The first step to re-roofing is figuring out how much it will cost. Roofing materials are measured in ‘squares,’ which is 100 square feet. Once you figure out the square footage of your roof, you can apply those measurements to find the best prices for materials
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You will need: helper, tape measure, calculator, pencil and paper.
- With assistance from a helper, climb up onto the roof and measure the surface area. Beginning on one full side of the roof, stretch the tape measure for the width from one edge to the other, rounding to the nearest foot. Then measure the length from the peak down to the edge of the overhang in the same fashion.
- Multiply the two measurements to get the square footage of that section of the roof.
- Repeat this process for each full section, including the dormers. Measure the full length from peak to overhang for any triangular areas, then multiply the measurement by the widest part of the width.
- Once the combined square footage has been calculated for the whole roof, add 10 percent to it.
- Divide your working number by 100 to get the number of roofing ‘squares’ you will need. The resulting value is the one you will work with when pricing roofing shingles for your project. The price of roofing shingles can vary depending on style and quality.
Always use caution when working on your roof. If you are uncomfortable with heights or do not have the means to work safely, call for professional help.
Courtesy of eHow Home
http://www.ehow.com/how_5136042_budget-replace-old-roof.html
