Hip and Ridge Cap Calculator
Add your ridge and hip lengths to get total cap linear footage and the number of cap bundles, with coverage and waste you control.
Calculate
Results
Draft — press Calculate| Hip + ridge line | 94 linear ft |
|---|---|
| Cap order length (+0%) | 94 linear ft |
| Cap bundles (rounded up) | 4 bundles |
Hip-and-ridge cap runs along the ridge and down every hip. This tool totals those linear lengths, applies a cap waste allowance, then divides by the coverage per bundle and rounds up. Cap is a linear product measured in feet, which is why it is never mixed with the field-shingle area measured in square feet.
Linear footage and coverage
Enter the ridge length and the combined hip length directly, or bring them from the hip roof calculator, which reports the hip-plus-ridge total. Cap coverage per bundle is a product figure; the default here is a clearly labeled planning example you should replace with the number on your package. Cap waste is usually small and is kept separate from field waste.
Zero ridge, four hips
A square pyramid roof has no ridge at all, yet it still has four hips that need cap. Enter a ridge of zero and the full hip total, and the calculator still returns the cap you need. This is a good check that the tool treats the ridge and the hips as independent lengths.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I estimate cap for a pyramid roof with no ridge?
Yes. Set the ridge length to zero and enter the total of the four hip lengths. The cap requirement comes from the hips alone in that case.
Why is cap measured in linear feet, not squares?
Cap follows the ridge and hip lines, so it is a linear product. Mixing it with the field area in square feet would produce the wrong order.