How Many Bundles of Shingles Do I Need for a 2,000 Sq Ft Roof?

The quick answer

If the roof itself measures 2,000 sq ft, that's 20 roofing squares. At three bundles per square you need 60 bundles, or 66 bundles with the usual 10% for waste on a simple gable roof. A hip roof with valleys needs about 15% extra, which comes to 69 bundles.

If it's the house that measures 2,000 sq ft, the roof is bigger than that. Overhangs and the slope add area, so a typical single-story 2,000 sq ft house with a 6/12 roof needs about 81 bundles. The table below covers other pitches, or you can enter your own measurements in our roofing calculator.

Squares and bundles in plain English

Roofers measure in squares. One square covers 100 sq ft of roof surface. Most asphalt shingles, both 3-tab and architectural, come three bundles to the square, so each bundle covers about 33⅓ sq ft. Both GAF and Owens Corning use this rule in their own estimating guides.

There are exceptions. Some heavy designer and luxury shingles pack four or even five bundles to the square, because each bundle would otherwise be too heavy to carry up a ladder. Always check the coverage printed on the wrapper before you multiply.

A 2,000 sq ft house is not a 2,000 sq ft roof

This is where most estimates go wrong. Square footage on a listing is the living area of the house. To get the roof area, you need to add two things:

• Overhangs. Eaves usually stick out 12–24 inches past the walls on every side. On a 50 × 40 ft house, a 12-inch overhang turns 2,000 sq ft of footprint into 2,184 sq ft of roof plan.
• Slope. A pitched roof is longer than the flat footprint under it. Multiply the plan area by the pitch factor, √(1 + (rise ÷ 12)²). At 6/12 the factor is 1.118, so the roof surface is about 12% bigger than its plan.

A two-story 2,000 sq ft house is a different story: the footprint is only about 1,000 sq ft. A 40 × 25 ft two-story house with a 6/12 roof and 12-inch overhangs has about 1,268 sq ft of roof, or 42 bundles with 10% waste.

Bundles for a single-story 2,000 sq ft house by roof pitch

These figures are for a 50 × 40 ft single-story house with a simple gable roof and 12-inch overhangs. Bundle counts include 10% waste, rounded up.

Going from a low 4/12 roof to a steep 12/12 roof on the same house adds 26 bundles. If your house has a hip roof, dormers or valleys, use 15% waste instead of 10%. At 6/12 that raises the order from 81 to 85 bundles. For any other size or shape, plug your numbers into the roofing calculator. It also estimates underlayment and the installed cost.

Everything else on the order

Field shingles are only part of the job. For the same 50 × 40 ft house at 6/12, the rest of the shopping list looks like this:

• Starter strip along the eaves and usually the rakes too. That's about 104 ft of eaves plus 94 ft of rakes, or roughly 200 linear feet. Starter bundles typically cover 100–120 ft each, so plan on two.
• Hip and ridge cap. The ridge on this house is 52 ft long. Ridge cap bundles usually cover 20–33 linear feet depending on the product, so you need two or three bundles. Hip roofs need much more, because every hip line is capped too.
• Underlayment. Most synthetic rolls cover 10 squares, so 2,686 sq ft (including waste) needs three rolls. The International Residential Code requires two layers on slopes between 2/12 and 4/12, which doubles the order (IRC Section R905.2).
• Ice barrier. In areas with a history of ice dams, the IRC requires a self-adhering ice barrier from the eave edge to at least 24 inches inside the exterior wall. Measure that distance along the slope. On a roof with a wide overhang, one 3 ft course often isn't enough.
• Drip edge. The IRC requires drip edge at eaves and rake edges. That's the same 200 linear feet as the starter strip, or 20 ten-foot pieces.
• Nails. The code calls for at least four nails per strip shingle, and more in high-wind zones or where the manufacturer says so. With about 63 shingles per square, that's roughly 250 nails per square.

How to measure your own roof safely

You don't need to climb onto the roof to get a good estimate. Measure the outside walls of the house at ground level, add the overhang on each side and multiply by the pitch factor. You can find the pitch from the attic: measure how far the rafter rises over 12 inches of horizontal run. Alternatively, hold a level against a gable end and measure from the bubble-level line to the roof edge.

For roofs with lots of sections, many shingle manufacturers and suppliers sell aerial measurement reports for a small fee. They're accurate to within a few percent and handy for checking a contractor's quote.

Before you order

• Buy from one production run. Shingle colour varies slightly between batches, so order everything at once and check the lot numbers on the bundles.
• Plan for the weight. Architectural shingles weigh roughly 65–80 lb per bundle (GAF lists its Timberline HDZ at about 70 lb). Eighty-one bundles is close to three tons, so ask for rooftop delivery if you can.
• Check your attic while the roof is open. A reroof is the cheapest moment to fix ventilation and top up attic insulation. Our insulation calculator shows how much you'd save, and our guide to insulation materials compares the options.
• Keep a few spare bundles. Unopened bundles can often be returned, and a couple of leftover shingles make future repairs match.

Sources & further reading

1. How Many Bundles of Shingles Are in a Square? — GAF
2. DIY Roofing Tools — Owens Corning
3. International Residential Code 2021, Chapter 9: Roof Assemblies (Section R905.2) — International Code Council
4. GAF Timberline HDZ Shingles: product listing (33.33 sq ft per bundle) — The Home Depot