Houses with a 3,500 square foot roof
A 3,500 square foot roof covers a large house, most often a two-story of about 5,800 square feet or a sprawling one-story. Roofs like this tend to be steep and cut up, with dormers, turrets or several gables.
The ridge, drip edge and vent numbers below are for that one-story house: about 66 by 44 feet, under a 6 in 12 roof with 12 inch overhangs.
Shingle order for a 3,500 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 | 116 | $5,219 |
| Squares | 35 on the roof, 38.5 to order | |
| Underlayment, #15 felt | 10 rolls | $350 |
| Roofing nails | About 9,856 | Not priced |
| Total | About $5,569 |
3,850 square feet with the waste is 38.5 squares, so 38.5 × 3 = 115.5, rounded up to 116 bundles, and 3,850 ÷ 400 = 9.63, rounded up to 10 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 116 bundles is 2 full pallets plus 4 bundles. 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 121 bundles instead of 116.
| Waste | Squares to order | Bundles | Architectural shingles | Three-tab shingles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| None | 35 | 105 | $4,724 | $4,514 |
| 10%, simple gable roof | 38.5 | 116 | $5,219 | $4,987 |
| 15%, hips and valleys | 40.25 | 121 | $5,444 | $5,202 |
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 154.
Underlayment and nails for 3,500 square feet
10 rolls of #15 felt ($350), 20 rolls of #30 felt ($700) or 4 rolls of synthetic ($364). From 2 in 12 up to 4 in 12, the code wants a double layer, about 20 rolls of #15 felt. Nails: about 9,856 at 4 a shingle, or 14,784 at 6 for high wind; three-tab takes 12,320 or 18,480.
Ridge cap and drip edge on a 3,500 square foot roof
These go by length, not area. On the 66 by 44 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 | 68 ft | None | 4 | $300 | 239 ft |
| Hip | 22 ft | 138 ft | 9 | $675 | 228 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 3,500 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 2,790 square inches over the 2,906 square foot house above. It is 1,395 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 3,500 square feet your roof or your floor?
This page is for 3,500 square feet of sloped roof. A roof is bigger than the floor under it, so the table works both ways.
| Roof pitch | Ground a 3,500 sq ft roof covers | Roof over a 3,500 sq ft floor | Bundles for that roof |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 in 12 | 3,320 sq ft | 3,948 sq ft | 131 |
| 6 in 12 | 3,130 sq ft | 4,188 sq ft | 139 |
| 8 in 12 | 2,912 sq ft | 4,502 sq ft | 149 |
| 10 in 12 | 2,689 sq ft | 4,876 sq ft | 161 |
| 12 in 12 | 2,475 sq ft | 5,297 sq ft | 175 |
The floor column is a one-story house one and a half times as long as it is wide, with 12 inch overhangs. With 3,500 square feet of floor and a 6 in 12 roof, the roof is about 4,188 square feet and takes 139 bundles, 23 more than the list above. On a two-story house with 1,750 square feet a level, it is about 2,152 square feet and 72 bundles. The roof area calculator measures your own.
What a 3,500 square foot shingle roof costs
Shingles and felt come to about $5,569, or $5,337 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 $14,000 to $42,000 here, plus $3,500 to $17,500 for the tear-off. The 3,500 square foot roof cost page breaks that down.
The job at 3,500 square feet
Steep, high roofs cost more per square, and HomeAdvisor says slopes over 6 in 12 have higher labor costs. Houses this size are also where people choose designer shingles, which HomeAdvisor puts at about $9.50 a square foot for luxury synthetic types, far above architectural shingles.
Before you order
The order on this page assumes 10 percent waste. A steep roof with dormers and turrets can need 15 percent or more, so count the hips, valleys and short sections before you order, or ask the supplier to work the order out from a measured drawing.
Other roof sizes
The next size down, 3,000 square feet, takes 99 bundles. The next size up, 4,000 square feet, takes 132 bundles.
1,000 sq ft1,200 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 ft4,000 sq ft
Common questions
How many bundles of shingles do I need for a 3,500 square foot roof?
116 bundles at 3 a square with 10 percent waste, or 121 with 15 percent for hips and valleys.
How much do shingles cost for a 3,500 square foot roof?
About $5,569 for architectural shingles and felt, or $5,337 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 3,500 square foot roof?
About 4 on a plain gable over a 66 by 44 foot house, with a 68 foot ridge, or 9 as a hip roof, with 160 feet of ridge and hips. Measure yours and enter it in the calculator.
How many nails for a 3,500 square foot roof?
About 9,860 with 10 percent waste and 4 nails a shingle, or about 14,780 with 6 nails a shingle, which IKO calls for on steep slopes and in high-wind areas.
Are designer shingles worth it on a big roof?
It is a choice of looks and lifespan. HomeAdvisor lists luxury synthetic shingles at about $9.50 per square foot installed, against about $3.50 for architectural. On a roof this size the gap is large, so price both.
How many bundles of shingles do I need for a 3,500 square foot house?
About 139 with 10 percent waste for a one-story house, because 3,500 square feet of floor under a 6 in 12 roof with 12 inch overhangs has about 4,188 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.