How to Install Roof Shingles on Your Shed

Co-authored by David Bitan and Hannah Madden

Last Updated: October 5, 2021 References

Whether you’re building a new shed or re-roofing another one, shingling is an important step that you can’t skip. Shingles provide an important, water-proofing layer that can extend the life of your structure for years to come.^{[1]
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Expert Source

David Bitan
Roofing Contractor & Maintenance Professional
Expert Interview. 14 July 2020.} Laying shingles on a roof by yourself isn’t tough, but it may take a few hours of hard work. Keep reading to learn the process of shingling a shed roof so you can get started right away.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Drip Edge and Felt Paper

1
Nail a drip edge onto the edge of your roof. A drip edge stops the rain from dripping back underneath your shed and onto the walls. Grab a metal drip edge from the hardware store, then slide the metal lip over the wooden edge of your shed’s roof. Use 3 in (7.6 cm) long roofing nails to secure the drip edge in place around the entire edge of the roof.^{[2]
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- You can estimate the amount of drip edge you’ll need to buy by measuring all the edges of your roof and adding them up.
2
Cut strips of felt paper slightly wider than your roof. Felt paper is the underlayer of a shingled roof. Although it’s called felt paper, it’s actually made of rubber, and it creates a barrier between the wooden roof and your shingles. Measure the width of your roof to see just how wide you’ll need your felt paper to be. Roll out your felt paper on the ground, then cut strips that are slightly longer than your roof is wide with a box cutter.^{[3]
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- It’s easier to carry strips of the felt paper up a ladder rather than a whole roll, which is why it’s a good idea to cut it first.
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3
Nail the felt paper to your roof. Lay out your first strip of felt paper and line it up with the bottom edge of the roof. Use roofing nails to attach the felt paper to the roof, going all the way around all 4 edges. You can use a hammer if it’s all you have, but a nail gun is preferable (and will make the job go much quicker).^{[4]
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- Space your nails about 2 to 3 in (5.1 to 7.6 cm) apart.
4
Overlap your next piece of felt paper, then attach it. Grab a second strip of felt paper and lay it on the uncovered section of your roof, overlapping it on the first piece by about 5 in (13 cm). Use the same nails again to attach your second sheet, spacing the nails about 3 in (7.6 cm) apart.^{[5]
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5
Repeat this process and trim any excess with a box cutter. Keep adding felt paper to the roof, making sure you overlap each piece by about 5 inches (13 cm). Once you’ve covered your entire roof, grab a box cutter and trim off any excess that’s hanging over the edge of the roof. Once your felt paper is attached, you’re ready to move on to shingling!^{[6]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Shingles

1
Snap horizontal chalk lines every 5 in (13 cm). Chalk lines help keep your shingles straight and evenly spaced. Bring a chalk line up to the roof, then snap a horizontal line every 5 inches (13 cm) until you reach the top. Use a ruler to make sure your measurements are exact, since this will help you later on.^{[7]
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- Chalk lines are lengths of string or twine covered in chalk dust. You hold them taut over a flat surface, then snap them to release the dust and make a mark.
2
Cut the first layer of shingles in half lengthwise. The first layer of shingles is called the starting layer, and they help create a seal between the felt paper and the rest of your roof. For your first layer of shingles, use a box cutter to cut the shingles in half lengthwise. You’ll be using the top portion, or the portion of the shingle without slits in it.^{[8]
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- This half of the shingle also has the tar strip on it, which creates the seal on your roof.
3
Situate the tar strip as close to the edge of the roof as you can. Take the shingles that you cut in half and flip them over so that the tar strip lines up with the edge of the roof. Get the tar strip as close to the edge as you can without any overhang, then line up the rest of the starter shingles the same way.^{[9]
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- It’s extremely important to have a starter row of shingles. Without it, you may get water damage over time.
4
Attach your starter shingles with 3 in (7.6 cm) nails. Grab a nail gun and attach a row of nails directly in the center of your shingles. Space the nails about 1 in (2.5 cm) apart, and always add a few more nails than you think you need. Keep going until you’ve nailed down your entire row of starter shingles.^{[10]
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5
Lay out your second row of shingles on top of the starters. Now that your starter shingles are in place, you can lay out the real shingles. Grab enough shingles to cover one row, then place them on top of the starter shingles. Line up the shingles with the edge of your roof to avoid as much overhang as possible.^{[11]
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- You don’t need to overlap the shingles on the right or the left side. Try to line them up perfectly so there aren’t any gaps.
6
Attach the row of shingles with nails. Use 3 in (7.6 cm) roofing nails to attach the shingles to your roof. Keep the nails in the center of the shingles, and space them about 1 in (2.5 cm) apart. Keep going until you’ve attached your entire row of shingles.^{[12]
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- If there’s any overhang on either side, you can trim the shingles with a box cutter.
7
Lay out your next row of shingles in an alternating pattern. Once you’ve got your first row down, you can continue adding shingles that overlap about 5 in (13 cm). To make your spacing easier, use the chalk lines that you snapped before you started. Stagger the shingles by lining up the flat edges with the rain slots in the shingles below them.^{[13]
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8
Keep adding shingles until you’ve covered your entire roof. Use your same nails to attach the shingles, and keep working up on both sides of the roof until you reach the point. Stay in an alternating pattern when you lay out your shingles to ensure there’s proper coverage from the rain.^{[14]
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Ridge Caps

1
Cut triangles into the tops of 10 to 20 shingles. As you get close to the top edge of your roof, you’ll notice that your shingles can’t fit on the ridge, or the point. To make ridge caps, grab a shingle and cut triangles in the top half, one above each rain slot. The triangles should be about 2 inches (5.1 cm) wide, and each shingle will have 3 cut-out triangles.^{[15]
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- The resulting shingle will look flat on the bottom but angled on the top.
2
Lay out your ridge caps in an overlapping pattern. Now that the shingle has been cut on the top, you can lay them over the point of your roof. Grab your first ridge cap and place the flat side (the non-cut side) of the shingle on the point of your roof facing the front edge. Then, lay the rest of the ridge caps along the ridge, overlapping them by about 6 inches (15 cm).^{[16]
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- The number of ridge caps you need depends on the size of your shed. Most standard sheds need anywhere from 15 to 20 ride caps for full coverage.
3
Drive nails into the edges of the ridge caps. To attach the ridge caps, use roofing nails and a nail gun. Add roofing nails on the sides of each ridge cap, about ¹⁄₂ in (1.3 cm) away from the bottom edge of the ridge cap. Keep going until all your ridge caps are securely in place.^{[17]
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- Once your ridge caps are in place, your roof is done!