How many sticks of drip edge do I need?

Add the eave and rake lengths, divide by the net length of one stick and round up. With 10 ft sticks and a 2 in lap, each covers 9.83 ft, so 159.3 lf needs 17 sticks.

Does drip edge go on the rakes as well as the eaves?

Yes, drip edge is normally run on both, which is why the calculator adds them. Your local code and the shingle maker’s instructions decide the details.

Do I need starter strip on the rakes?

It always goes on the eaves. Many installers and shingle makers also call for it on the rakes; check the instructions for the shingle you’re installing and tick the box if they do.

How many feet does a bundle of starter cover?

Around 105 lf is typical, but it varies by product. Read the coverage on the wrapper and enter it in the calculator.

Does the calculator add waste?

Only what you put in the extra field, and only on the drip edge. Sticks and bundles are then rounded up to whole pieces.

Free calculator

Drip Edge Calculator and starter strip bundles

Enter the eave and rake lengths. You get the drip edge lineal feet, the sticks to order once the laps are taken out, and the starter bundles for the eaves, with or without the rakes.

The formula

Lengths in feet, the lap in inches. Sticks and bundles are rounded up to whole pieces.

Rake length: plan run × √(1 + (rise ÷ 12)²) Only if you measured the rake level. Eaves are level, so their length doesn’t change.
Drip edge lineal feet: (eaves + rakes) × (1 + extra ÷ 100) Drip edge runs on every eave and every rake.
Net length per stick: stick length − lap ÷ 12 A 10 ft stick with a 2 in lap covers 9.83 ft.
Drip edge sticks: ⌈drip edge lineal feet ÷ net length per stick⌉ Rounded up to whole sticks.
Starter lineal feet: eaves, or eaves + rakes if starter runs up the rakes No extra percentage is added to the starter.
Starter bundles: ⌈starter lineal feet ÷ lineal feet per bundle⌉ 105 lf per bundle is typical; check the wrapper.

Worked example

A gable house at 8/12: two 46 ft eaves and four rakes with a 14 ft plan run each, 10 ft sticks with a 2 in lap, no extra for cuts, starter on the eaves and the rakes at 105 lf per bundle.

Eaves: 2 × 46 = 92 lf
Pitch factor at 8/12: √(1 + (8 ÷ 12)²) = √1.444 = 1.202
Each rake along the slope: 14 × 1.202 = 16.8 ft; four rakes: 4 × 16.828 = 67.3 lf
Drip edge lineal feet: 92 + 67.3 = 159.3 lf
Net per stick: 10 − 2 ÷ 12 = 9.83 ft
Drip edge sticks: 159.3 ÷ 9.83 = 16.2, rounded up to 17 sticks
Starter lineal feet: 92 + 67.3 = 159.3 lf
Starter bundles: 159.3 ÷ 105 = 1.52, rounded up to 2 bundles (eaves only: 92 ÷ 105 = 0.88, so 1 bundle)

Order 17 sticks of drip edge and 2 bundles of starter for 159.3 lf of eaves and rakes.

Sticks and bundles by lineal feet

10 ft drip edge sticks with a 2 in lap (9.83 ft net each) and starter at 105 lf per bundle, no extra for cuts.
Lineal feet	Drip edge sticks	Starter bundles
50 lf	6	1
100 lf	11	1
150 lf	16	2
200 lf	21	2
250 lf	26	3
300 lf	31	3
400 lf	41	4
500 lf	51	5

Where drip edge and starter go

Drip edge is the bent metal along the roof edges. It carries water off the edge and into the gutter, and it covers the gap between the deck and the fascia. It goes on every eave and every rake, so its length is the eaves plus the rakes.

Starter is the first strip of shingle along the edge, with a sealant line that holds down the first course. It always runs along the eaves. Many installers and shingle makers also run it up the rakes for wind resistance; whether yours do decides if the rakes count. Tick the box when they do.

Measure the rakes along the slope

Eaves are level, so a tape along the gutter line gives the real length. Rakes climb the roof, so a length taken from a floor plan or measured level on the ground comes up short. Multiply the level run by the pitch factor to get the length the metal actually covers.

In the example, a 14 ft run at 8/12 is 16.8 ft along the slope. Across four rakes that adds 11.3 lf (67.3 − 56) that a level measurement would miss, more than a full stick of drip edge.

Laps, cuts and rounding

Drip edge sticks overlap where they meet, so a 10 ft stick never covers 10 ft. With a 2 in lap it covers 9.83 ft. On long runs that adds up: 159.3 lf needs 16.2 sticks, not 15.9.

Every corner where an eave meets a rake takes a cut, and short pieces left over at the end of a run often go in the scrap pile. Rounding up to whole sticks covers a little of that. If the roof has many corners, dormers or short runs, put a few percent in the extra field. In the example, 5% turns 159.3 lf into 167.3 lf and 17.01 sticks, which rounds up to 18.

Starter coverage and when to measure

A bundle of starter strip covers around 105 lf on many products, but it varies by brand and line. Read the coverage on the wrapper and put it in the field; the bundle count changes with it. Some crews cut starter from field shingles instead; then you count it in your shingle bundles, not here.

Everything here depends on the eave and rake lengths you start with. If you’d rather not climb or guess from the ground, trace the roof from satellite imagery: RoofStruct gives you free, unlimited self-serve measuring and PDF reports, no card, with the eaves and the rakes totalled and pitch-corrected.

Drip edge and starter questions

How many sticks of drip edge do I need?: Add the eave and rake lengths, divide by the net length of one stick and round up. With 10 ft sticks and a 2 in lap, each covers 9.83 ft, so 159.3 lf needs 17 sticks.
Does drip edge go on the rakes as well as the eaves?: Yes, drip edge is normally run on both, which is why the calculator adds them. Your local code and the shingle maker’s instructions decide the details.
Do I need starter strip on the rakes?: It always goes on the eaves. Many installers and shingle makers also call for it on the rakes; check the instructions for the shingle you’re installing and tick the box if they do.
How many feet does a bundle of starter cover?: Around 105 lf is typical, but it varies by product. Read the coverage on the wrapper and enter it in the calculator.
Does the calculator add waste?: Only what you put in the extra field, and only on the drip edge. Sticks and bundles are then rounded up to whole pieces.