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Roofingaka: asphalt shingleaka: architectural shingleaka: 3-tab shingleaka: composition shingle

Shingle

In Plain English

Individual overlapping pieces — usually asphalt, wood, or slate — installed in rows from the bottom to the top of a sloped roof.

Definition

A roof covering unit applied in overlapping courses from eave to ridge to shed water, manufactured from asphalt fiberglass, wood (cedar or redwood), slate, concrete, or clay tile. Asphalt shingles are by far the most common residential roofing material in the US, available in 3-tab and architectural (dimensional or laminate) styles. Shingle selection affects appearance, wind resistance, lifespan, and cost.

Why It Matters in Bidding

Shingles are typically the largest material quantity in a residential roofing bid, so accurate square-count takeoff, waste for hips and valleys, and the choice between 3-tab and architectural product drive both price and the warranty the owner expects. Estimators must also carry the full assembly, underlayment, starter, ridge, drip edge, and ice-and-water shield, because pricing only the field shingles understates the bid and triggers change orders.

Example

Bidding a re-roof, the estimator takes off the roof at 24 squares, adds two squares for waste on the cut-up hip roof, and prices architectural shingles plus starter, ridge cap, and synthetic underlayment as a complete assembly.

Related Terms

Roofing SquareRidgeValleyDrip Edge

Frequently Asked Questions

Roofing is measured in squares, where one square equals 100 square feet of roof surface. Estimators take off area from plans or aerial measurement, apply a pitch multiplier for steeper slopes, then add waste, typically 10 to 15 percent for cut-up roofs with many hips, valleys, and penetrations.
Architectural (laminate) shingles cost more per square than 3-tab but offer higher wind ratings, longer warranties, and a dimensional appearance owners often prefer. Because the price gap is significant across a whole roof, estimators should bid the specified product and offer the alternate as a clarified line rather than assuming the cheaper option.
A complete bid carries underlayment, starter strip, hip and ridge caps, drip edge, valley and step flashing, ice-and-water shield in required areas, and fasteners, plus tear-off and disposal on re-roofs. Pricing only the field shingles leaves out a meaningful portion of the assembly cost and invites scope-gap change orders.

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