Houses with a 1,500 square foot roof
A 1,500 square foot roof covers a one-story house of about 1,200 square feet, or a two-story house of about 2,400 square feet with half its floor on each level. The roof can be the same size on both, but the job is not the same.
The ridge, drip edge and vent numbers below are for that one-story house: about 42 by 28 feet, under a 6 in 12 roof with 12 inch overhangs.
Shingle order for a 1,500 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 | 50 | $2,250 |
| Squares | 15 on the roof, 16.5 to order | |
| Underlayment, #15 felt | 5 rolls | $175 |
| Roofing nails | About 4,224 | Not priced |
| Total | About $2,425 |
1,650 square feet with the waste is 16.5 squares, so 16.5 × 3 = 49.5, rounded up to 50 bundles, and 1,650 ÷ 400 = 4.13, rounded up to 5 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 50 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 52 bundles instead of 50.
| Waste | Squares to order | Bundles | Architectural shingles | Three-tab shingles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| None | 15 | 45 | $2,025 | $1,935 |
| 10%, simple gable roof | 16.5 | 50 | $2,250 | $2,150 |
| 15%, hips and valleys | 17.25 | 52 | $2,339 | $2,235 |
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 66.
Underlayment and nails for 1,500 square feet
5 rolls of #15 felt ($175), 9 rolls of #30 felt ($315) or 2 rolls of synthetic ($182). From 2 in 12 up to 4 in 12, the code wants a double layer, about 9 rolls of #15 felt. Nails: about 4,224 at 4 a shingle, or 6,336 at 6 for high wind; three-tab takes 5,280 or 7,920.
Ridge cap and drip edge on a 1,500 square foot roof
These go by length, not area. On the 42 by 28 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 | 44 ft | None | 3 | $225 | 156 ft |
| Hip | 14 ft | 91 ft | 6 | $450 | 149 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 1,500 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 1,149 square inches over the 1,196 square foot house above. It is 574 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 1,500 square feet your roof or your floor?
This page is for 1,500 square feet of sloped roof. A roof is bigger than the floor under it, so the table works both ways.
| Roof pitch | Ground a 1,500 sq ft roof covers | Roof over a 1,500 sq ft floor | Bundles for that roof |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 in 12 | 1,423 sq ft | 1,752 sq ft | 58 |
| 6 in 12 | 1,342 sq ft | 1,858 sq ft | 62 |
| 8 in 12 | 1,248 sq ft | 1,998 sq ft | 66 |
| 10 in 12 | 1,152 sq ft | 2,164 sq ft | 72 |
| 12 in 12 | 1,061 sq ft | 2,351 sq ft | 78 |
The floor column is a one-story house one and a half times as long as it is wide, with 12 inch overhangs. With 1,500 square feet of floor and a 6 in 12 roof, the roof is about 1,858 square feet and takes 62 bundles, 12 more than the list above. On a two-story house with 750 square feet a level, it is about 968 square feet and 32 bundles. The roof area calculator measures your own.
What a 1,500 square foot shingle roof costs
Shingles and felt come to about $2,425, or $2,325 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 $6,000 to $18,000 here, plus $1,500 to $7,500 for the tear-off. The 1,500 square foot roof cost page breaks that down.
The job at 1,500 square feet
On a two-story house, everything goes up twice as far: bundles, tear-off and the crew. HomeAdvisor says high roofs, like those on houses with more than one story, cost more to shingle, the same way steep ones do. Ask whether the quote includes a hoist or a conveyor, or a rooftop delivery from the supplier.
Before you order
Find out which kind of house the numbers on this page are for. If 1,500 square feet is the floor of a one-story house, the roof is more like 1,850 square feet, and the order on this page is about a dozen bundles short.
Other roof sizes
The next size down, 1,200 square feet, takes 40 bundles. The next size up, 1,600 square feet, takes 53 bundles.
1,000 sq ft1,200 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 1,500 square foot roof?
50 bundles at 3 a square with 10 percent waste, or 52 with 15 percent for hips and valleys.
How much do shingles cost for a 1,500 square foot roof?
About $2,425 for architectural shingles and felt, or $2,325 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 1,500 square foot roof?
About 3 on a plain gable over a 42 by 28 foot house, with a 44 foot ridge, or 6 as a hip roof, with 105 feet of ridge and hips. Measure yours and enter it in the calculator.
Is a 1,500 square foot roof the same as a 1,500 square foot house?
No. A one-story house with 1,500 square feet of floor has about 1,850 square feet of roof at 6 in 12 with 12 inch overhangs. A 1,500 square foot roof sits on a one-story house of about 1,200 square feet.
Does a two-story house cost more to reroof than a ranch?
Often, even with the same roof area. HomeAdvisor says high roofs, such as on multi-story houses, cost more to shingle because they are harder and riskier to reach. Get each quote for your actual house.
How many bundles of shingles do I need for a 1,500 square foot house?
About 62 with 10 percent waste for a one-story house, because 1,500 square feet of floor under a 6 in 12 roof with 12 inch overhangs has about 1,858 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.