How Many Roofing Nails Are in a Coil, and How Many Squares Does a Box Cover?
A common roofing coil holds 120 nails, and a contractor box of 60 coils holds 7,200. At 4 nails per shingle on a standard roof, that box covers about 22 squares. At 6 nails per shingle it covers about 15 squares, so your nailing pattern changes the answer more than anything else.
Bostitch RN46-1Best overall
Metabo HPT NV45AB2Fastest firing, shortest body
Dotool DOTOOL CN45CLight with shingle guideHow many nails are in one coil?
Most coil roofing nails for pneumatic nailers come 120 to a coil. That number matches the magazine capacity listed for the coil roofing nailers we compare, which is 120 nails on every ranked model that publishes a capacity. One full coil fits one full magazine.
Boxes are usually sold by coil count. A contractor box of 60 coils works out to 7,200 nails. Smaller boxes and some other coil styles exist, so check the count printed on the carton before you do any math. Some sources quote larger coils, which is a good reason to read the label rather than assume.
How many squares does a box cover?
A roofing square is 100 square feet of roof surface. A standard-size shingle roof uses about 80 shingles per square, and the usual pattern is 4 nails per shingle. That comes to roughly 320 nails per square. Steep slopes, high-wind areas and some manufacturers call for 5 or 6 nails per shingle, which raises the count.
The table below uses 7,200 nails per box and 120 nails per coil. These are straight arithmetic from those two numbers and the 80-shingle assumption, with no waste added.
| Nails per shingle | Nails per square | Coils per square | Squares per 7,200-nail box |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 320 | About 2.7 | About 22 |
| 5 | 400 | About 3.3 | 18 |
| 6 | 480 | 4 | 15 |
Work out your own number
The table gives a starting point. Your roof will need a little more, so plan with a margin. Here is a simple way to estimate.
Follow these steps:
- Measure the roof surface area in square feet and divide by 100 to get squares. Remember that a sloped surface is larger than the floor plan beneath it.
- Check your shingle package or manufacturer instructions for the required nails per shingle. Use that number, not a guess.
- Multiply squares by nails per square from the table above.
- Add extra for the starter course, hip and ridge caps, and any misfires or dropped nails.
- Divide by 120 to find the number of coils, then round up.
What size coil nails do you need?
Pick the nail length by what is under the shingles. A roofing nail should go fully through the decking or sink into it by about 3/4 inch, and the head should sit flush against the shingle without cutting into it. Check your shingle maker's instructions and local code for the exact rule.
As a general guide, a single layer of shingles over new plywood or OSB decking is often fastened with shorter nails, around 1 to 1-1/4 inch. Roofing over an existing layer, or adding thick underlayment or insulation boards, calls for longer nails, up to 1-3/4 inch. Thicker material under the nail means you need more length to reach the deck.
The nailers on our spec sheet accept coil nails from about 0.75 to 1.75 inch, with a few starting at 0.875 inch. That range covers most residential jobs. See the best coil roofing nailer page for each model's listed range.
Make sure the coil matches your nailer
Length is only one match. The collation angle must also fit the tool. Most of the nailers we compare list 15 degrees and take wire-collated coil nails. One model, the Metabo HPT NV45AB2, lists 16 degrees. A coil built for the wrong angle will not feed properly, so confirm the angle on both the tool and the box.
Nail diameter and head type matter too. Roofing coils are commonly full-head nails, and some tool listings mention 11 gauge. Look for that detail in your nailer's manual.
Magazine size also decides how often you stop. With a 120-nail magazine, a roof needing about 320 nails per square means reloading roughly every third of a square at 4 nails per shingle. If you are comparing tools with that in mind, our coil roofing nailer comparison lists magazine capacity, weight and nail range side by side.
Safety on the roof
Roofing combines heights, compressed air and fast-moving fasteners. Take these basics seriously.
Follow these precautions:
- Wear ANSI-rated eye protection and hearing protection every time you fire the tool.
- Use fall protection and secure ladders properly, especially on steep pitches.
- Keep your free hand and body clear of the nose, and never point the tool at anyone.
- Disconnect the air hose before clearing a jam or loading nails, and stay within the pressure range listed for your nailer.
- Use sequential firing while you are learning. Bump firing is faster but easier to misfire on a slope.
Buying tips
Round up when you buy. Running out of nails halfway through a day is more costly than having a spare coil or two. Keep unopened coils dry, because rust can cause feeding problems.
Also keep nail length consistent within a job. Mixing lengths in one magazine is not possible, since each coil holds one size. If you roof different layers, buy each length separately and label the boxes.
Frequently asked questions
What is a roofing square?
A square is 100 square feet of roof area. Roofers and shingle makers use it to price and order materials.
Do I need more nails for ridge and starter courses?
Yes. Starter strips and ridge caps use extra fasteners, and the first row often calls for more nails than the field. Add a margin on top of your main estimate.
Can I use leftover coil nails in a different nailer?
Only if the collation angle, nail length and coil style match the tool. A 15 degree coil will not feed correctly in a 16 degree nailer.
Do coil nails come in galvanized versions?
Roofing nails are commonly made with a corrosion-resistant coating. Check the box and your shingle maker's instructions for what they require.