To succeed in your field, knowing the technical terms and measurements specific to your industry is imperative. A critical measurement for roofers to understand is roof squares.
Roofing squares make it easy for contractors to calculate the estimated project cost for each roofing job—whether repair or replacement. Roofing squares are the standardized unit of measurement across the roofing industry for both manufacturers and roofers.
In this post, we’ll cover what a roof square is, how many square feet are in a roof square, and how to calculate the number of roof squares on a roof. Let’s get started!
What Is a Roof Square?
A roof square is a type of measurement used in the roofing industry. Roof squares help contractors price out jobs. You can use roof square measurements to determine the following items before tackling a job:
- Materials needed
- Estimated time of a project
- Required labor
Roofing squares are a standardized measurement across the roofing industry. Roofers using different shingles, manufacturers, or other materials can all use roof squares to measure a roof accurately.
How Many Square Feet Are in a Square of Roofing?
One hundred square feet of a roof’s surface equals one roof square. For example, a 10x10 foot area is 100 square feet or one roof square.
100 square feet = 1 roof square
How to Calculate Roofing Squares
To calculate a roof square, divide the roof’s total square footage by 100. But how do you get to that total square footage?
Let’s break down this process to calculate a roof square in a step-by-step guide.
- Count the planes of the roof. A flat roof has one plane, gable roofs have two, and hip roofs have four.
- Calculate each plane’s square footage by multiplying the length and width of the plane.
- Total up each plane’s square footage.
- Divide the plane’s total square footage by 100 to see how many roof squares you have.
For example, if a roof’s total square footage is 4,000, it has 40 roof squares. Here are a few tips to remember as you calculate roof squares:
- Accuracy is crucial
- Don’t base roof squares off a home’s square footage
- Educate homeowners on the process and what goes into calculating job cost
Accurate roof measurements aren’t just a matter of your professional integrity—they help you increase customer satisfaction and provide exceptional customer service. Mastering roof square measurements gives you the skills to deliver precise and timely roof estimates.
The Importance of Accurate Roof Measurements
To be a professional roofer, you must understand how roofing squares work. Whether you’re repairing a roof, replacing a roof, or doing other roofing work, roofing squares are essential to accurately estimating what’s needed to complete jobs.
You need to know how to calculate roof squares to deliver accurate and timely estimates to your customers.
In addition to understanding roofing terminology, consider investing in roofing estimate software to improve your roof estimates even more. Roofing estimate software like SumoQuote can help contractors build better quotes more efficiently.
SumoQuote users achieved the same objectives as other contractors in 53% less time. Investing in the right tools for your roofing business allows you to optimize your workflow and create high-quality roof quotes effortlessly. Book a demo to see what SumoQuote can do today!
