The Length of Time to Apply One Square Shingle to a Roof

Quantity of Shingles in a Square

• Before you can estimate how long it will take you to apply shingles over 100 square feet, or "a square," determine how many shingles you'll need. Manufacturers sell shingles by the square or by the bundle. Bundles are the standard in home improvement stores. The number of asphalt shingles per bundle varies according the shingle's thickness; the bundles are designed for easy lifting, so heavier shingles come less per bundle. Bundles usually include about 30 standard weight shingles, and three bundles cover one square. That means you'll need to lift, position and fasten 90 asphalt shingles to cover a square. Wooden shingles and shakes are smaller than asphalt shingles, so you'll need more to cover a square. In general, four or five bundles of wooden shingles cover a square.

Hammer Vs. Nail Gun

• Your choice of fastening tools affects the time to apply one square of shingles. While hammers are the traditional shingle installation tools, many professionals use nail guns. Nail guns are faster than hammers and also require less physical effort to use. Many roofing nail guns don't operate with a trigger mechanism, but fire nails when the gun's tip presses against a flat surface.

Design Variables

• A broad range of design variables affects the length of time to install a square of shingles. The features of a particular square vary according to its location on the roof. Shingling around certain parts of a roof requires more time and effort than others. If the square you're working contains hips, valleys, ridges or roof penetrations, you'll need more time to apply the shingles. Additionally, fastener requirements vary according to local code. In high-wind areas, codes usually require five nails per shingle. Under normal wind conditions, codes require three nails per shingle. Although an additional two nails per shingle doesn't sound like much, it adds up over an entire square. Roof pitch is another important variable; shingling on steeper roofs requires slower, more attentive work than shingling on flat or low-slope roofs.

Professional Roofer Labor Estimate

• Despite the complex set of variables that affect shingle installation speed, professional roofers have enough experience to roughly estimate their rate of work. Many professionals figure between one and three squares per hour, or between 10 and 20 per full work day. Note that not only are professional roofers probably more experienced than you are, but they also work in crews. With some practice under your belt, you might achieve one or more squares per hour.