Purpose-made hip and ridge cap covers roughly 20 to 25 linear feet per bundle at a 5-inch exposure, and three-tab shingles cut into three caps each yield about 33 linear feet per bundle. Brands differ, so read the wrapper — coverage is printed on it.
Purpose-made hip and ridge cap covers roughly 20 to 25 linear feet per bundle at a 5-inch exposure, and three-tab shingles cut into three caps each yield about 33 linear feet per bundle. Brands differ, so read the wrapper — coverage is printed on it.
Measure every ridge and every hip in linear feet — on a hip roof the four hips together are usually longer than the ridge, and forgetting them is the most common shortfall in a cap order. Add 10% for the cuts at the ends of each run and the overlaps where hips meet the ridge.
| Ridge + hip length | Caps at 5 in exposure | Purpose-made bundles | Cut three-tab bundles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 ft | 48 | 1 | 1 |
| 40 ft | 96 | 2 | 2 |
| 60 ft | 144 | 3 | 2 |
| 80 ft | 192 | 4 | 3 |
| 100 ft | 240 | 5 | 4 |
| 140 ft | 336 | 7 | 5 |
Cutting field shingles into caps is common and it works on lower pitches. Purpose-made hip and ridge is thicker, pre-bent and far less likely to crack over a sharp ridge in cold weather, and manufacturers specify it over a ridge vent because the bend there is sharper. On a steep or cold roof it is worth the difference.
| Material | Unit | Covers | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural shingles | Bundle | ≈33.3 sq ft | 3 bundles per square; printed on the wrapper |
| Three-tab shingles | Bundle | ≈33.3 sq ft | 3 bundles per square |
| Designer / heavyweight shingles | Bundle | ≈25 or 20 sq ft | 4 or 5 bundles per square — always check |
| Hip and ridge cap | Bundle | ≈20–25 linear ft | At 5 in exposure; brand-dependent |
| Three-tab cut into caps | Bundle | ≈33 linear ft | Each shingle yields three caps |
| Starter strip | Bundle | ≈100–120 linear ft | Eaves and rakes both need it |
| Roof sheathing | 4x8 sheet | 32 sq ft | Exact — 3.125 sheets per square |
| Synthetic underlayment | Roll | 10 squares (1,000 sq ft) | Before laps; allow ~10% |
| 15 lb felt | Roll | 4 squares (400 sq ft) | Before laps |
| 30 lb felt | Roll | 2 squares (200 sq ft) | Before laps |
| Ice and water shield | Roll | 200 sq ft | 36 in x 66.7 ft — 2 squares |
| Drip edge | 10 ft piece | ≈9 ft 10 in | After a 2 in lap |
| Valley metal | 10 ft piece | ≈9 ft 6 in | After a 6 in lap |
| Roofing nails, 1¼ in | Pound | ≈140 nails | ≈2 lb per square at 4 nails |
| Coil nails | Coil | 120 nails | ≈2.2 coils per square, architectural |
| Roof coating | Gallon | 50–100 sq ft per coat | Rate is on the pail; texture halves it |
| Exposed-fastener metal panel | Panel | 36 in of width | 38 in nominal, 36 in after sidelap |
Field material is bought by area and everything that keeps water out of it is bought by the linear foot. An estimate worked from the area alone is always short of the second list.
Purpose-made hip and ridge cap covers roughly 20 to 25 linear feet per bundle at a 5-inch exposure, and three-tab shingles cut into three caps each yield about 33 linear feet per bundle. Brands differ, so read the wrapper — coverage is printed on it.
Yes, and on a hip roof the four hips together are usually longer than the ridge itself. Every hip and every ridge needs cap, including the short ridges on dormers.
It is common and it works on lower pitches — each shingle yields three caps, so a bundle stretches to about 33 linear feet. Purpose-made cap is thicker and pre-bent and far less likely to crack over a sharp ridge in cold weather.
Around 10%. Cap is cut at the end of every run, hips overlap where they meet the ridge, and the last cap on each run is trimmed.