Are you looking for a quick roofing calculator and estimator to help you figure out your roof’s square footage?
Do you need a home roofing estimate that fits your budget?
If you are in need of a roof replacement or roof repair, a roofing calculator will help you to estimate some of the expenses associated with replacing a home’s roof.
A roofing calculator will not only help you determine your roof’s surface area and pitch, but it can help you determine materials and costs associated with a roof repair or replacement.
You need to know this, to judge if you’re getting a fair roof estimate. If you’re looking to replace your roof, there are vital details you may want on hand before calling for roof estimates. You don’t want someone charging you too much!
In this post, we’re going to explain a roofing calculator, and go over all the requirements as a checklist. When we’re done, you’ll understand how the surface area of your roof repair or replacement is figured out.
Why Use a Roofing Calculator
There are many reasons why people use roofing calculators. One thing for sure, roofing formulas are complex and can be challenging to do by hand This is the reason that roofing calculators are so desirable. If you already have the right measurements for your roof, this will save you lots of time over figuring them by hand
A roof area formula for a roof estimate is also complex because it isn’t easy measuring your roof, without the use of advanced technology like drones, satellite imagery, or laser scanners.
Most roofing calculators are free online. Don’t pay for the service. However, with this new tech, roofing companies are creating complex roofing estimates in minutes using satellites and drones.
Weather Resistors of WNY Inc. takes advantage of these advanced tools and provides detailed estimates for clients. We don’t let homeowners stress out when getting an estimate for their roof job.
Who Uses a Roofing Calculator
If you are a homeowner, you may use a roofing calculator to estimate how much your re-roof, roof repair, or roof replacement project costs before you acquire an estimate from your local roofing contractor. You may also use a roofing calculator and figure out the surface area of your home roof to estimate your cost per square. In the roofing industry, “a square” is equal to 100 square feet of roofing.
The price of the job usually depends on the square footage of your home, the complexity of the structure, and the style of shingles you select for the house.
On the other hand, if you are a roofing contractor, you may want to use a roofing calculator to figure out how many bundles of shingles and other materials you need when giving your client or their insurance company an accurate roofing work and waste estimate.
Keep in mind that Weather Resistors of WNY Inc. provides free roofing estimates, so you don’t have to worry about guessing the size and cost of your roofing project. To get a complete roof estimate, all you have to do is call 716-222-7663 (ROOF) today.
What’s Your Roof Architecture
Before you begin calculating and measuring the dimensions and lengths of your roof, you must first determine whether your roof’s architectural style makes for a more difficult calculation.
Different architecture can lead to more complicated measurements.
Many older homes have a simple gabled roof, also known as a Dutch roof, with two simple inclined slopes on each side. Most older gabled roofs don’t have ventilation at the ridge, but we can quickly install ridge vents if you need them.
A Mansard, or French roof features two slopes with varying inclines. The Saltbox, another classic construction, has a pitched roof that slopes in the back.
The Gambrel roof is also a common roof type that is similar to the gable roof type. They are found all over rural areas of Erie County, and are commonly seen on eighteenth-century style barns.
Beautiful Colonial homes with gabled roofs are a staple in Western New York, and they tend to be the the easiest to roof.
The hip roof is another popular variation, and it looks like a pyramid. It has four sloped sided that meet near the center of the home’s rectangular base. Different types of hip roofs include the Half-Hipped, Pavilion roof, Mansard roof, and Jerkinhead roof.
These roofs tend to be more difficult to replace. They have additional features, such as dormers, that make their measurements and construction more complex. For a homeowner, determining all of these factors can be hard. Luckily, a roofing pro will know how to get the most accurate figures.
Calculate Your Roof Surface Area
When pricing roof jobs, the main factor is the surface area that needs coverage.
The size of the roof will determine how many shingles and other materials your roofer needs. Therefore, it’s an important measurement for when you reach out to local roofing companies for an estimate.
Decide on Your Choice of Roofing Materials
It’s important to consider the different roofing materials, making sure that the company you select has the most cost-effective options. Whether you decide on an asphalt shingle roof or a more modern slate tile one, it’s crucial to hire a roofing expert that has wide knowledge and experience.
The roofing materials costs will effect your local roofer’s numbers, since the job depends on the type of roof you want.
Some of the most popular residential roof types are metal, slate, composition and asphalt shingles.
Then they can figure what materials they need, such as how many sheets, panels, or bundles of shingles they require when building your new roof. Additionally, your roofing expert will also need to estimate the amount of other roofing materials required to complete the job.
Other residential roofing materials that will be needed when working on your roof are coil nails, screws, fasteners, plywood, tar, roofing battens or laths.
Roofers also use roofing felt as a common material between the deck and shingles. Roofing felt is also known as roofing tar paper, roll roofing and roofing felt underlayment.
Understand your Roof’s Construction
When estimating roof size, look at your roof’s current shape, especially any unique features, like dormers, separate levels, or extensions.
The roof’s framing determines the square footage of surface area needing cover. The simplest roof construction, a gable roof, has a series of trusses, each truss set at regular intervals along the depth of the home. The span of a truss is slightly less than the overall width of the truss. The span is the area within the walls of the home.
Naturally, the construction of your roof will determine how much weight your roof can handle. Therefore, your roofer will also calculate your roof load based on the weight it can handle. The maximum live load for residential homes is 20 pounds per square foot.
This is also an important factor when calculating the cost of your new roof, because the current number of layers on your roof will determine if your roof can handle an additional layer. Adding another layer can put you over the roof load for your style of roof which, means you will need a tear-off . That just means your roofer will remove the old shingles when replacing your roof. That drives the cost up, but it’s vital. You don’t want your home collapsing under the weight of one too many layers!
Ultimately, understanding your roof design will help you understand the total cost of your roof replacement.
Pitching In
Once you have an idea of your roof’s construction, you will need to know the pitch of your roof. That is the angle of the roof’s incline, going up to the ridge. That is measured by calculating the angle of the slope (a ratio of the vertical rise and horizontal run of the roof surface area). A steeper slope makes a more difficult job.
The roof pitch finds the length of the rafter and the roof slope, and is measured in degrees or percent.
Gathering Measurements
Measure Length, Width, and Rise
When figuring surface area, the first numbers needed are the width and length (depth) of the home.
For a home with a simple gable roof, this is an easy calculation. However, if the roof has dormers or other unique features, then they have to be measured and calculated separately.
As you can see from the diagram above, the rise is the vertical height of the roof area. However, less apparent is the run, the horizontal length of the roof section. (Another way of looking at the run is that it’s usually one half of the total width of the home, roof overhang included.)
Roofing Calculator Resources
It’s an exciting time for homeowners. The Internet gives people today tools that simplify most aspects of daily life. Naturally, computing roof surface areas is something the Web makes easier! Since you’ll discuss what needs covering with your roofer, you may want to have some facts for the contractor.
The size of the roof decides how many shingles you need, so why not figure that out now? Since we’ve already explained the process, here’s some links to sites that simplify that process. Check out any or all of them for automated surface area roof calculators. You’re welcome.
Need More Help?
We hope we’ve covered everything you could ever know about figuring out the square footage of your roof surface. What’s more, we imagine you found a roof calculator that was useful. Feel free to tell us how things work out for you in the comments section. And of course, please call 716-222-ROOF for any and all roofing questions. Weather Resistors is here for you.