How Much Do Shingles Weigh?

They want to know how they can more easily scale their roof, what sort of packages they will have to haul to the top, and the easiest way to go about their repair

The act of climbing up to your roof carrying a bundle of shingles can be a scary prospect

It helps to know just what you can expect

Before you decide to take on a roofing project, you should really check out the specs on a bundle of shingles

What Kind of Shingles Do You Have?

Many homeowners are surprised to learn that there is no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to their shingles

Apart from the aesthetic difference between brands, there are actual differences in the shingles themselves

These can result in major differences between the weights of each type of shingle, so it is imperative that you understand the differences

The most common category of shingles is asphalt shingles, but there are still several styles to choose from

The most common include 3-tab shingles and architectural shingles

The three-tab varieties are one of the more popular styles because they tend to be less expensive than other options

Architectural shingles are also created from asphalt, but they offer a more durable solution compared to the three-tab variety

They have a laminated layer that creates a different visual effect that appears more sophisticated than what a three-tab shingle can offer

You may even find architectural shingles that mimic the look and feel of wood designs

They are more expensive but tend to last longer than other types of shingles

Cedar shingles

Cedar shingles tend to be more durable than any type of asphalt shingle

They are crafted from cedar trees that are centuries old, meaning that they may not be as environmentally-friendly as many homeowners would prefer

The end result is a rather rough-looking but completely unique roof

Slate shingles

Slate shingles are another wonderful option for a homeowner who wants an extremely durable roof

These roofs can last more than 100 years when installed and maintained properly

However, they will easily be the most expensive option

Expect slate shingles to be relatively thin but still extremely heavy

If you are worried about how you are going to carry new shingles all the way up to your roof, the slate may not be the choice for you

The majority of shingle bundles will weigh between 50 and 80 pounds

This figure is perhaps most accurate for what you can expect a bundle of asphalt shingles to weigh

A bundle of 3-tab shingles will weigh on the lower end of this figure because they are thinner than architectural shingles

Most of these bundles weigh in between 50 to 65 pounds per bundle

On the other hand, a bundle of architectural shingles will weigh on the upper end, with most packages ranging from 65 to 80 pounds

If you are looking at specific name brands for your architectural shingles, you might be interested in the GAF Timberline shingles

It takes roughly three bundles of these shingles to cover 100 square feet with a little over twenty pieces per bundle

Expect a bundle of GAF Timberline shingles to weigh approximately 70 pounds

Cedar shingles are extraordinarily heavy and are packaged in slightly smaller bundles

It will take roughly four packages to cover the standard 100 square feet that roofers measure by

When the wood is dry like it is supposed to be, each bundle of cedar shingles should weigh between 40 and 80 pounds

Slate shingles easily outweigh all of the other types of shingles listed here

Some of these bundles can weigh hundreds of pounds because you are installing actual stone on your roof

Be prepared for the inevitable workload that comes with slate shingles and transporting them up to your roof before you purchase

A regular bundle will be enough to cover 33-square feet of your roof area

However, if the materials are heavy, the coverage area will be smaller

The square footage in a bundle of shingles is likely to vary based on the material

Three-tab and architectural shingles tend to have more square footage in a bundle because they weigh less than cedar shingles and slate shingles

On the other hand, most contractors and trade publications use the term roofing “square” rather than square feet

It equals to 100 square feet

To find this number, simply divide the number of square feet by a factor of 100

For regular shingles, contractors mostly use the following figures to estimate the weight:

1 bundle equals 50 – 80 lbs

1 square equals 150 – 240 lbs

So, one-third of a square equals a bundle

If you’re going to use heavier materials, it will be lower than one-third (one-fourth or smaller)

Once you calculate the area of your roof, you can calculate the estimated total weight:

[weight of a bundle] x [number of bundles] x [number of shingle layers] = estimated total weight

How to Carry Shingles to Your Roof?

Once you know just how much weight you can expect from a bundle of shingles, the next logical thing that most homeowners want to know is how to easily carry them up to the roof

Unfortunately, there is no easy answer, and there are no shortcuts for hoisting these shingles up to the uppermost part of your home

Do you feel like you could carry these bundles up to your roof using just your ladder?

This is slow work, but it is really the only way that you can get the bundles to where they need to be

Alternatively, you may find that your roofing supplier is willing to hoist those bundles onto the roof for you

If you decide to take advantage of this service, remember that they need to spread those bundles out across the length of the roof to prevent putting too much weight in one place

Having all of the shingles delivered to your roof in one fell swoop may sound like a dream come true, but this service is not for everybody

Some people have multiple layers of shingles installed on their roof already

This is already a great deal of weight for your roof to support

Adding the weight of the bundles in addition to these layers of pre-existing shingles might simply be too much weight for your roof to bear

Instead, you should remove the layers of shingles from underneath before toting all of the new shingles up to the length of the roof

You might choose to have your shingles delivered on the same day that you finish removing these layers so that you can conveniently keep rolling on your latest home improvement project

☆ Before you commit to installing new roofing, you need to make sure that you are comfortable walking around on your roof

Secure your ladder to the roof so that it cannot slide from side to side while you are climbing or after you are already on the roof

☆ Even if your ladder is secure, always have someone who can help you out

☆ You need to make sure that you are wearing a safety harness that will help to anchor you if you should slip and begin to fall

☆ From here, it is mostly common-sense things that should be taken care of before you spend too much time on the roof

For example, you need to clear all leaves and debris from the surface of the roof so that you do not slip

Wear footwear with an excellent grip and only climb up to your roof on a day when you are having excellent weather

☆ When walking up and down the roof, you should be hunched over slightly toward the roof

Most people find it helpful to crouch down low toward the roof if they have to descend

When you happen to be working with a roof that has a steeper pitch, you will find that you must lean forward more than a flatter roof

☆ To prevent putting too much burden on your roof, try to stick near the rafters as you set each bundle down

These are better able to support your weight than the seams

They should be spaced roughly 16 to 24 inches apart, depending on the structure of your home

There is no quick and easy answer when it comes to how much a bundle of shingles can weigh

While most bundles will come in under eighty pounds, it will vary based on the square footage in each bundle and the material itself

Be prepared for these bundles to be a heavyweight on the roof of your house, though

Unfortunately, there are also no clear and simple procedures for getting those shingles onto the roof on your own

You will simply have to take it one bundle at a time

There is no mistaking it – roofing is definitely hard work

If you don’t feel like you are cut out to carry those shingles to the roof on your own, consider paying your roofing supplier or hiring a professional company to come out and perform the work on your home

Author Recent Posts Thomas LuttrellSpecializing in building and renovating homes, Thomas Luttrell has worked in homebuilding since 2002

He also holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Iowa University

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Home » Material Weights and Measures

Weight of Roofing Materials • Complete Reference Chart

By Jack Gray, Roof Online Editor • Last updated January 16, 2023

See More Roofing Topics

EPDM rubber, clay tiles, asphalt shingles, modified bitumen, asphalt BUR, PVC, copper panels, roofing slates, and cedar shingles

The total weight of a roof depends on the type of roof system (and the size of the roof, of course)

Roof systems can vary wildly by weight, from well under a pound per square foot for an aluminum standing seam metal roof to over 15 pounds per square foot for very thick clay roof tiles

Roof systems typically include more than one type of material, and the weight of a roof system can be determined by adding up the weights of the different roofing materials used in that system

A built-up roof, for example, will typically include the built-up membrane itself, the layer of gravel for a gravel-surfaced roof, and the insulation and cover board, which will vary in thickness and material type from roof to roof

When it comes to estimating the weight of roofing materials for an existing roof, field verification of the in-place construction is necessary in order to see what materials are actually present on the roof

There also may be more than one roof system in place

Don’t forget to add all roof assembly materials when calculating total roof weight

Depending on what you are using this information for, this can include the roof deck and the supporting structure (typically roof trusses and/or rafters) as well as the roof system itself

Roofing Manufacturers Know the Exact Weight of Roofing Materials

Manufacturer technical data sheets (with the precise material weights) are almost always made available on the manufacturer’s website

If you can’t find the information you’re looking for on their website, remember that almost every reputable manufacturer will provide a phone number so you can contact their technical department

The weight of roofing materials is important, lots of people ask for that information, and they should be able to tell you pretty quickly

The staff in the technical department can usually answer any other question you might have, too, and they always seem happy to talk to someone!

For links to a huge directory of roofing manufacturers, organized by roofing material and product type, see our Roofing Manufacturers Directory

You can also look at roofing materials on the Home Depot website

Both the weight of roofing materials and the square footage they cover are typically given in the product description, which allows you to figure out the weight per square foot of actual roofing products

About Our Roof Weight Chart

The following table provides typical values for the weight of roofing materials and related building products

These values can be considered the dead load values or self-weight of roofing materials

Where possible, the values for the weight of roofing materials were taken directly from manufacturer technical data sheets and are the actual weights of specific, representative products

In a few cases, the weight of roofing materials we provide was calculated using more general manufacturer data, or taken from a non-manufacturer source that we consider reasonably authoritative

In all cases, these values are meant to provide a general idea of what the various roofing materials weigh, and should not be used if precise values are needed for critical engineering calculations

When precision is necessary, always refer to the data sheets of the actual, specific product you intend to use, or contact the technical department of the product manufacturer or material provider

Table: Weight of Roofing Materials

Note: The values in the table are for the installed weight of roofing materials

Shingles, tiles, and panels overlap; the weights for these materials as installed on a roof will be higher per square foot than for the uninstalled weights of the same materials

Since the table gives the weights per square foot for pretty much every material you might find on a roof, you should be able to use this table as a sort of roof weight calculator by adding up the total weights by area for the different materials that are in place on the roof

Weight of Roofing Materials

These are the weights of typical actual products; the weights of other actual products of the same type may vary

Roofing Material

Pounds perSquare Foot(lb/ft²)

Pounds per Square(100 Sq Ft)

Built-up Roof Membrane4-Ply, Gravel-Surfaced

Built-up Roof Membrane4-Ply, Smooth-Surfaced

Owens Corning Roofing and Asphalt; GAF

Clay Tile Roofing

Ludowici Roof Tiles

Concrete Tile Roofing

Boral USA;Entegra Roof Tile

Copper Panel Roofing16 oz

Copper, Flat Seam

EPDM Roof Membrane60-mil, Ballasted(Membrane and Stone Ballast Only)

EPDM Roof Membrane90-mil, Fully-Adhered(Membrane Only)

Firestone Building Products

Gypsum Roof Board1/2-Inch Thick

OSB Roof Sheathing7/16-Inch ThickApproximate Weight

Perlite BoardInsulation/Cover BoardPer Inch of Thickness

Plywood Roof Sheathing15/32-Inch ThickApproximate Weight

Polyisocyanurate Insulation BoardPer Inch of Thickness

Polystyrene (EPS)Insulation BoardPer Inch of Thickness

Polystyrene (XPS)Insulation BoardPer Inch of Thickness

PVC Roof Membrane80-mil, Fully-Adhered(Membrane Only)

Roofing Felt(Underlayment)Asphalt Impregnated, #30

Atlas Roofing Corporation

Slate Roofing3/16-Inch Slates (Standard)

Slate Roofing3/4-Inch Slates

Slate Roofs, National Slate Association, 1926

Spray Polyurethane FoamClosed CellPer Inch of Thickness

Standing Seam Metal0032″ AluminumPanel Width: 12 Inches

Fabral Metal Wall and Roof Systems

Standing Seam Metal16 oz

CopperPanel Width: 12 Inches

Copper Roofings: A Manual, Copper and Brass Research Association, 1925

Standing Seam Metal24-Gauge SteelPanel Width: 12 Inches

Steel Roof Panels26-Gauge Corrugated

Industrial Metal Supply Company

Steel Roof Deck22-Gauge Corrugated

Western States Metal Roofing

Stone-Coated SteelRoof Tiles26-Gauge

DECRA Roofing Systems

Thatch(Approximate Typical Weight)

TPO Roof Membrane80-mil Fully-Adhered(Membrane Only)

Wood FiberboardInsulation/Cover BoardHigh-DensityPer Inch of Thickness

Wood ShinglesWestern Red Cedar24-Inch ShinglesInstalled Weight When Dry

Wood ShinglesWestern Red Cedar24-Inch ShinglesInstalled Weight When Wet

BC Shake & Shingle Association

Zinc Roof PanelsThickness: 0031 Inches

Jack Gray is a principal roof consultant and vice president at the Moriarty Corporation, an award-winning building enclosure consultant firm founded in 1967

He is also the editor of the Roof Online website

Mr Gray has over 25 years of experience in the roofing industry, with training and practical experience in roof safety, roof inspection, roof condition assessment, estimating, roof design & specification, roof installation, quality assurance, roof maintenance & repair, and roof asset management

He was awarded the Registered Roof Observer (RRO) professional credential in 2009

Complete List of Roofing Types

How to Find the Area of a Roof

Roof Decks

Weight of Dimensional Lumber

Weight of Metals

Weight of Pavers

Weight of Plywood and OSB

Weight of Pressure-Treated Lumber

Weight of Sheet Steel

0sharesSharePinWhether it’s a shed or a house, shingling a new roof is a big job

Understanding how much does a bundle of shingles weigh will help you to plan the delivery and installation of the new shingles

If you’re replacing an old roof, then calculating the weight of the old shingles is an important part of planning for their disposal

The average bundle of 3-tab asphalt shingles weighs between 60 and 80 pounds per bundle, while high-end architectural shingles, which are denser than standard 3-tab shingles, can weigh 70 to 100 pounds per bundle

In this article, we’ll examine what factors influence the weight of a bundle of shingles and how knowing that weight can help you estimate the weight of the new roofing you’ll be installing on your home or shed

Quick NavigationWhat Is a Bundle of Shingles?How Much Does a Bundle of Shingles Weigh?3 Tab ShinglesArchitectural ShinglesHip and Ridge Cap Roofing ShinglesSynthetic Slate ShinglesWhat Is a Square of Shingles?How Much Does a Square of Shingles Weigh?How Do You Calculate the Weight of a Bundle?Shingles Weight CalculatorHow Many Square Feet Does a Bundle of Shingles Cover?How to Estimate Shingles Weight for Your Roof?Conclusion

What Is a Bundle of Shingles?

Most shingles are sold in bundles

A bundle of shingles is a package that includes about 333 square feet of shingles

There are 26 standard shingles in a bundle

A bundle of shingles constituted one-third of a roofing square

Since a roofing square is 100 square feet of shingles, you’ll need three bundles for every 100 square feet of roofing

If you’re calculating how much a bundle of shingles weighs, it’s most likely because you’re trying to determine the weight of the new roofing you plan to put on a shed or home

A bundle of standard 3-tab shingles weighs between 60 and 80 pounds, depending on the quality and type of shingle

Since it takes three bundles to fill one square, you can reasonably expect 100 square feet of roof shingles to weigh between 180 and 240 pounds

Many factors determine the weight of a bundle of shingles, including type–3-tab, architectural, hip and ridge cap, and synthetic slate

A bundle of architectural shingles can weigh about 20 pounds more than a three-tab shingle bundle

Why is weight so important?

If you’re installing shingles, it gives you an idea of how much material needs to be hauled from the home improvement store to your property and onto the roof of the shed or home

This can dictate whether it’s worth it to transport this material yourself or pay for it to be delivered to your property

Understanding the weight of a bundle of shingles will also allow you to plan for their installation

Hauling a dozen or more bundles of roofing to a second story is a task that needs to be well planned and prepped to be executed safely

Hauling shingles that weigh between 60 and 80 pounds up a ladder is no easy feat (professional roofing companies often use conveyors to load bundles of shingles to the roof) and may require the rental of a lift

How you place roofing shingles on the roof during installation is also an important factor to consider

While stacking bundles of roofing shingles on the ground may be fine, they should be evenly distributed when transported to the roof instead of stacked in one place

Stacking 70-pound bundles on the roof could put hundreds of pounds of pressure on one part of the roof, causing damage

Understanding how much a bundle weighs can also help you determine whether you can shingle over an old roof by allowing you to calculate the combined weight of the old shingles plus the new shingles

If you’re removing the old shingles, understanding how much a bundle weighs will help you calculate what size dumpster you need for waste removal

By correctly estimating the amount of waste roofing material you’ll be disposing of, you can rent the right size dumpster

Given the fact that roofing waste will pile very densely into a dumpster, you’re more than likely to reach the dumpster’s weight capacity before the waste shingles reach the lip of the dumpster

Adding to this complexity of dumpster rental are overage fees

If you fill the dumpster beyond its capacity, most dumpster rental companies charge a fee, which can be as much as $175 per ton

Overloading a dumpster could even damage it, forcing you to foot the cost of a new one

A 3 tab shingle features three cutouts or tabs along the shingle’s bottom edge

The shingle is made to look like three separate pieces but is one large piece

3 Tab shingles typically weigh between 60 and 80 pounds per bundle, or 180 to 240 pounds per square, which we know is 100 square feet of shingles

Architectural Shingles

Architectural shingles are sometimes referred to as dimensional or laminated shingles

They are of higher quality than standard three-tab shingles and feature a thick fiberglass base and ceramic-coated granules

As such, they are also heavier than three-tab shingles

One bundle of architectural shingles weighs between 70 and 80 pounds or 210 to 240 pounds per square

Hip and Ridge Cap Roofing Shingles

Ridge and hip cap shingles are specially designed shingles to cover the roof’s ridge

Unlike standard 3-tab and architectural shingles, hip and ridge cap roofing shingles are sold by the linear foot

There are 20 linear feet of hip and ridge cap roofing shingles in a bundle

A bundle of ridge cap shingles weighs about 60 pounds

Synthetic Slate Shingles

Synthetic shingles have the look of real slate shingles but do not use actual slate stone

Instead, these modern slate shingles are made of rubber and plastic designed to look like the real thing

Synthetic slate shingles are significantly lighter than the real thing but still weigh about 125 pounds per shingle, which equates to about 67 pounds per bundle or about 200 pounds per square

In comparison, a real slate roof can weigh a staggering 800 to 1,500 pounds per square

What Is a Square of Shingles?

To calculate the weight of a bundle, it’s essential first to understand what a roofing square is

A roofing square is simply 100 square feet of roof

For example, an 800-square-foot roof is 8 roofing squares

How Much Does a Square of Shingles Weigh?

Since a square of shingles constitutes three bundles, to determine how much a square of shingles weighs, multiply the weight of the bundle times three

A bundle of 3-tab shingles weighing between 60 and 80 pounds per bundle would weigh between 180 and 240 pounds per square

How Do You Calculate the Weight of a Bundle?

We already know that a bundle of shingles constitutes 1/3 of a roofing square

So, our 800-square foot roof would need 24 bundles of shingles (8 squares x 3)

If we’re talking about standard three-tab shingles, which weigh between 60 and 80 pounds per bundle, then we can determine the weight of all of the shingles on the roof

The weight of 24 bundles of 3-tab shingles would be between 1,440 (24 bundles x 60 pounds) and 1,920 pounds (24 bundles x 80 pounds)

That total weight also depends on another factor: layers

Most local building codes allow for two layers of shingles on roofs with a 4/12 pitch or less and up to three layers of shingles or more sharply pitched roofs

If you’re installing a new roof over an old one, multiply the total weight of the shingles for the entire roof by the number of layers

An 800-square foot roof with two layers of 3-tab shingles would weigh between 2,400 and 2,880 pounds

Other factors can also influence weight

Shingles that are more worn out and have lost a significant amount of their grit will weigh less than newer shingles

Shingles Weight Calculator

If math was never your strongest subject in school, then use an online calculator to help you

Many dumpster rental services provide calculators that help you determine the weight of your shingle waste as well as how large a dumpster you’ll need to haul it away

How Many Square Feet Does a Bundle of Shingles Cover?

For installing a new roof, it may be helpful to know exactly how much area a bundle of shingles covers

This will help you place the bundles strategically for installation by minimizing the number of times you need to move them

We know that a roofing square is 100 square feet of roof and that it takes three bundles to cover that area

With that in mind, a bundle of shingles covers 3333 square feet

How to Estimate Shingles Weight for Your Roof?

Replacing standard 3-tab asphalt shingles on a roof with new 3-tab asphalt shingles, you don’t have to worry about putting additional load on the roof

However, if your roofing a new structure, adding layer of shingles to an existing structure, or are upgrading old 3-tab shingles on a roof to a heavier material such as architectural shingles or synthetic slate shingles, then it’s important to know how much weight the shingles will add to avoid overloading the roof

To do this, you’ll need to begin by calculating the square footage of the roof

You can accomplish this by measuring the length and width of each roof face

For example, a shed with a flat roof that measures 10×16 would have a total roof square footage of 160 square feet

For more complicated roofs with dormers and hip roofs, break up the roof into squares and triangles

For each triangle, multiple the height times the width of the base, then divide by two to come up with the area

Measure the area of each square and triangle, then add all of the areas up to come up with an estimate for your roof square footage

Once you know the square footage, determine how many roofing squares you have

That shed with the 10×16 roof has 16 roofing squares (160/100)

Rounding up, that means there are about 5 bundles of shingles on the shed roof

If these are three-tab asphalt shingles, this adds up to between 300 and 400 pounds

Keep in mind that determining the weight of the roof cap shingles on an existing roof is different than calculating the weight of standard shingles

Remember, roof cap shingles are measured linearly with 20 linear feet of hip and ridge cap roofing shingles in a bundle

Therefore, a roof with 40 feet of ridge caps would equate to two bundles of ridge cap shingles

Since a bundle of ridge cap shingles weighs about 60 pounds, that equates to 120 pounds worth of ridge cap shingles

Knowing how much a bundle of shingles weighs is crucial when installing new shingles

It allows you to calculate how much weight the shingles will add to your roof, plan the delivery of the shingles, and coordinate their installation

If you’re replacing an old roof, understanding how much a bundle of shingles weigh will allow you to estimate the weight of the old shingles accurately, so you can purchase the best dumpster size for the waste removal

To make this calculation, you need to know how heavy a bundle of shingles weighs

The guidelines in this article will help you determine the weight of a bundle of shingles and explain how to use that information to calculate the weight of the shingles on your home or shed

He is passionately interested in home improvement, renovation and woodworking

If you’ve ever done any type of roofing work, you know how heavy a bundle of shingles can be

So how much do shingles weigh?

Their weight depends on the size, design, and materials used to make each kind of shingle

That said, a bundle of shingles weighs between 50 and 80 pounds (22 to 36 kg)

Interesting shingle tidbits

Each bundle will cover approximately 33 square feet

A full pallet of shingles holds up to 42 bundles

This means a pallet weighs in at around 2,100 to 3,350 pounds (952 to 1,519 kg)

A full square of shingles measures 100 square feet

It weighs approximately 200 to 350 pounds (90 to 158 kg)

Architectural shingles, which are most commonly used on residential roofs, weigh 65 to 80 pounds (29 to 36 kg) per bundle on average

Weights Of Various Shingles Per Bundle

GAF Timberline HD Weathered Wood Architectural Shingles – 70 pounds (31 kg)GAF Royal Sovereign Golden Cedar Shingles – 62 pounds (28 kg)GAF Timbertex Charcoal Hip and Ridge Shingles – 59 pounds (26 kg)Owens Corning Oakridge Driftwood Laminated Architectural Shingles – 65 pounds (29 kg)Owens Corning TruDefinition Duration Driftwood Laminated Architectural Shingles – 725 pounds (32 kg)Owens Corning Classic 3-Tab Shingles – 65 pounds (29 kg)Atlas Castlebrook Architectural Shingles – 75 pounds (34 kg)Atlas GlassMaster 3-Tab Shingles – 683 pounds (31 kg)

Over the years, roof shingles of all shapes and sizes have been developed

Three Common Shingle Styles

Large-form shingles do not have any cutouts or tabs, and they have a rectangular shape3-Tab shingles on the other hand, usually have 2 cut outs, giving them a slate-type appearanceFinally, architectural or laminate shingles are believed to be the most suitable for house roofs

Many layers of different materials, including asphalt, are used to make these shingles

They are often manufactured to look like other materials, such as wood or slate

~ Fun Fact~Those granules you see and feel on an asphalt shingle are added to help protect it against damaging sunlight and UV rays

It also helps reduce and prevent damage from storms and other weatherAs these granules begin falling off due to severe weather, walking on them, among other factors, speed up the aging process

Leaks in your roof soon follow as time goes by

Resources:http://wwwsuperiorhomeinspcom/home-inspection-education-albuquerquehtmlhttps://wwwreferencecom/home-garden/much-bundle-shingles-weigh-a2994b31c903ecf4