Houses with a 1,600 square foot roof
A 1,600 square foot roof covers a one-story house of about 1,300 square feet, a common size for a three-bedroom ranch, or a two-story house of about 2,500 square feet.
The ridge, drip edge and vent numbers below are for that one-story house: about 44 by 29 feet, under a 6 in 12 roof with 12 inch overhangs.
Shingle order for a 1,600 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 | 53 | $2,384 |
| Squares | 16 on the roof, 17.6 to order | |
| Underlayment, #15 felt | 5 rolls | $175 |
| Roofing nails | About 4,506 | Not priced |
| Total | About $2,559 |
1,760 square feet with the waste is 17.6 squares, so 17.6 × 3 = 52.8, rounded up to 53 bundles, and 1,760 ÷ 400 = 4.4, 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 53 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 56 bundles instead of 53.
| Waste | Squares to order | Bundles | Architectural shingles | Three-tab shingles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| None | 16 | 48 | $2,160 | $2,064 |
| 10%, simple gable roof | 17.6 | 53 | $2,384 | $2,278 |
| 15%, hips and valleys | 18.4 | 56 | $2,519 | $2,407 |
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 71.
Underlayment and nails for 1,600 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 4,506 at 4 a shingle, or 6,759 at 6 for high wind; three-tab takes 5,632 or 8,448.
Ridge cap and drip edge on a 1,600 square foot roof
These go by length, not area. On the 44 by 29 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 | 46 ft | None | 3 | $225 | 161 ft |
| Hip | 15 ft | 94 ft | 6 | $450 | 154 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 1,600 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 1,230 square inches over the 1,281 square foot house above. It is 615 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 1,600 square feet your roof or your floor?
This page is for 1,600 square feet of sloped roof. A roof is bigger than the floor under it, so the table works both ways.
| Roof pitch | Ground a 1,600 sq ft roof covers | Roof over a 1,600 sq ft floor | Bundles for that roof |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 in 12 | 1,518 sq ft | 1,863 sq ft | 62 |
| 6 in 12 | 1,431 sq ft | 1,976 sq ft | 66 |
| 8 in 12 | 1,331 sq ft | 2,124 sq ft | 71 |
| 10 in 12 | 1,229 sq ft | 2,301 sq ft | 76 |
| 12 in 12 | 1,131 sq ft | 2,499 sq ft | 83 |
The floor column is a one-story house one and a half times as long as it is wide, with 12 inch overhangs. With 1,600 square feet of floor and a 6 in 12 roof, the roof is about 1,976 square feet and takes 66 bundles, 13 more than the list above. On a two-story house with 800 square feet a level, it is about 1,028 square feet and 34 bundles. The roof area calculator measures your own.
What a 1,600 square foot shingle roof costs
Shingles and felt come to about $2,559, or $2,453 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 $6,400 to $19,200 here, plus $1,600 to $8,000 for the tear-off. Put your own quotes in the roof replacement cost calculator.
The job at 1,600 square feet
At 16 squares, the order is just under one full pallet. HomeAdvisor puts labor at about 60 percent of a new shingle roof, and that share grows past 6 in 12, where steeper roofs need more work. The same 1,600 square feet on an 8 in 12 roof takes more time than on a 4 in 12.
Before you order
Check the pitch before you trust a quote built only on the floor plan. On a one-story house of the same floor, a 4 in 12 roof is smaller than an 8 in 12 one, and from 4 in 12 to 12 in 12 the roof over the same house grows by about a third.
Other roof sizes
The next size down, 1,500 square feet, takes 50 bundles. The next size up, 1,800 square feet, takes 60 bundles.
1,000 sq ft1,200 sq ft1,500 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 1,600 square foot roof?
53 bundles at 3 a square with 10 percent waste, or 56 with 15 percent for hips and valleys.
How much do shingles cost for a 1,600 square foot roof?
About $2,559 for architectural shingles and felt, or $2,453 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 1,600 square foot roof?
About 3 on a plain gable over a 44 by 29 foot house, with a 46 foot ridge, or 6 as a hip roof, with 108 feet of ridge and hips. Measure yours and enter it in the calculator.
How many squares is a 1,600 square foot roof?
16 squares, because a square is 100 square feet of roof. With 10 percent waste you order 17.6 squares, which is 53 bundles at 3 bundles a square.
Does roof pitch change the shingle count on a 1,600 square foot roof?
Not if the 1,600 square feet is measured on the roof itself. Pitch changes how much roof sits over a given house, so it matters if you start from the floor plan. Steeper roofs also cost more in labor.
How many bundles of shingles do I need for a 1,600 square foot house?
About 66 with 10 percent waste for a one-story house, because 1,600 square feet of floor under a 6 in 12 roof with 12 inch overhangs has about 1,976 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.