The roofing material list for a re-roof
Every line a re-roof needs, zone by zone: the edge length or count that drives it, what the measurement can't tell you, and how the list becomes a purchase order.
A re-roof material list covers seven zones: the field, the eaves, the rakes, the ridges and hips, the valleys, the penetrations and walls, and the tear-off. Every line comes from an area, an edge length by type or a count, and a labeled measurement gives you most of them. What it can't give you is anything you only see from a ladder or after tear-off.
The list at a glance
| Zone | Items | What drives it |
|---|---|---|
| Field | Shingles, synthetic underlayment, roofing nails | True area and waste |
| Eave | Drip edge, starter strip, ice & water shield, gutter apron | Eave footage |
| Rake | Drip edge, starter strip if you run it | Rake footage |
| Ridge and hip | Hip & ridge cap, ridge vent, vent nails | Ridge + hip footage; ridge alone for vent |
| Valley | Valley metal (or none if woven), ice & water shield | Valley footage, one run per valley |
| Penetrations and walls | Pipe boots, step and headwall flashing, counter-flashing, cricket, vent caps, sealant | Counts; sidewall and headwall footage |
| Tear-off and site | Dumpster, tarps, plywood, deck fasteners | Squares × layers; deck condition |
Field
Shingles. True area × (1 + waste) ÷ 100 gives squares; the wrapper gives bundles per square. The measurement gives you the area, pitch-adjusted once each facet has its pitch. It doesn't give you the waste: that comes from how cut up the roof is, and our waste factor guide by roof type has starting ranges.
Synthetic underlayment. The same area with waste, divided by what one roll nets after laps.
Roofing nails. Bundles × shingles per bundle × nails per shingle ÷ nails per box. The nailing pattern is on the wrapper.
What the area doesn't show: how many layers are coming off, and what the deck looks like under them.
Eave
- Drip edge. Eave footage ÷ stick length less the lap. The measurement doesn't show fascia depth or condition.
- Starter strip. Eave footage ÷ lf per bundle.
- Ice & water shield. Eave footage × courses ÷ roll length. The trace gives the run. The number of courses depends on overhang depth, how far past the wall line the band must reach, and local code and the manufacturer. An overhead image doesn't show where the wall sits under the soffit.
- Gutter apron, if your detail uses it. Eave footage where gutters hang. The trace doesn't know which eaves carry one, so take this run off the photos.
Rake
- Drip edge. Rake footage, added to the eave sticks if the profile matches.
- Starter strip, if you run it up the rakes. Rake footage added to the eave line.
A plain hip roof has no rakes; rake footage on one means a wrong label. Rake board condition is a site question.
Ridge and hip
- Hip & ridge cap. Ridge + hip footage ÷ lf per bundle.
- Ridge vent. Ridge footage only, less the cut-back at each end and anywhere a chimney or wall meets the ridge. How much vent the attic needs is a ventilation question (intake, attic size) the roof outline doesn't answer.
- Vent nails. Longer than field nails. Order them by vent footage and the vent maker's instructions.
Valley
- Valley metal, for open valleys. Valley footage ÷ piece length less the laps, rounded up per valley. Woven or closed-cut valleys take no metal; their extra shingles sit in the waste.
- Ice & water shield. Full valley length, added to the eave rolls.
The measurement gives the footage and the valley count, not the style the homeowner wants.
Penetrations and walls
- Pipe boots, by size. A count. You may spot the pipes on the image, but not their diameter.
- Step flashing. Sidewall footage ÷ shingle exposure, rounded per wall.
- Headwall flashing. Headwall footage ÷ piece length.
- Counter-flashing. Masonry walls and chimney sides. The measurement gives the run, not the wall material or whether the old counter-flashing stays.
- Chimney cricket. Sized from the chimney's upslope width, measured on site, with its framing and metal as separate lines.
- Vent caps. A count of box vents and exhaust caps, sized on site.
- Sealant. Tubes by the number of boots, caps and flashing ends. One spare costs less than a trip.
Tear-off and site
- Dumpster. Squares × layers drives the load. The measurement gives the squares; the layers you find with a lifted tab or a core at the edge.
- Tarps. A count, by the sides of the house you work over.
- Plywood for repairs. Unknowable until tear-off. Carry an allowance and write the per-sheet price into the contract. At 5% of a 2,600 sq ft roof: 2,600 × 0.05 = 130 sq ft ÷ 32 sq ft a sheet = 4.06 → 5 sheets.
- Deck fasteners. For replacement sheets and re-nailing loose deck.
Where you trip
- Pipe boots by count only. The wrong size is the same as none.
- Ridge vent at full ridge length. The cut-backs come off it.
- No plywood allowance. Rotten sheets become a same-day supplier run and an unpriced change order.
- Gutter apron on every eave. Only where gutters hang, and only if your detail calls for it.
From the list to the purchase order
The list is what the roof needs; the order is what the yard ships. The counter wants quantities in their units (bundles, rolls, sticks, pieces, boxes), a delivery date and window, and the drop location, boom to the roof or a ground drop, and where on the lot. How to build a roofing material order from a measurement walks through each line in the yard's units, and from a satellite measurement to a material order shows which edge feeds which line on a worked hip roof.
Where RoofStruct fits
RoofStruct gives you free, unlimited self-serve measuring and PDF reports, no card. You trace the roof on satellite imagery or your own drone or phone photo, and the PDF on any plan lists the lengths by edge type: eaves, rakes, hips, ridges, valleys and the flashing runs. That covers every footage-driven line above.
On Pro, the Material Order Builder turns those lengths into a supplier-ready order, with no price on any line unless you type one. Counts like pipe boots, and the tear-off lines, stay yours to add.
FAQ
Does the measurement tell me how many layers come off?
No. It gives squares; layers come from a lifted tab or a check at the edge, and they set the dumpster size.
Can a satellite measurement tell me pipe boot sizes?
No. It can show where the pipes are, but not their diameter. Size them on site or from close photos.
Should plywood go on the first order?
An allowance, yes, so the crew isn't waiting when the deck opens up. Put the per-sheet price in the contract.
Does ridge vent use the same footage as ridge cap?
No. Cap covers ridges and hips; vent goes on the ridge only, less the cut-back at the ends and at anything that meets the ridge.