Figuring Roof Square Footage

Calculate the square footage area of a hip roof.

Figuring roof square footage.

Calculate square footage for a roof by measuring and by performing some basic math equations. The square footage of a hip roof area is identical to the square footage of a gable roof of the same size. If your roof is flat or has no more than a 3 in 12 pitch you can calculate its total square footage by simply multiplying the length by the width. When calculating square footage for your roof always add at least 10 percent of the total to account for waste.

Next you will need to use a roofing materials calculator. With the area measurement you can learn the approximate cost of a new roof. Shingles and other roofing materials such as underlayment are typically measured in squares that are 10 feet long and 10 feet wide with each square measuring 100 square feet. Steep roofs measure your house at ground level then add in the roof s overhang for greater accuracy.

Check that your footage measurements are within this range so you can start off on the right foot. In cases where a roof has a complex shape such as in the image to the right measuring the dimensions and areas of each part of the roof to calculate total area will result in a more accurate measurement of area. The top ridge will be shorter than the one of the gable roof but the four hips will add. The only difference in this calculation to the one for a gable roof area is the amount of the ridge.