Houses with a 1,200 square foot roof
A 1,200 square foot roof sits on a small one-story house of about 900 to 1,000 square feet, the size of many postwar ranch houses and cottages. It is also the roof of a large detached garage with a workshop.
The ridge, drip edge and vent numbers below are for that one-story house: about 38 by 25 feet, under a 6 in 12 roof with 12 inch overhangs.
Shingle order for a 1,200 square foot roof
With 10 percent waste, architectural shingles at 3 bundles a square, #15 felt and 4 nails a shingle:
| Item | Quantity | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Shingle bundles, architectural | 40 | $1,800 |
| Squares | 12 on the roof, 13.2 to order | |
| Underlayment, #15 felt | 4 rolls | $140 |
| Roofing nails | About 3,380 | Not priced |
| Total | About $1,940 |
1,320 square feet with the waste is 13.2 squares, so 13.2 × 3 = 39.6, rounded up to 40 bundles, and 1,320 ÷ 400 = 3.3, rounded up to 4 rolls of felt. Prices: $44.99 a bundle and $34.99 a roll. The starting prices come from the store listings and cost guides under Sources, last checked in October 2026. Prices vary by region and season, so change any price to match your store or your quote.
IKO packs its Cambridge architectural shingles 56 bundles to a pallet, so 40 bundles is less than one full pallet. Other makers pack differently.
How waste and shingle type change the order
Ten percent waste suits a simple gable roof. With hips and valleys, plan on about 15 percent, which makes this order 42 bundles instead of 40.
| Waste | Squares to order | Bundles | Architectural shingles | Three-tab shingles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| None | 12 | 36 | $1,620 | $1,548 |
| 10%, simple gable roof | 13.2 | 40 | $1,800 | $1,720 |
| 15%, hips and valleys | 13.8 | 42 | $1,890 | $1,806 |
Three-tab shingles also come 3 bundles to a square, so the count holds and only the price changes. Shingles packed 4 bundles to a square would take 53.
Underlayment and nails for 1,200 square feet
4 rolls of #15 felt ($140), 7 rolls of #30 felt ($245) or 2 rolls of synthetic ($182). From 2 in 12 up to 4 in 12, the code wants a double layer, about 7 rolls of #15 felt. Nails: about 3,380 at 4 a shingle, or 5,069 at 6 for high wind; three-tab takes 4,224 or 6,336.
Ridge cap and drip edge on a 1,200 square foot roof
These go by length, not area. On the 38 by 25 foot house above, a gable roof has one long ridge; a hip roof has a short ridge and four hips that need cap too.
| Roof shape | Ridge | Hips | Cap bundles, 20 ft each | Cap cost | Drip edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gable | 40 ft | None | 2 | $150 | 140 ft |
| Hip | 13 ft | 81 ft | 5 | $375 | 133 ft |
Cap is $74.99 a bundle. The code wants drip edge on every eave and rake, lapped 2 inches, so buy a little extra.
Attic vents under 1,200 square feet of roof
The code sizes attic vents by the floor under them: 1 square foot of open vent for every 150 of attic, which is 906 square inches over the 944 square foot house above. It is 453 if 40 to 50 percent of the vents sit within 3 feet of the ridge and the rest low, plus a ceiling vapor retarder in climate zones 6 to 8. Check the net free area printed on each vent's box.
Is 1,200 square feet your roof or your floor?
This page is for 1,200 square feet of sloped roof. A roof is bigger than the floor under it, so the table works both ways.
| Roof pitch | Ground a 1,200 sq ft roof covers | Roof over a 1,200 sq ft floor | Bundles for that roof |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 in 12 | 1,138 sq ft | 1,418 sq ft | 47 |
| 6 in 12 | 1,073 sq ft | 1,504 sq ft | 50 |
| 8 in 12 | 998 sq ft | 1,617 sq ft | 54 |
| 10 in 12 | 922 sq ft | 1,751 sq ft | 58 |
| 12 in 12 | 849 sq ft | 1,903 sq ft | 63 |
The floor column is a one-story house one and a half times as long as it is wide, with 12 inch overhangs. With 1,200 square feet of floor and a 6 in 12 roof, the roof is about 1,504 square feet and takes 50 bundles, 10 more than the list above. On a two-story house with 600 square feet a level, it is about 787 square feet and 26 bundles. The roof area calculator measures your own.
What a 1,200 square foot shingle roof costs
Shingles and felt come to about $1,940, or $1,860 with three-tab, before nails, cap, drip edge, flashing, vents, delivery and tax. Installed, HomeAdvisor puts an asphalt shingle roof at $4 to $12 per square foot, which is $4,800 to $14,400 here, plus $1,200 to $6,000 for the tear-off. The 1,200 square foot roof cost page breaks that down.
The job at 1,200 square feet
On older small houses, the old roof is often more than one layer, because owners in the past shingled right over the top. A second layer of tear-off doubles the debris and adds to the labor, so ask the roofer to check how many layers are there before you compare quotes.
Before you order
The building code does not allow a new layer over a roof that already has two or more layers, or over one that is wet or worn through. A full replacement means stripping every layer down to the roof deck, which also lets the roofer check the boards for rot.
Other roof sizes
The next size down, 1,000 square feet, takes 33 bundles. The next size up, 1,500 square feet, takes 50 bundles.
1,000 sq ft1,500 sq ft1,600 sq ft1,800 sq ft2,000 sq ft2,200 sq ft2,400 sq ft2,500 sq ft3,000 sq ft3,500 sq ft4,000 sq ft
Common questions
How many bundles of shingles do I need for a 1,200 square foot roof?
40 bundles at 3 a square with 10 percent waste, or 42 with 15 percent for hips and valleys.
How much do shingles cost for a 1,200 square foot roof?
About $1,940 for architectural shingles and felt, or $1,860 with three-tab, at store prices checked in October 2026. Nails, flashing, ridge cap and labor are extra.
How many bundles of ridge cap do I need for a 1,200 square foot roof?
About 2 on a plain gable over a 38 by 25 foot house, with a 40 foot ridge, or 5 as a hip roof, with 94 feet of ridge and hips. Measure yours and enter it in the calculator.
Can you put new shingles over old ones on a 1,200 square foot roof?
Only if there is a single layer now and it is dry and sound. The code (IRC R908.3.1.1) rules out a new layer over two or more existing layers, or over a roof that is water soaked or worn out. A replacement strips everything down to the deck.
How many squares is a 1,200 square foot house roof?
If the roof itself is 1,200 square feet, it is 12 squares. If the house has 1,200 square feet of floor on one level, the roof is bigger: about 1,500 square feet at 6 in 12 with 12 inch overhangs, or about 15 squares.
How many bundles of shingles do I need for a 1,200 square foot house?
About 50 with 10 percent waste for a one-story house, because 1,200 square feet of floor under a 6 in 12 roof with 12 inch overhangs has about 1,504 square feet of roof. A steeper roof takes more.
Tools for this job
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- Chalk line. Snaps straight lines so every row of shingles stays even.
- Roofing hatchet. Drives roofing nails and has a gauge that sets how much of each shingle shows.
- Hook blades for a utility knife. Cut shingles from the top without slicing what is underneath.
- Flat pry bar. Lifts old shingles and pulls nails.
- Roof safety harness kit. Ties you to an anchor on the roof so a slip does not turn into a fall.
Sources
- International Residential Code 2021, Chapter 9: roof drainage (R903) and roof coverings (R905)
- GAF Timberline HDZ specifications (architectural shingles)
- GAF Royal Sovereign specifications (three-tab shingles)
- McCoy's Building Supply: roof shingle prices
- McCoy's Building Supply: roofing underlayment prices
- McCoy's Building Supply: GAF TimberTex hip and ridge cap shingles
- International Residential Code 2021, Chapter 8: attic ventilation (R806)
- IKO Cambridge technical data sheet (architectural shingles, bundles per pallet)
- HomeAdvisor: shingle roof replacement cost, with removal of the old roof
Facts on this page were last checked against these sources in October 2026.