Roofing Nails Calculator
Nails per square, per bundle, pounds and coils for a shingle roof.
Must reach 3/4 in. into the deck or through it.
Eaves + rakes. Enter 0 to skip.
Enter 0 to skip.
Figures are typical. Shingle counts, nailing patterns and nails per pound vary by product and brand — the nailing instructions on the shingle wrapper govern your warranty.
About the Roofing Nails Calculator
A standard 4-nail pattern uses about 320 roofing nails per square for 3-tab shingles and about 256 for architectural shingles; a 6-nail high-wind pattern raises that to roughly 480 and 384. Enter your roof size in squares or square feet, pick the shingle type and nailing pattern, and add starter strip and ridge cap footage if you want them counted. The calculator returns total nails with waste, nails per square and per bundle, pounds of hand-drive nails for your nail length, and how many 120-nail coils and 7,200-nail boxes to buy for a coil nailer.
How many roofing nails per square
A roofing square is 100 sq ft of roof. The number of nails per square is simply the number of shingles in a square multiplied by the nails in each shingle. A standard 12" × 36" 3-tab shingle laid at a 5" exposure covers 1.25 sq ft, so a square takes about 80 shingles. Laminated (architectural) shingles are larger — GAF lists its Timberline line at 64 pieces per square — so they need fewer nails at the same pattern.
| Shingle type | Shingles / square | 4 nails | 5 nails | 6 nails |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3-tab | 80 | 320 | 400 | 480 |
| Architectural | 64 | 256 | 320 | 384 |
These are field-shingle counts before waste. Starter strips along the eaves and rakes and cap shingles on the ridges and hips need their own nails, which the calculator adds if you enter their lengths.
How many roofing nails per bundle
Most asphalt shingles are packed 3 bundles to the square, so divide the per-square figure by three. That works out to about 26–27 shingles per bundle of 3-tab and about 21–22 per bundle of architectural.
- 3-tab: about 107 nails per bundle at 4 nails, 133 at 5 nails, 160 at 6 nails.
- Architectural: about 85 nails per bundle at 4 nails, 107 at 5 nails, 128 at 6 nails.
Some heavy designer shingles come 4 or 5 bundles to the square; check the wrapper and adjust.
Pounds and coils of roofing nails
Hand-drive roofing nails are sold by the pound. Typical counts for 11-gauge electro-galvanized roofing nails are about 196 per lb at 1-1/4", 174 per lb at 1-1/2" and 145 per lb at 1-3/4" (Grip-Rite 1-lb box counts). Hot-dipped galvanized and ring-shank nails are heavier, so expect fewer per pound. Coil nails for a roofing nailer typically come 120 per coil and 60 coils (7,200 nails) per box.
The table below is for architectural shingles with 10% waste, 1-1/4" nails, and field shingles only.
| Squares | Nails (4-nail) | Pounds | Coils | Nails (6-nail) | Pounds | Coils |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 1,408 | 7.2 | 12 | 2,112 | 10.8 | 18 |
| 10 | 2,816 | 14.4 | 24 | 4,224 | 21.6 | 36 |
| 20 | 5,632 | 28.7 | 47 | 8,448 | 43.1 | 71 |
| 25 | 7,040 | 35.9 | 59 | 10,560 | 53.9 | 88 |
| 30 | 8,448 | 43.1 | 71 | 12,672 | 64.7 | 106 |
| 40 | 11,264 | 57.5 | 94 | 16,896 | 86.2 | 141 |
One 7,200-nail box covers roughly 25 squares of architectural shingles at 4 nails, or about 17 squares at 6 nails, once 10% waste is included.
Worked example: 25 squares, architectural, 6-nail pattern
Say you are roofing a 2,500 sq ft roof (25 squares) with architectural shingles in a high-wind zone, with 160 ft of eaves and rakes for starter and 40 ft of ridge.
- Field: 64 shingles × 6 nails = 384 per square × 25 = 9,600 nails.
- Starter: about 4 nails per 3-ft strip × 160 ft ≈ 213 nails.
- Ridge cap: 2 nails per cap piece at an 8" exposure = 3 nails per ft × 40 ft = 120 nails.
- Subtotal: 9,933 nails; add 10% waste = 10,927 nails.
- Hand nails: 10,927 ÷ 196 ≈ 55.8 lb of 1-1/4" (buy 56 lb), or ≈ 62.8 lb of 1-1/2".
- Coil nails: 10,927 ÷ 120 = 92 coils, or 1.52 boxes — order 2 boxes.
These are the calculator's default inputs, so you can change one value at a time and watch the totals move.
Which roofing nail length to use
Shingle manufacturers and the Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association (ARMA) call for zinc-coated steel or aluminum roofing nails, 10–12 gauge, with a 3/8" to 7/16" head, long enough to penetrate at least 3/4" into the deck or go completely through it. Add the shingle thickness at the nail line to the deck requirement:
| Situation | Typical nail length |
|---|---|
| New roof, 3-tab or architectural over 7/16" OSB or 1/2" plywood | 1-1/4" |
| Thick laminated shingles, 5/8"–3/4" deck | 1-1/2" |
| Hip and ridge cap shingles | 1-3/4" to 2" |
| Layover on one existing layer (where code allows) | 1-3/4" to 2" |
On a 3/4" plank deck, the nail must reach the full 3/4" into the wood, which usually means 1-1/2" or longer. Drive nails flush — overdriven or crooked nails are a leading cause of wind blow-offs.
Disclaimer: the wrapper instructions govern your warranty
All figures here are typical estimates. Shingle dimensions, pieces per bundle, required nailing patterns and nail specifications differ by product line, and GAF, CertainTeed, Owens Corning and others print the exact requirements on every bundle wrapper and in their installation instructions. Follow those instructions and your local building code — the wrong nail count, length or placement can void the shingle warranty and wind rating. Nail counts per pound also vary by brand, gauge and coating, so check the box label before buying.
Sources: GAF Timberline product data (64 pieces per square) and installation instructions; ARMA technical bulletin "Nail Application of Asphalt Strip Shingles"; Grip-Rite 11-gauge electro-galvanized roofing nail package counts; standard 120-nail coils, 7,200 per box (e.g., Grip Fast 1-1/4" coil roofing nails).
How to use the Roofing Nails Calculator
- 01Enter the roof area in squares (100 sq ft each) or in square feet.
- 02Choose 3-tab or architectural shingles and the nails per shingle your wrapper calls for (4 standard, 6 for high wind or steep slopes).
- 03Add starter strip and ridge/hip cap lengths in linear feet if you want those nails included, and set a waste allowance (10% is typical).
- 04Pick the nail length to see pounds of hand-drive nails, or read the coil and box count for a coil nailer.
Frequently asked questions
How many roofing nails per square?
About 320 for 3-tab shingles (80 shingles × 4 nails) and about 256 for architectural shingles (64 × 4). With a 6-nail high-wind pattern it is roughly 480 and 384 per square, before waste.
How many roofing nails per bundle?
With 3 bundles per square, a 4-nail pattern uses about 107 nails per bundle of 3-tab and about 85 per bundle of architectural shingles. A 6-nail pattern uses about 160 and 128.
How many pounds of roofing nails per square?
Roughly 1.3 to 2.8 lb per square with 1-1/4" to 1-1/2" nails. For example, 256 nails of 1-1/4" (about 196 per lb) is 1.3 lb, while 384 nails of 1-1/2" (about 174 per lb) is 2.2 lb. Add about 10% for waste.
How many coils of roofing nails per square?
At 120 nails per coil, about 2.1 to 2.7 coils per square for a 4-nail pattern and 3.2 to 4 coils for a 6-nail pattern. A 7,200-nail box covers about 25 squares of architectural shingles at 4 nails, or about 17 at 6 nails, with 10% waste.
How many nails per shingle?
Four is the standard for most asphalt strip shingles. Six is required by most manufacturers for high-wind warranties and on steep slopes (typically over 21/12). Always follow the pattern printed on the bundle wrapper.
What length roofing nail should I use?
Long enough to penetrate at least 3/4" into the deck or go completely through it. 1-1/4" suits most new roofs on 7/16" OSB or 1/2" plywood; use 1-1/2" to 2" for ridge caps, thicker decks, or where codes allow a layover.