Asphalt hip & ridge
The usual cap for architectural shingles. A bundle often covers about 25 linear feet. Some covers are 20 or 31 feet, so read the wrapper before you leave the yard.
- Life
- 15–30 years
- Sold as
- Bundles
- Best on
- Gable and hip houses
Estimator
Ridge cap calculator
Set the shape, the size, and the cap. Totals update with every change. Waste is included and rounded up: 10% on a straight ridge, 15% on a hip. No account.
Same plan, four roofs
How shape changes the cap order
These four totals use the length, width, and pitch you just set. Click one to load it in the estimator.
Cap materials
What you are actually buying
Ridge cap is a different product from the field shingles. Match the line, or the peak will crack, fade, or void the warranty.
Metal ridge
Standing-seam and exposed-fastener ridges are ordered in 10 foot pieces. Buy a full extra length rather than stretching a short offcut across the peak.
- Life
- 40–70 years
- Sold as
- 10-ft pieces
- Best on
- Metal roofs
Tile and concrete
Ridge tiles usually cover about a foot each. The tile often outlasts the nails and the underlayment beneath it, so the piece count is a start, not a pallet order.
- Life
- 40–60 years
- Sold as
- Individual tiles
- Best on
- Tile roofs
Slate ridge
Slate ridge is a craft order. Exposure is about 12 inches when the headlap is right. The stone can last a century. The nails are what fail first.
- Life
- 75–100 years
- Sold as
- Ridge slates
- Best on
- Slate roofs
On the roof
Order of work for a ridge
Caps go on last. The vent, if you need one, sits under them. Hips get caps and no vent.
-
01
Measure the lines
Run a tape along the ridge, then each hip. Write feet and inches. The estimator is the planning pass. The tape is the order.
-
02
Cut the slot
On a vented attic, cut the ridge slot to the shingle maker’s width. Stop about 6 inches short of each end so wind-driven rain has a dam.
-
03
Set the vent
Roll or lay the ridge vent over the slot. Intake at the soffits has to be open, or the slot only moves air in a circle.
-
04
Cap and nail
Fold the caps over the vent. Nail in the zone the bundle shows, about every 6 inches. Exposed nails on the face of the cap will leak.
Waste is not optional
Hips end on a diagonal, and bundles do not split cleanly. A straight ridge gets 10% for cuts. A hip gets 15%. The fixed L gets 12%.
Match the shingle line
Architectural warranties want the manufacturer’s hip-and-ridge cap. Cut field shingles are an old 3-tab habit, and they crack on the fold.
Short repairs cost more per foot
A 12-foot ridge still brings a crew, a ladder, and a minimum charge. The per-foot table is fairer on a full ridge than on a patch.
2026 planning prices
Ridge cap cost per linear foot
Asphalt, metal, and tile are priced by the foot of cap, not by the square of the roof. Slate is included because the estimator can price it. These are national U.S. planning averages for 2026.
| Cap type | Materials / ft | DIY / ft | Professional / ft | Typical life |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asphalt hip & ridge | $4–$7 | $5–$9 | $10–$17 | 15–30 years |
| Metal ridge cap | $9–$16 | $11–$20 | $22–$38 | 40–70 years |
| Tile / concrete ridge | $12–$22 | $15–$28 | $30–$50 | 40–60 years |
| Slate ridge | $18–$35 | $24–$45 | $45–$80 | 75–100 years |
Per-foot ranges are October 2026 U.S. planning averages for cap materials and installation, before waste and before the steep-pitch adjustment above 6:12. The region control applies a coarse factor on top: South −8%, Midwest −4%, Northeast +12%, West +18%. That factor is not a zip-code price. A repair-only visit often has a minimum charge. Tear-off and permits are not included.
Field guides
Read it before you order
Nine short guides, each with a worked example in the estimator. All guides.
On the roof
How to measure a ridge and the hips
Tape the peak, then each hip on the slope. The horizontal span is not the hip length.
The order
How many ridge cap bundles you need
Square footage does not set the count. A 40 by 30 hip and a 50 foot gable are worked out here.
Air and water
Ridge vent versus hip caps
Vent the ridge. Cap the hips. A shed has neither a ridge nor a ridge vent.
Questions
Common ridge cap questions
Straight answers for the searches that usually land next to a cap estimate.
Still stuck? hello@roofingcap.com
How many ridge cap bundles do I need for a 2,000 sq ft roof?
Square footage does not set the bundle count. The ridge and the hips do.
This estimator treats one asphalt bundle as 25 linear feet, adds waste, then rounds up. A straight gable gets 10%. A hip gets 15%. At a 6:12 pitch:
- A gable with a 50 ft ridge needs 55 ft with waste, which is 3 bundles.
- A 40 by 30 ft hip roof is about 10 ft of ridge plus 90 ft of hips. With 15% waste, 115 ft, that is 5 bundles.
- Steeper hips get longer. A gable ridge does not.
A roof near 2,000 sq ft is often around this size, but two roofs with the same area can have different ridges. Enter your length, width, and pitch in the calculator. The sample hip is one click from the default 40 by 30 ft plan.
What is the difference between regular shingles and ridge cap shingles?
Regular shingles cover the flat planes. Ridge cap shingles fold over the peak and the hips and shed water down both sides.
Caps are sold by the linear foot, in bundles, not by the square. Each piece overlaps the next one along the ridge. Architectural shingle warranties usually require the matching hip-and-ridge cap. Cutting field shingles to bend over the peak is an old 3-tab habit, and those pieces often crack on the fold.
Do I need a ridge vent along with ridge caps?
On a vented attic, yes. The vent is a slot along the peak that lets hot air out. The caps cover that slot and keep rain out. Install the vent first, then the caps over it.
Vent the ridge, not the hips. Hips are capped, but they are not vented. A shed roof has no ridge, so it uses soffit, gable, or high-wall vents instead.
The vent only works if fresh air can enter, usually at the soffits. The estimator gives you the length of ridge to vent. It does not size the intake.
How long do roof cap sheets typically last?
The cap line takes the most sun, wind, and water, so it often ages before the field.
- Asphalt ridge caps: about 15–30 years.
- Metal ridge and standing-seam caps: about 40–70 years.
- Concrete and clay tile ridge: about 40–60 years. Underlayment and nails usually fail first.
- Slate ridge: about 75–100 years when the lap and fasteners are right.
On a low-slope roof, “cap sheet” means the top ply of a modified-bitumen system, which typically lasts 15–25 years. This tool sizes steep-slope ridge and hip caps, not flat-roof membranes.
Replace caps when the fold is cracked, the granules are gone, or the nails have backed out.