- Ridge length— ft
- Hip length— ft
- Total to cover (with waste)— LF
- Ridge vent—
- Cap nails—
- Estimated cost—
Shopping Summary
| Ridge + hip length | — |
| With waste | — |
| Coverage per bundle | — |
| Bundles to buy | — |
| Estimated cost | — |
Ridge Cap Coverage Chart
| Cap type | Coverage per bundle |
|---|---|
| 3-tab cut caps | ~33 LF |
| Architectural cut caps | ~25 – 35 LF |
| Factory ridge caps | ~20 LF |
| Premium / high-profile caps | ~20 – 25 LF |
| Metal ridge caps | ~10 LF per piece |
Roof Type Examples
| Roof | Ridge and hip notes |
|---|---|
| Ranch (gable) | One long ridge, no hips |
| Gable roof | Ridge only; gables are rakes, not hips |
| Hip roof | Short ridge plus four hips, lots of cap |
| Cross gable | Multiple ridges and valleys, add waste |
How Many Ridge Cap Bundles Do I Need?
Ridge caps are the shingles that fold over the peak and edges of a roof, and they are the material homeowners most often underestimate, ending up one bundle short on the last run. This calculator fixes that. Add up your ridge length and hip length, pick the cap type and its coverage per bundle, add a waste factor, and it tells you the bundles to buy and the cost. Roofers shop in bundles, not linear feet, so the answer you actually want is a bundle count and a simple shopping list.
Ridge vs Hip: What Is the Difference?
The ridge is the horizontal line at the very top of the roof where two slopes meet at the peak. Hips are the diagonal lines running down from the ends of the ridge to the outside corners, formed where two roof planes meet at an external angle. A simple gable roof has only a ridge; a hip roof has a shorter ridge plus four hips; a pyramid hip has no ridge at all, just hips meeting at a point. Both ridge and hip lines get capped, and on a hip roof the hips can add up to more cap than the ridge itself, which is exactly why ignoring hips leaves you short.
How to Calculate Hip Caps
Measure each hip from the ridge end down to the eave corner; on a typical roof a hip is a bit longer than the horizontal run because it follows the slope. Add all the hip lengths to the ridge length to get the total linear feet of capping, then divide by the coverage of one bundle and round up. Because cut caps from a three-tab bundle cover around 33 linear feet while factory caps cover closer to 20, the cap type changes the bundle count significantly, so pick the type you are actually buying.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many ridge caps per bundle? A three-tab bundle yields about 33 linear feet of cut caps; factory cap bundles cover roughly 20 linear feet.
How much ridge cap do I need? Add ridge plus all hips in linear feet, add 10 percent waste, and divide by the coverage per bundle.
Do hips really need caps? Yes, every hip is capped just like the ridge; skipping them is the most common sizing mistake.
Can I cut my own caps from shingles? Yes, three-tab shingles are commonly cut into caps, which is why they stretch further per bundle than pre-made caps.