5 Best Roofing Nail Guns

Best Nail Guns for Roofing

When installing or repairing a roof, no matter what the type of material, you have to have a good way to secure the roofing to the framing.

While roofers have other options like roofing hammers, the roofing nail gun is the most efficient way for roofers to install most materials.

If you’re looking for a more effective way to install your next roofing project, check out this list of the best roofing nail guns.

Best Nail Guns for Roofing

Our picks for the best roofing nail guns include:

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BOSTITCH Coil Roofing Nailer

Top-rated on every site from Amazon to small independent blogs, the BOSTITCH Coil Roofing Nailer is a favorite among roofers everywhere.

With a patented single-action side load canister and adjustable depth guide, you can use this roofing nail gun quickly and easily for every roofing project you work on, no matter what material you use.

Another great selling point on this nail gun is how comfortable and lightweight it is. Since roofing is labor-intensive and takes hours at a time, the lightweight aluminum housing and molded grip make this a favorite among roofers.

Pros

  • Lightweight aluminum housing and molded grip for comfort
  • Patented single-action side-load canister
  • Quick-set adjustable depth guide to set nails to desired depth efficiently
  • Indicates when to reload the magazine

Cons

  • Learning curve – have to learn how to prevent double-nailing
  • Possible jamming issue when using with 1-¾ nails (the maximum size nail usable with this gun)
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Metabo HPT Roofing Nailer


As the best-selling roofing nail gun on Amazon, the Metabo HPT Roofing Nailer is a popular pick among professional roofing contractors and DIY roofers alike.

When looking for a roofing nail gun, durability is important. With this in mind, the folks at Metabo HPT created a roofing nailer with a pneumatic power feed and return, allowing for functionality in even the harshest conditions.

If you’ve ever set your nail gun down while working on a roof only to have it slide down and fall off of the roof, this is the nailer for you. It is designed with rubber pads that make sure it stays put when you aren’t using it.

Pros

  • Rubber pads to keep it in place when not in use
  • Pneumatic power feed and return for durability
  • Side-loading magazine
  • Carbide-tipped push lever to reduce wear

Cons

  • On the pricier side
  • Negative reviews complain of misfiring or not enough power
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3PLUS HCN45SP 11 Gauge 15 Degree Coil Roofing Nailer

Installing a new roof, or even repairing an old one, is no cheap task. When you think of raw materials alone, it becomes apparent just how expensive the whole ordeal is.

One of the reasons why this 3PLUS Coil Roofing Nailer is because it saves you money. It costs about half as much as the first roofing nailer on the list.

Just because it is cheaper doesn’t mean that it’s lower quality. This nail gun has hundreds of 5-star reviews from roofers who love how easy to load and compact it is. Users also love the high-capacity magazine that holds up to 120 nails at a time.

Pros

  • Under $100
  • Easy-load magazine with high capacity
  • Interchangeable trigger 
  • Adjustable shingle guide

Cons

  • Tendency to double-feed nails
  • A few negative reviews mention jamming
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Wen 61783 Pneumatic Coil Roofing Nailer


Roofers love the Wen 61783 Pneumatic Coil Roofing Nailer for a variety of reasons.

It has the basics, like the ability to fire 11-gauge nails (.12 inches) that are 3/4 to 1-3/4 of an inch long, and an adjustable shingle guide.

What sets this nailer apart, however, is the quick-release feature on the nail magazine that allows you to clear jams easily and quickly.

Another awesome and unique feature that the Wen boasts is an included carrying case as well as oil and hex wrenches. This makes it easy for roofers to store and transport their roofing nailer to and from job sites.

Pros

  • Includes carrying case, hex wrench, and oil
  • Quick-release on the nail magazine clears jams fast
  • Adjustable pneumatic pressure from 70 to 120 PSI
  • Adjustable shingle guide

Cons

  • Heavier than the average roofing nailer
  • Harder to load than others on this list
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AeroPro CN45N Professional Roofing Nailer


Though recoil is kind of a part of the deal when using a roofing nailer, we’d all like to cut down on it as much as possible. Designed with a moving cylinder engine, the AeroPro CN45N Professional Roofing Nailer can counterbalance itself to reduce recoil. This prevents fatigue and the risk of losing control of your nailer.

This nailer also comes with a selective actuation switch, allowing you to alternate between sequential or bump actions.

The heavy-duty aluminum housing allows this roofing nailer to perform extra heavy-duty application, driving in nails for any roofing project you’re working on.

Pros

  • Moving cylinder engine for low recoil 
  • Selective actuation switch allows you to swap between sequential or bump 
  • Heat-treated aluminum housing for heavy-duty work
  • Tool-free adjustable drive depth

Cons

  • No case
  • No sliding attachment
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What Is a Nail Roofing Gun?

A nail roofing gun is… Well, pretty much what it sounds like.

It works using an automated pressure system to rapidly drive nails into various roofing materials. 

Most of them come with an adjustable depth guide that you can set to drive in the length of the nail you are using.

An alternative to the roofing hammer, the roofing nailer makes the whole roofing process more efficient and takes a lot less work.

Are Roofing Nailers Worth It?

There are plenty of reasons that we believe roofing nailers are worth the investment. 

  • Efficiency – It takes far less time to use a roofing nailer than to use a hammer to individually drive each nail into your roofing materials.
  • Ease – It’s less labor-intensive than a hammer since you press a trigger rather than swing a tool.
  • Money – Though it is more expensive upfront to purchase a roofing nailer, the time saved compared to using a hammer means you can get more jobs done, which means more profit.

More Roofing Tools and Equipment

We’ve used our industry expertise, partnerships, and analysis to find the absolute best roofing tools and equipment online. If you liked this post on the best roofing shoes, consider checking out some of our other guides to find top products.

Summary

Using a nail gun is standard practice for roofing today. Using one of these roofing nailers guarantees that your next roofing project will go faster and smoother than ever before.

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