What is a Square in roofing?

The title may seem perplexing and confusing for some people who are new to the idea of changing the roof of their house. ‘Roof square‘s is a unit of measurement that is used in the roofing industry while trying to estimate the size or area of the roof. 

Let’s dive into this article to learn more about why such squaring is important, understand the concept of roof squaring, and how it is measured for accurate calculations and placements, etc.

Why is Square Important in Roofing?

You may get a question or a doubt automatically in your mind about why the roof is not measured in square feet. But according to the professionals who are in the roofing business, they state the importance of using root squares for measurement as below.

1. Industry Standardization

Following the staple standards of the industry, it is imperative for roofing professionals to follow the same, which makes the measurement easy to communicate. And it is also further preferred as suppliers, contractors, and homeowners work on the same page while discussing the required materials and cost per project. 

2. Material Ordering

As mentioned in point one, materials required for roofing are often sold in squares. For example, shingles, a roofing material used, are measured in squares. As and when we calculate the required number of roof squares, this measurement allows for easy calculation of quantity and cost, thereby reducing waste and leftover material. 

3. Estimating Costs

For estimating the cost of a project, the use of roof squares is important. Both the homeowners and contractors can communicate in the known language to get their demands through and be met with the same. 

4. Project Planning

When the size or area of the roof is broken into squares, the calculation for filling is easier in terms of estimating how many squares are required than looking at the big picture of the area to be covered. It also results in effective coordination, communication, and a swifter working process during the project. 

What Is a Roof Square Used For?

What Is a Roof Square Used For?

The roof square is used for measuring the number of squares to be used to fill the area or cover the area of the roof. Roof square is the measurement or unit of measurement that is used by the roofing professionals in the roofing industry to calculate the size of the roof surface.

One square equals 100 square feet, and this roof square measurement is the most common and sought-after way to measure the accurate representation of materials required, labor, and time to be invested, thereby reducing waste and saving time and money.

How to Measure a Roofing Square

As per the sources available from official groups of roofing, roofing square can be measured by following three simple steps.


One is to calculate the width and length of the roof surface, then to, multiply the both values to get the square feet of the roof area and divide by 100 sonas to get the number of squares required.

What Is a Bundle of Shingles?

A bundle of shingles is a package of shingles. There are manufacturers in shingles where they pack their bundles together in multiples- say 3 or 4 adding up to 100 square feet. It is reportedly confirmed that a bundle of shingles consist of around 15 to 29 shingles based on the type of bundles, sizes and the area required for roofing.

But people are not to be encouraged to have the misconception that a uniform number of shingles are present in each bundle. The bundles are so packed in a manner making it easy for the people carrying them. So a bundle which is large, bulky or heavy will not be seen anywhere being manufactured and it is reportedly packed in several of 3 or 4.

How Can You Visualize Your New Roof?

There are a lot of visualization applications, sites, and tools available online that make it possible for effective planning and visualization of what we wish to see or work on in reality for the roofing of our home. With the help of tools online, you can work on the visualization aspect by following simple but major steps:

1. Upload the picture of home

Upload the picture of the place that requires remodeling or apparent change in a landscape format. Try to get much of your home into the picture for the overall picture effect. The popular tool Virtual Remodeler has many samples, and it will choose the best one for the home based on the picture uploaded.

2. Identify parts of home

The GAF Virtual Remodeler covers all aspects and parts of a home. There are different features and buttons where you could enhance your home parts, amplify them to pay much attention to them, and also define your home features. 

3. Customise your home

After the mapping, the home is all set for design. The toll also helps in choosing or designing which color shingles to be placed to change the color of the floor or door of your house. The home design part, though the final step, has a lot of importance in fixing the colors, placement, design, and quality of materials required for your home. You can print, save, and download the final design for further purposes. 

How do you calculate square of a roof?

To calculate the squares required for the roof in your house, proper measurements have to be taken both on the width and length of each section of the roof. Then it has to be divided by 100 so as to get the number of squares required or necessary for the roof. As one square equals 100 square feet, attention must be paid to measuring the length and width of the sections. 

how many bundles of roofing in a square

According to specific original sources, 3 bundles of roofing or 3 bundles of shingles cover one square. 

But yet again, it differs in size and quality. In cases of heavier and premium necessities, shingles may require much more bundles. It is important to calculate the waste allowance while estimating the roof area, as it gives the exact amount required for the roof area. 


Read more: What Is The Difference Between A Townhouse And A Condo?

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