ShingleTally is an independent site that works out roofing quantities — squares, bundles, starter, cap, underlayment and nails.
It exists because the answers to these questions are mostly published somewhere already — in code tables, manufacturer datasheets and industry standards — and almost none of it is available in a form you can actually use while standing in a merchant's yard.
Where the numbers come from
- the pitch factor √(1 + (rise/12)²), which is geometry rather than an estimate
- IRC R905 for underlayment and ice barrier requirements
- standard bundle coverage of three bundles per square for architectural shingle
Every page states the source and the assumptions behind its figures, because a number without its assumptions is not much use. Where a constant is a convention rather than a measurement, we say so.
Footprint is not roof area…
Footprint is not roof area. A 40 × 30 ft house covers 1,200 ft² of ground but 1,442 ft² of roof at an 8/12 pitch — two and a half squares nobody ordered, before waste is counted.
What this site does not do
We do not advise on structural repairs to a roof deck or on whether a roof can take a second layer. Both need someone on the roof looking at it.
Who runs it
One person, working on this alongside other things. There is no editorial team and we are not going to invent one — what should earn your trust is that every figure on the site names the standard it came from, so you can check it yourself.
Calculations are written as code and tested against every combination they can produce, rather than typed into a page by hand. When we get something wrong we correct it and leave a note.
How it is paid for
ShingleTally is free to read and funded by display advertising. There are no sponsored placements and no affiliate links on the site; nothing here changes based on who sells the product.
Getting in touch
Corrections and questions go to [email protected]. Corrections are the most useful thing you can send — see the editorial policy for how we handle them.