What Nail Gun Do Roofers Use?

The short answer: professional roofers overwhelmingly use pneumatic coil roofing nailers — a lightweight, air-powered gun that holds a 120-nail coil and drives 15-degree wire-collated roofing nails. Cordless roofing nailers exist and are growing, but on full tear-offs the pneumatic coil gun is still the tool of the trade. Here's why, and what pros actually run.

Why pneumatic coil roofing nailers dominate

• Capacity: a coil magazine holds ~120 nails, so far fewer reloads than a stick nailer — real time saved, measured in squares per day.
• Light and fast: no onboard battery, so the gun stays light all day; bump-firing sets nails as fast as you can move.
• Cheap and reliable: a proven pneumatic like the Bostitch RN46 is inexpensive, takes universally available nails, and just works.
• The 15° coil angle fits the tight, repetitive nailing roofing demands.

The trade-off: you're tethered to an air compressor and hose. For a crew already running a compressor, that's a non-issue.

The models pros actually run

See our full best roofing nailer roundup for picks by budget and use case.

Where cordless roofing nailers fit now

Battery roofing nailers like the DeWalt DCN45RN and Milwaukee 2909-20 (M18 FUEL) have gotten genuinely good, and they shine for repairs and small jobs where dragging out a compressor isn't worth it, for detail work and hard-to-reach spots, and for DIYers doing occasional roofing. But they're heavier (battery onboard), pricier, and on a big tear-off most pro crews still reach for the pneumatic. The honest verdict: cordless is a fantastic second gun and a legit primary for light use — but it hasn't dethroned the air-powered coil nailer for production roofing yet. (More in our DeWalt DCN45RN review.)

What about hammers and roofing hatchets?

Pros still keep a roofing hatchet/hammer for cap nails, flashing, valleys, and detail spots a coil gun can't reach — but the field nailing is all gun.

Frequently asked questions

Related articles

← All Roofing Nailers guides