Roofing guides

How to Measure a Roof: 3 Methods, With Worked Examples

Measure a roof from the ground, on the roof, or by address from aerial LiDAR. Step-by-step formulas, a worked example, and when each method is good enough.

What Is a Roofing Square? How Many Squares Is My Roof?

A roofing square is 100 sq ft of roof. Learn how to calculate roof squares from footprint and pitch, see a squares chart by house size, and add waste.

Roof Waste Factor: How Much Extra Material to Order

How to choose a roofing waste factor: typical percentages for gable, hip and complex roofs, what drives waste, and how to apply it to squares and bundles.

How Many Bundles of Shingles Do I Need? (Plus Starter & Ridge)

Shingle bundles per square, plus starter strip, hip and ridge cap, underlayment and ice-and-water shield — with a worked material list for a real roof.

LiDAR vs. Satellite Photo Roof Measurement: What’s the Difference?

Aerial LiDAR measures roof height directly; photo-based tools infer it. How each works, where each fails, and what to check before trusting a remote roof measurement.

Roofing Glossary: 40+ Roof Terms Explained Simply

Plain-English roofing terms: eave, rake, ridge, hip, valley, square, pitch, slope factor, drip edge, flashing, underlayment, ice and water shield and more.

Roof measurement by address

Area, pitch and squares from aerial LiDAR.

Shingle calculator

Bundles, starter, ridge cap and underlayment.

Roof pitch calculator & chart

Rise and run to pitch, degrees and slope factor.

Roof square footage calculator

Footprint and pitch to roof area.

Roofing cost calculator

Material cost by state.

Sample roof report

What a full Roofari report contains.