How long are architectural shingles?
Why the size matters
- Coverage: at 39 3/8 by 5 5/8 inches exposed, each shingle covers about 1.5 square feet, so a 100 square foot roofing square takes about 64 shingles, or three bundles.
- Repairs: metric and English shingles cannot be mixed neatly because the courses will not line up. An older English-size roof needs careful cutting or a matching size for repairs.
- Ordering: roofers estimate bundles from measured area plus waste for hips, valleys, starter and ridge.
Exposure sets the look
The exposure is the part you see. The rest of each shingle sits under the course above, providing the overlap that keeps water out. Shingles laid with too much exposure leave nail lines vulnerable; too little wastes material and looks crowded.
How long they last
In Georgia's heat and humidity, plan on about 20 to 30 years for a well-installed architectural roof over a ventilated attic, compared with roughly 15 to 20 for 3-tab. Thickness, attic heat, nailing and storm exposure decide where in that range a roof lands, and thicker premium laminates tend toward the upper end.
Ridge caps are different
Hip and ridge shingles are smaller pieces, either cut from regular shingles on budget jobs or, better, purpose-made caps that bend over the peak without cracking.
See how roofers measure a roof and how long a roof lasts in Georgia.