available in different sizes), determine how many square inches will be visible after overlapping (shingles are laid in an overlapping pattern to prevent water from getting in the cracks between them). Next, you will measure the length and width of the roof area that needs to be shingled. Multiply the length by the width to get the square footage. Then, divide the footage of your roof by the "visible" square footage of the shingle. This is the number of shingles you need. for example: You have a 20 ft by 20 ft roof. The shingle you want to use will have 6 in by 6 in visible space after overlapping. 20ft x 20ft= 400 square feet. 6in x 6in = 36 square in. (or 3 square feet) 400 divided by 3 is 133 and 1/3-you need approximately 134 shingles. You can find more information at http://www.howtoshingle.com/...