A roof measurement sheet is where an estimate starts and where most disagreements about one end. Every line on a roofing bid or an insurance estimate — squares of shingles, rolls of underlayment, feet of drip edge and ridge cap, each pipe boot and vent — comes from a measurement somebody took or should have taken. This sheet records them in the order you meet them on a roof: the planes and their pitches, the totals and waste, the edges and the lines where planes meet, every flashing and penetration, then what is under the shingles and what the crew will need to do the job. You can fill it in here and download a finished PDF without creating an account.
Measure each plane, then add them up yourself
Break the roof into planes — every flat surface between a ridge, hip, valley and edge — and give each one a row: its pitch, its length along the eave, its width up the slope, and its area. Pitch matters because a plane measured from the ground or a plan view is smaller than the surface you actually shingle; a 6/12 plane is about twelve percent larger than its footprint, a 12/12 plane about forty percent.
The sheet leaves the totals for you to type. Area in square feet, squares (one square is 100 square feet), the waste you are allowing and why, and the squares to order. A simple gable may need ten percent waste; a cut-up hip roof with dormers and valleys can need fifteen to twenty. Writing down the reason saves an argument later.
The linear runs are where estimates go short
Ridge, hips, valleys, eaves and rakes are all measured in linear feet, and each drives a separate material: ridge cap, starter strip, drip edge, valley lining, ice and water barrier. They are also the items most often left off or under-measured, because they do not show up in a quick area calculation.
Record whether drip edge is on the existing roof and where, how many courses of ice and water barrier the eaves need in your area, and whether valleys are open or closed. Those are the lines a reviewer will check against your photos.
Flashings, penetrations and what is under the shingles
Count every pipe boot, vent, exhaust cap and skylight, and measure step, counter, wall and chimney flashing. Each is a separate line in an estimate, and each is easy to miss from the ground.
Then record what you cannot see until the old roof comes off, as well as you can before it does: how many layers, what the decking is, soft spots underfoot, rot visible from the attic, and how many sheets you expect to replace. Spaced plank sheathing under wood shakes, for example, usually has to be covered with new decking before shingles can go on.
Ventilation, gutters and the job itself
A new roof is the time to fix the attic's ventilation, so record the intake and exhaust that are there now and whether they are balanced. Gutters, guards and downspouts often have to come off and go back, which is labor someone has to pay for.
Finish with access: where the dumpster goes, landscaping and glass to protect, power lines near the eave, how steep and how high, and whether a permit is needed. Speak while you walk, and the document writes itself: say "rear plane, 8/12, forty-two by sixteen, two pipe boots and a box vent" and the row fills in.
Common questions
How do I calculate roofing squares?
Add up the surface area of every roof plane in square feet and divide by 100. That gives squares before waste. Then add your waste allowance — commonly around ten percent for a simple gable and more for hips, valleys and dormers — and round up to what you will order.
Does roof pitch change the measurement?
Yes. The steeper the roof, the more surface there is over the same footprint. If you measure from the ground, an aerial photo or a plan, multiply by the pitch factor for that slope. If you measure on the roof itself with a tape, you already have the true surface.
What linear measurements does a roof estimate need?
Ridge, hips, valleys, eaves and rakes, each in linear feet. From those come ridge cap, starter strip, drip edge, valley lining and ice and water barrier. Add step, counter, wall and chimney flashing lengths as separate lines.
How much waste should I allow on a shingle roof?
It depends on the shape. A plain gable roof may need around ten percent; a hip roof, many valleys or dormers can push it to fifteen or twenty percent. Note the reason beside the number, because waste is one of the first things questioned on an insurance estimate.
Can I use an aerial measurement report instead of measuring?
Many roofers do, and this sheet has a place to record the report reference. It is still worth a site visit to count penetrations, check layers and decking, measure flashings and confirm anything the image could not show, such as a hidden low-slope section or a recent addition.