How Far Should Roofing Shingles Overhang

Knowledgeable roofers will install shingles at just the right overhang for your roof type.

How far should roofing shingles overhang.

In my opinion the shingles should never be exactly even with the edge of any drip edge flashing. The rake edge is the extreme edge of the roof on either side. Each has their own reasoning for a slightly different amount of overhang. In my opinion the felt underlayment should also extend beyond the drip edge by 1 4 to 1 2 inch.

The edge of a roof in professional vernacular is called the rake edge. The edge of the shingles should hang over the edge of the roof between an inch and an inch and a half or between a half inch and three quarters of an inch if drip edge flashing is installed and in most cases it should be. The edge of the shingles should hang over a roof between an inch and an inch and a half or between a half inch and three quarters of an inch if drip edge flashing is installed. You may find other styles and sizes of drip edges in the store including j channel drip edges but these are intended for windows doors and other applications.

A architect and roofing consultant harrison mccampbell responds. Anywhere from a 1 2 to a 1 overhang is acceptable as you can tell from the varying comments amongst the previous posters. Here phil explains how much overhang a roof should have at the gutter. The length of the overhang itself commonly ranges from 2 to 5 inches.

How to cut shingles off the edge of a roof in a straight line.