Roofing Shingle Chart: Bundles by Roof Size & Waste

What do 66 bundles mean?

It means the order is 66 bundles for a 2,000 sq ft roof: the roof is 20 squares, because one square is 100 sq ft, and 20 squares times 3 bundles a square is 60 bundles before waste. The 10% waste allowance adds 6 bundles for the shingles cut at ridges, valleys and edges, and the buy figure is rounded up to whole bundles, so 66 is what goes on the order, not 60. The part people get wrong is ordering by house footprint: a sloped roof has more area than the floor below it, so a 2,000 sq ft house can easily carry a 2,400 sq ft roof, and ordering from the footprint leaves the job short.

Three things to check before you trust the number

Is the roof area the roof, or the footprint? Measure the roof planes including slope, or multiply the footprint by the slope factor for the roof pitch. The 2,500 sq ft branch shows a bigger roof needing 110 bundles at 10% waste, which is the kind of gap a footprint measurement creates.

Is 3 bundles per square right for the shingle? Architectural shingles are usually 3 bundles a square, but some products are 4, and the 4-bundle branch shows the same 2,500 sq ft roof jumping from 83 bundles to 110. Check the product's own coverage, not a rule of thumb.

Is 10% waste enough for this roof? Simple gable roofs manage on 10%, but hips, valleys, dormers and steep pitches push waste toward 15% or more. The 15% branch on a 3,000 sq ft roof shows 104 bundles, and a cut-up roof ordered at 10% will run short at the last valley.

Worked example

On the defaults: 2,000 sq ft roof, 3 bundles per square, 10% waste.

1. Squares: 2,000 sq ft divided by 100 sq ft is 20.00 squares.
2. Base bundles: 20.00 squares times 3 bundles is 60.00 bundles.
3. Buy bundles: 60.00 times 1.10 is 66.00, rounded up to 66 bundles.
4. Underlayment rolls: 2,000 sq ft times 1.10 is 2,200 sq ft, divided by 400 sq ft a roll is 5.50, rounded up to 6 rolls.

And the other way: the roof area for 60.00 base bundles at 3 bundles per square is 2,000 sq ft, the smallest whole waste percent giving at least 72 buy bundles from a 60-bundle base is 19%, and the largest roof area (100 sq ft steps) keeping buy bundles at or below 66 at 10% waste is 2,000 sq ft, while 2,100 sq ft would need 70 bundles.

Every branch, checked

• 1,500 sq ft at 10% waste: 1,500 sq ft at 10% waste: 15.00 squares, 45.00 bundles (50 with 10% waste), 5 underlayment rolls.
• 3,000 sq ft at 15% waste: 3,000 sq ft at 15% waste: 30.00 squares, 90.00 bundles (104 with 15% waste), 9 underlayment rolls.
• 1,000 sq ft at 5% waste: 1,000 sq ft at 5% waste: 10.00 squares, 30.00 bundles (32 with 5% waste), 3 underlayment rolls.
• 2,500 sq ft at 4 bundles per square: 2,500 sq ft at 4 bundles per square: 25.00 squares, 100.00 bundles (110 with 10% waste), 7 underlayment rolls.
• 0 sq ft: 0 sq ft: 0.00 squares, 0.00 bundles (0 with 10% waste), 0 underlayment rolls.
• 2,000 sq ft at 0% waste: 2,000 sq ft at 0% waste: 20.00 squares, 60.00 bundles (60 with 0% waste), 5 underlayment rolls.

The reverses, worked backwards

• Roof area for 60.00 base bundles at 3 bundles per square: 2,000 sq ft — at 2,000 sq ft the figures are 20.00 squares, 60.00 bundles (66 with 10% waste), 6 underlayment rolls.; at the lower neighbor the figures are 19.00 squares, 57.00 bundles (63 with 10% waste), 6 underlayment rolls.; at the upper neighbor the figures are 21.00 squares, 63.00 bundles (70 with 10% waste), 6 underlayment rolls..
• Smallest whole waste percent giving at least 72 buy bundles from a 60-bundle base: 19% — at 19% the figures are 20.00 squares, 60.00 bundles (72 with 19% waste), 6 underlayment rolls.; at the lower neighbor the figures are 20.00 squares, 60.00 bundles (71 with 18% waste), 6 underlayment rolls.; at the upper neighbor the figures are 20.00 squares, 60.00 bundles (72 with 20% waste), 6 underlayment rolls..
• Largest roof area (100 sq ft steps) keeping buy bundles at or below 66 at 10% waste: 2,000 sq ft — at 2,000 sq ft the figures are 20.00 squares, 60.00 bundles (66 with 10% waste), 6 underlayment rolls.; at the lower neighbor the figures are 19.00 squares, 57.00 bundles (63 with 10% waste), 6 underlayment rolls.; at the upper neighbor the figures are 21.00 squares, 63.00 bundles (70 with 10% waste), 6 underlayment rolls..

What the defaults assume

The defaults are a 2,000 sq ft roof, 3 bundles per square and 10% waste, so the headline is one ordinary roof at the usual architectural coverage. The model is area divided by 100 for squares, squares times bundles per square for the base, base times one plus waste for the buy figure rounded up to whole bundles, and area times one plus waste divided by 400 sq ft a roll for underlayment, also rounded up. The area reverse is checked at 100 sq ft either side, because 100 sq ft is one square, which is 3 bundles; the waste reverse is checked at 1% either side, because 1% of 60 bundles is 0.60 bundles. The model does not include ridge cap shingles, starter strip, flashing, or drip edge — those are ordered separately, not by the square.

Output · formula · meaning

Who uses this

• A homeowner getting a roofing quote — 66 bundles on a 2,000 sq ft roof is the number to compare against the contractor's material list.
• A roofer ordering for a job — the 15% branch on a 3,000 sq ft roof shows 104 bundles for a cut-up roof, so the order does not run short at the last valley.
• A DIYer re-roofing a garage — the 1,000 sq ft branch at 5% waste shows 32 bundles, a small order that still rounds up.
• A student learning trade arithmetic — one worked example from squares to bundles to rolls, and branches that show how each input moves the answer.

Accuracy & limitations

Figures are the model's own arithmetic on the numbers you type, computed from unrounded values and displayed rounded HALF_UP to 2dp; buy bundles and rolls are whole units rounded up, so a computed 66.00 stays 66 while a computed 49.50 becomes 50. The main limitation is measurement, not arithmetic: the roof area must be the sloped roof area, bundles per square varies by product, and waste depends on how cut up the roof is. Ridge cap, starter strip, flashing and drip edge are not included. This page is a calculation tool, not roofing advice.

Cite this calculator

A 2,000 sq ft roof needs 20 squares and 60 bundles of shingles, 66 with 10% waste. Source: Bright Side Kit, https://brightoolbox.com/roofing-shingle-chart/, accessed 28 October 2026.

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