There are a lot of factors that go into what a new roof can cost. From the type of shingles that you choose to the size and pitch of your roof, it can sometimes be difficult to estimate just how much you should be budgeting for this expense. While the most accurate way you can get a quote for your new roof is to get a free estimate done by a professional, using a roofing calculator is also a way you can determine the costs.

What Does a Roofing Calculator Do?

Roofing calculators help you determine how much roofing material you need to cover your roof for the roof replacement. Because materials are a large part of how much a new roof costs, you can get a good idea of material costs this way. If you intend to do the work yourself, using a roofing calculator can help you accurately get a handle on what your new roof costs. If you intend to hire a professional, the calculator can still give you a sense of what you’ll be paying, because while it can’t factor in labor, you can still figure out what the barest minimum costs will be.

How to Use a Roofing Calculator

To use a roofing calculator accurately, you need to have some basic information about your roof.

  • The total square footage of your roof

  • The pitch of your roof

  • The cost of your shingles per square

There are a few things to keep in mind when you are gathering this information. The pitch of your roof may be different in various areas, such as over dormers, porches, or additions. So you may want to calculate the pitch of your roof for each of those areas separately, and then get the square footage for each of those areas. Once you determine how many squares of shingles you need per area, you can add them all together for the total amount required, and then multiply this by the cost of the shingles.

Roof Replacement: Calculating Square Footage

To be as accurate as possible when determining your square footage, you need to measure each area of your roof separately in inches. Get the length and width of each section and multiply these two numbers together. Now divide the number you get by 144; this is the square footage of the area you measured.

Calculating Pitch

Pitch refers to the number of upwards for every 12 inches in length. So a pitch of three is often referred to as 3/12 or 3 in 12.

To calculate the pitch, you need a 12-inch level and a measuring tape.

Climb a ladder on the side of your house to the top of your roof. Position the level horizontally coming off of the highest part of your roof. Now measure down from the 12-inch mark on the level to the roof. The number of inches you measure is the pitch.

Calculating Your Roofing

The simplest roofing calculator is to determine your square footage and pitch, then multiply your square footage by the corresponding amount of pitch in this chart. This will give you the most accurate square footage for your roof.