Guides · Updated October 11, 2026
Where ridge cap nails go
Each cap gets nails in the zone the manufacturer prints on the bundle, where the next cap will cover them. A common spacing is about every 6 inches, two nails across the cap. The buying list uses that spacing on the footage after waste, then rounds to the nearest 10.
A 44 ft order is about 90 nails. A 115 ft hip order is about 230. The number is a planning count of cap nails, not a box size from a particular brand.
Nails driven through the face of the cap, below the overlap, are exposed. They back out, and the hole leaks. On slate, the fastener is often copper or stainless because the stone outlasts a steel nail. The piece count in the estimator does not choose the metal.