Roofing Material List for a Shingle Roof (Complete Takeoff Guide)

A solid roofing estimate starts with a complete material list. Miss something on the takeoff and you’re either making an extra supply run mid-job, eating the cost yourself, or issuing a change order that makes you look like you didn’t know what you were doing.

I’ve been in the trades over 20 years. Roofing isn’t my primary trade, but I’ve managed enough roof replacements and helped enough contractors build estimates to know the common gaps. The items people forget aren’t the obvious ones. Nobody forgets to order shingles. The misses are the drip edge, the ice and water shield, the pipe boots, the ridge vent, the right nails for high-wind zones. Those small items add up fast, and when you’re short on any one of them, the whole job stalls.

This is the complete roofing material list for a standard asphalt shingle roof replacement, with quantity calculations so you know exactly how much of each item to order. Use this alongside our roofing calculator to get the full takeoff dialed in.

The Complete Roofing Material List

Here’s every material category you need for a full shingle roof replacement, from tear-off to ridge cap:

1. Asphalt shingles
2. Underlayment (felt or synthetic)
3. Ice and water shield
4. Drip edge
5. Starter shingles
6. Ridge cap shingles
7. Ridge vent
8. Roofing nails
9. Pipe boots (pipe jacks)
10. Step flashing
11. Counter flashing
12. Valley flashing or valley metal
13. Plywood or OSB decking (for rot or damage)
14. Cap nails (for underlayment)
15. Roofing caulk and sealant

Let’s go through each one with quantity guidance.

Shingles

Asphalt shingles are ordered by the square (100 sq ft). Most architectural shingles come 3 bundles per square. Some premium shingles run 4 bundles per square. Check the manufacturer’s spec sheet if you’re not sure.

How to calculate:

1. Get total roof area in squares (use our roofing calculator or measure manually)
2. Apply a waste factor based on roof complexity:
   • Simple gable roof (2 planes): 10%
   • Standard hip roof: 12-15%
   • Complex roof with dormers, multiple valleys: 15-20%
3. Multiply: Squares x waste factor = total squares to order
4. Convert to bundles: Total squares x 3 (or 4 for premium)

Example for a 20-square hip roof:

• 20 squares x 1.15 (15% waste) = 23 squares
• 23 squares x 3 bundles = 69 bundles

Price range: $35-$55 per bundle for architectural shingles, $25-$35 for 3-tab.

Underlayment

Underlayment goes down over the decking before the shingles. You have two main options:

Felt underlayment (15# or 30#)

• 15# felt: 1 roll covers about 400 sq ft (4 squares)
• 30# felt: 1 roll covers about 200 sq ft (2 squares)
• Cheaper but tears easily in wind, harder to work with
• 15# is minimum code in most areas, 30# is preferred

Synthetic underlayment

• 1 roll covers 1,000 sq ft (10 squares)
• Lighter, stronger, more tear-resistant, slip-resistant surface for the crew
• Better moisture protection if shingles go on days later
• Worth the extra cost on most jobs

How to calculate:

• Total roof area in squares / squares per roll = rolls needed
• Add 10% for overlap and waste

Example for 20-square roof:

• Synthetic: 20 squares / 10 squares per roll = 2 rolls + 10% = 2.2 rolls (order 3)
• 30# felt: 20 squares / 2 squares per roll = 10 rolls + 10% = 11 rolls

Ice and Water Shield

Ice and water shield is a self-adhering membrane installed at the eaves, in valleys, around penetrations, and along rakes in cold climates. It’s required by code in most areas with freezing temperatures. Even in mild climates, I’d use it at eaves and valleys on every job. It’s cheap insurance.

Where it goes:

• Eaves: minimum 24 inches past the inside of the exterior wall (typically 3-6 feet up from the edge)
• Valleys: 18-24 inches on each side of the valley centerline
• Around chimneys, skylights, and other penetrations
• Rakes in high wind zones

How it comes: 1 roll is typically 2 squares (200 sq ft). Some brands run 1.5 squares per roll.

How to calculate:

• Eave coverage: linear feet of eaves x 3 ft width / 100 = squares at eaves
• Valley coverage: linear feet of valleys x 3 ft / 100 = squares at valleys
• Add penetration coverage

Quick rule for most houses: figure 3-5 rolls for a standard 20-25 square house in a climate with freezing temps.

Drip Edge

Drip edge is the metal flashing that runs along the eaves and rakes to direct water off the roof edge and into the gutters. It’s required by current code (IRC 2012 and later) on all eaves and rakes. On older jobs you’ll often find drip edge only at the eaves. Replace it on both when you’re doing a full re-roof.

Installation sequence matters:

• At eaves: drip edge goes on first, underlayment laps over the top
• At rakes: underlayment goes on first, drip edge laps over the underlayment

How to calculate:

• Measure total linear feet of eaves + linear feet of rakes
• Standard pieces are 10 feet long
• Divide total LF by 10 and add 10% for cuts and overlap

Example for 20-square house (100 LF eaves + 80 LF rakes):

• 180 LF total / 10 ft per piece = 18 pieces
• Add 10%: 18 x 1.10 = 20 pieces

Price range: $5-$10 per 10-foot piece depending on gauge and profile.

Starter Shingles

Starter shingles (or starter strips) go along the eaves and rakes as the first layer before the field shingles. They seal the bottom edge and cover the joints in the first course of field shingles.

How to calculate:

• Measure total linear feet of eaves + rakes
• 1 bundle covers about 100-105 linear feet
• Divide total LF by 105 and round up

Example for the same 180 LF:

• 180 / 105 = 1.7 bundles, order 2 bundles

Some roofers use cut-down regular shingles as starters. Pre-made starter strips are faster to install and more consistent.

Ridge Cap Shingles

Ridge cap shingles cover the peak of the roof where two planes meet. You can use pre-made ridge cap bundles or cut them from regular shingles, but pre-made is faster and the result is cleaner.

How to calculate:

• Measure total linear feet of ridge (hip ridges included on hip roofs)
• 1 bundle of ridge cap covers 20-25 linear feet
• Divide total ridge LF by 22 (middle of the range) and round up

Example (30 LF ridge + 40 LF hip ridges = 70 LF total):

• 70 / 22 = 3.2 bundles, order 4 bundles

Price range: $35-$55 per bundle.

Ridge Vent

If the attic is ventilated through the ridge (which is the standard and most effective approach), you’ll need ridge vent material along the full length of the ridge.

How it comes: By the linear foot in 4-foot sections, or in roll form. Shingle-over ridge vent is the most common residential product.

How to calculate:

• Total linear feet of ridge = LF of ridge vent needed
• Order the same linear footage, plus a few feet for end caps and overlap

Price range: $3-$6 per linear foot installed. A 30-foot ridge needs about 8 sections of 4-foot vent.

Note: If the house uses a different ventilation system (gable vents, box vents, power fans), you won’t need ridge vent. But if you’re doing a full re-roof, it’s worth recommending an upgrade to ridge vent if it’s not already there. It’s the most effective passive ventilation method and it doesn’t cost much to include.

Roofing Nails

Nail quantities depend on how many nails per shingle and what the wind zone requires.

Standard nailing: 4 nails per shingle High wind zone (HVHZ and others): 6 nails per shingle

How to calculate (standard):

• Each square of 3-tab shingles = roughly 240 nails
• Each square of architectural shingles = roughly 320-400 nails
• 1 box of 1-1/4” coil nails (5 lbs) covers about 2-3 squares

For a 20-square roof with architectural shingles:

• 20 squares x 360 nails average = 7,200 nails
• 7,200 / ~500 nails per 5-lb box = about 14-15 boxes
• Order 15 boxes (also accounts for starter nails and flashing)

Use 1-1/4” nails for new decking, 1-3/4” or longer if decking is questionable. Check local code and manufacturer requirements.

Pipe Boots (Pipe Jacks)

Pipe boots seal the gap around plumbing vents that penetrate the roof. Count every vent pipe coming through the roof and that’s your number.

What to look for: Plumbing vents are the gray or black pipes coming up through the roof. Most houses have 2-5 of them. A bigger house with multiple bathrooms may have more.

Types:

• Standard rubber boot (most common, works for 1.5-3” pipes): $10-$20 each
• Lead boot (older, still used in commercial): $20-$40
• Two-piece adjustable boot: $15-$30

Replacement is usually the right call. If you’re tearing off and re-roofing, replace the pipe boots. The rubber on old ones cracks and leaks. It’s a $15 item and it takes 10 minutes to install. There’s no reason to reinstall an old boot on a new roof.

Step Flashing and Counter Flashing

Step flashing is used wherever the roof meets a vertical wall surface, such as a dormer wall, a side wall, or a chimney. It’s installed shingle by shingle up the rake.

Counter flashing is the upper piece that laps over the step flashing, usually embedded in mortar joints on a chimney or sealed to the wall on a frame wall.

How to calculate:

• Measure total linear feet of wall-to-roof intersections
• Step flashing pieces are typically 5x7 or 4x4 inches, installed 1 per shingle course
• 1 piece per course, spaced at the exposure of the shingle (typically 5-5.5 inches)
• 100 LF of wall flashing requires about 240 step pieces

Price range: $0.50-$2 per piece for galvanized step flashing.

Valley Flashing

Valleys are where two roof planes meet at an inward angle. Water concentrates here, so waterproofing the valley is critical.

Options:

• Open valley with W-metal: Metal valley flashing installed under the shingles, with shingles cut back from the center. More visible, very durable.
• Closed valley (woven or cut): Shingles are woven through or cut in the valley, no exposed metal. Ice and water shield beneath is essential.
• Valley metal (W-metal or V-metal): 10-foot pieces, usually 24-28 inches wide

How to calculate:

• Measure total linear feet of valleys
• Divide by 10 (pieces are 10 ft)
• Add 10% for overlap

Price range: $15-$30 per 10-foot piece for galvanized W-metal.

Plywood or OSB Decking

You don’t know what decking you’ll find until tear-off. But budget for some. Soft spots, rot, and damage from old leaks are common on re-roofs, especially on older homes.

How to calculate for replacement:

• 4x8 sheet covers 32 sq ft
• Build a contingency line into the estimate: 5-10% of total decking area on older roofs, less on newer

Price range: $40-$70 per 4x8 sheet of 7/16” OSB or 1/2” plywood (prices vary significantly by market and time of year).

When you find rotten decking mid-job, that’s a legitimate change order. The key is having it written into your contract up front: damaged decking is replaced at $X per sheet. Don’t get surprised by it and don’t eat it.

Items Contractors Commonly Forget

After building a lot of estimates and helping contractors troubleshoot underbid jobs, here are the items that get missed most often:

Drip edge at the rakes. Most people remember eaves. Rakes get skipped. Current code requires both.

Cap nails for underlayment. You need plastic cap nails to hold underlayment in place before shingles go on. A 5-lb box covers most standard roofs, but it’s easy to forget on the material list.

Extra flashing for chimneys. If there’s a chimney, budget for step flashing, counter flashing, and cricket flashing if the chimney is wide (over 30 inches). A chimney with no cricket is a liability on the estimate.

Pipe boots for every penetration. Walk the roof or look at the aerial image carefully. Count every pipe. A plumber’s supply-side vent, the water heater flue, the HVAC exhaust, and the standard plumbing vents all need boots.

Sealant and caulk. You’ll need roofing caulk for pipe boots, flashing seams, and any penetration that doesn’t use a self-sealing membrane. Two or three tubes is enough for most jobs. It’s cheap and it’s embarrassing to run out.

Dumpster and disposal. This isn’t on the material list, but it belongs in the estimate. A 20-yard dumpster handles most single-layer tear-offs on 20-25 square roofs. Two layers means a 30-yard or a second haul. See how to estimate a roofing job for the full disposal cost breakdown.

How to Calculate Quantities from Roof Measurements

Once you have the total roof area from the roofing calculator or manual measurement, here’s the quick-reference multiplier table:

Material	Quantity Per Square
Architectural shingles	3 bundles
30# felt underlayment	0.5 rolls
Synthetic underlayment	0.1 rolls
Roofing nails (5-lb box)	0.5 boxes

For linear-foot-based materials (drip edge, ridge cap, valley metal, step flashing), measure those dimensions separately. The square footage of the roof doesn’t tell you ridge length or perimeter.

The roof pitch calculator is useful here because it calculates not just the pitch factor but can also help you figure the actual slope length for your ridge and rake measurements when you’re working off a ground-level measurement.

Sample Material List: 20-Square Hip Roof

Here’s the complete takeoff for a standard 20-square hip roof re-roof with one chimney and four pipe vents:

Material	Quantity	Unit Cost	Total
Architectural shingles (23 sq w/ waste)	69 bundles	$42	$2,898
Synthetic underlayment	3 rolls	$120	$360
Ice and water shield	4 rolls	$110	$440
Drip edge (10-ft pieces)	22 pieces	$7	$154
Starter shingles	2 bundles	$30	$60
Ridge cap	4 bundles	$45	$180
Ridge vent (4-ft sections)	8 sections	$18	$144
Roofing nails, 5-lb box	15 boxes	$35	$525
Cap nails	1 box	$15	$15
Pipe boots	4 each	$15	$60
Step flashing (bundle)	2 bundles	$35	$70
Counter flashing (chimney)	1 set	$80	$80
W-metal valley (20 LF)	2 pieces	$22	$44
Roofing caulk	3 tubes	$8	$24
Total Materials			$5,054

This doesn’t include decking repair, dumpster, or permit. For the full estimate including labor and overhead, see how to estimate a roofing job and roofing labor cost per square.

FAQs

How many bundles of shingles do I need per square?

Most architectural shingles are 3 bundles per square. Some premium or designer shingles are 4 bundles per square. Check the manufacturer’s packaging spec before ordering.

How much underlayment do I need?

For synthetic underlayment, 1 roll covers 10 squares. For 30# felt, 1 roll covers 2 squares. Divide your total squares by the coverage per roll and add 10% for overlap and waste.

Do I need ice and water shield on my whole roof?

No. Ice and water shield goes at the eaves (3-6 feet up), in valleys, and around penetrations and chimneys. The rest of the roof uses standard underlayment. In areas with heavy ice dam risk, some contractors run it up 6 feet minimum or in the full valley bottom-to-top.

What size roofing nails should I use?

1-1/4 inch coil nails for standard residential shingles on new decking. Use 1-3/4 inch or longer if the decking is questionable. High-wind zones may require ring-shank nails. Check your local code and the shingle manufacturer’s installation requirements.

How many pipe boots do I need?

One per plumbing vent pipe that comes through the roof. Walk the roof or examine the aerial image carefully and count every penetration. Most houses have 2-5. Larger houses with multiple bathrooms can have more. Always replace old rubber boots when re-roofing.

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