You ordered shingles from the floor plan. You skipped pitch. The last ridge course needed another square while the crew waited on the truck. That is the short-count tax every reroof charges when the takeoff was a napkin.
This is the shingle squares calculator you use on the job tomorrow, not theory. Not a full estimating suite. Punch plan length, width, pitch, and waste — then read roof area, squares, bundles, underlayment, and ridge on your phone.
Free does one rectangular plane. Pro is $9.99 a month for up to 12 planes, valleys/hips as extra linear, waste as dollars, and a printable material list. Worth $9.99 if the week has more than one plane or you need a list you can print from the truck. After the first square count, the next app in the suite was already open: Deck Takeoff Master for the porch under the same eave.
What a roof pitch calculator app actually has to do
Most “best roofing calculator” pages stop at plan area ÷ 100. Ordering needs pitch applied, a waste percent that survives starter and ridge, squares that match your yard (one square = 100 sq ft), and the underlayment and ridge cap that ride with the bundles. A review that matters has to survive dirty thumbs and a supply ticket you can read without translating a formula.
Roofing Takeoff Master is a phone-first PWA. Add it to the Home Screen. English UI. Feet/inches or metres/millimetres. Offline after the first load. No login. Data stays on the device. You enter one rectangular plane, set pitch as rise/run, degrees, or ratio, pick waste, and read squares or m² pack count. On the roof screen Free also shows bundles (3 per square typical), underlayment, and ridge estimates for that plane.
The square math is the same count we already published: plan area × pitch factor, add waste, divide by 100, round up. A 40×30 plan at 4/12 +10% waste is about 14 squares (~42 bundles). If you want the chart on paper, use How Many Squares of Shingles Do I Need? The app is that count plus underlayment, ridge, and the multi-plane shapes Free does not cover.
The real test is the job the next morning. That is the only review that matters. If the number only works at a desk, it is homework. If it works in the truck before you load the trailer, it is a takeoff.
Free vs Pro — no mystery
| Feature | Free | Pro ($9.99/mo) |
|---|---|---|
| Planes | One rectangular plane | Up to 12 planes |
| Pitch (rise/run, degrees, or ratio) | Yes | Yes |
| Waste % and roof area | Yes | Yes |
| Squares or m² pack count | Yes | Yes |
| Bundles / underlayment / ridge (one plane) | Yes | Yes |
| ft/in or m/mm toggle | Yes | Yes |
| JSON backup on this device | Yes | Yes |
| Valleys / hips as extra linear | — | Yes |
| Waste as dollars (you type square or m² price) | — | Yes |
| Printable material list / PNG | — | Yes |
Free is enough for one simple plane and a clean square-and-bundle list. Pro is for a second plane the same morning, valleys or hips as linear extras, waste priced so the homeowner sees the buffer, or a printable list you can share from the phone. That is the $9.99 line.
There is no full FSM client portal here. Roofing Takeoff Master Pro is about more planes and a sendable material list, not scheduling or invoices. If you need a branded fence PDF at contractor pricing, that is Fence Quote Pro on the hub — a different product.
The mistake everyone makes
Ordering from plan area. Plan sq ft is the floor under the roof, not the roof surface. A 40×30 plan is 1,200 sq ft; at 4/12 the roof is about 1,265 before waste. The second mistake is zero waste — starter, ridge, hips, valleys, and bad breaks eat stock. About 10% is the common pad for a simple rectangle. The third is mixing bundles and squares: one square is 100 sq ft of coverage, not one bundle. Most 3-tab packs ship three bundles per square; architectural packs often differ — check the label.
Roofing Takeoff Master wants plan length, width, pitch, and waste you set. Default waste starts around 10% for a straight rectangle — raise it for complex hips, valleys, or steep pitch. You still own the underlayment spec, wind rating, and covering type for your job. Measure the pitch. Confirm the pack your yard stocks. A spare square beats a short last ridge.
What it is not
Estimate only — not engineering or building-code advice. It will not stamp a drawing, check wind load, size structural rafters, or replace a licensed designer on a commercial roof. It is not a full bid system with labor rates, tear-off pricing, or client proposal PDFs.
No client portal, inventory sync, or invoice. One English UI. Price in USD. Markets: USA, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada. No AI. Math stays on-device.
Is $9.99 worth it?
If you cover one simple plane a month and Free covers the square and bundle list, Free is the product. Punch the size. Read the count. Buy the stock.
If the week stacks a second plane, needs valleys or hips on the same takeoff, or you want a printable list before you leave the yard, Pro is the product. One short roofing run and a second supply trip cost more than a month of Pro. Worth $9.99 on that week. Not worth pretending it replaces a stamped commercial takeoff. No fake star widget. No invented “customers say.” The test is whether the numbers hold on the job the next morning. Then Deck Takeoff Master is one tap away for the porch boards, and Fence Takeoff Master is next for the yard line under the same eave.
The series
Roofing Takeoff Master is one app in EBN Build Calculators. After the squares, the next number is usually deck boards — or fence posts for the yard. Same idea: phone-first, offline, estimate only. See the shingle squares chart and the deck board guide when the same morning needs the porch under the eave.
Bottom line
Roofing Takeoff Master is a shingle squares calculator you can use at the yard tomorrow. Not a textbook. Not a bid suite. Free for one plane with pitch, waste, squares, bundles, underlayment, and ridge. Pro for extra planes (up to 12), valleys/hips, waste as dollars, and a printable list at $9.99 a month. Punch the size. Take the count to the yard. Open the next app in the series when the same job needs deck boards or fence posts.
Open Roofing Takeoff MasterEstimate only — not engineering or building-code advice. Not a stamped roof design. Not a contract.