How Many Roofing Nails Per Square?
Plan on about 320 nails per square with a 4-nail pattern, or 480 nails per square with a 6-nail (high-wind) pattern — then add 10–15% for waste, starter, and hip/ridge caps. A "square" is 100 sq ft, roughly 3 bundles or ~80 shingles.
The math
A roofing square = 100 sq ft ≈ ~80 architectural shingles (about 3 bundles). Multiply shingles by your nail pattern:
| Pattern | Nails per square | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 4 nails / shingle | ~320 | Standard wind zones |
| 6 nails / shingle | ~480 | High-wind / coastal / code |
Then add ~10–15% for cut waste, starter strip, and hip and ridge caps (caps use more nails per foot).
How many coils / boxes
- A coil roofing nailer coil holds ~120 nails — so one square is roughly 3 coils (4-nail) to 4 coils (6-nail).
- A carton of coil roofing nails is commonly ~7,200 nails (about 60 coils), which covers roughly 15–22 squares depending on your pattern.
Worked example
A 20-square roof at 4 nails per shingle: 20 × 320 = 6,400 nails, plus ~15% = about 7,400 — right around one carton. At 6 nails: 20 × 480 = 9,600 + waste ≈ 11,000, or about 1.5 cartons.
Frequently asked questions
How many roofing nails per square?
About 320 at 4 nails per shingle, or 480 at 6 nails, before adding ~10–15% for waste and caps.
How many nails in a box?
A common carton of coil roofing nails holds ~7,200 (about 60 coils), covering roughly 15–22 squares.
How many nails for a 2,000 sq ft roof?
That's ~20 squares — roughly 6,400 nails at 4-nail (add waste), or ~9,600 at 6-nail.