Free tool
Turf calculator
Work out how much lawn turf you need, in square metres and rolls, from the lawn size with a wastage allowance for cuts and curves. Free, no sign-up.
Split an odd-shaped lawn into rectangles and add them up.
- Lawn area
- 40.00 m²
- Rolls (round up)
- 42
Includes a 5% wastage allowance. Turf is alive, so lay it the same day it's delivered. Figures update as you type.
Order too little turf and you're left with a bald strip and no matching batch to finish it; order too much and it's perishable, so you can't keep it. This calculator works out how much you need for a lawn, in square metres and rolls, with a little wastage built in. Here's how it works.
How to work out how much turf you need
Turf is measured by area, so it's the lawn's length times its width, plus a small allowance for trimming.
Turf = length × width × (1 + wastage).
An 8m by 5m lawn is 40 square metres, or about 42 with 5% added for cuts and curves. The calculator works that out and tells you the number of rolls too.
Measuring the lawn
A square or rectangular lawn is easy: length times width. For an L-shape or an odd outline, split it into rectangles, measure each, and add them up. Where an edge curves, measure to the widest point and round up, since you'll trim to the curve and lose a little. It's better to have a roll or two spare than to run short.
How turf is sold
Turf is sold by the square metre, usually as rolls that each cover about 1 square metre. If your supplier's rolls are a different size, put that in the roll-size field and the calculator adjusts the count. Order in whole rolls, and expect to buy a touch more than the bare area because of the trimming.
How much wastage to allow
Around 5% is plenty for a straight-edged lawn, because turf cuts cleanly and butts up neatly. Push it to 10% for a lawn with curved borders, tree rings or an awkward shape, where you'll trim off more around the edges. The offcuts can fill small gaps, but you can't rely on them to stretch far.
Prepare the ground first, and lay it fresh
Turf is alive, and it goes off fast rolled up, especially in warm weather. So don't order it until the ground is dug over, levelled, firmed and raked, and you're ready to lay. Aim to lay it the same day it arrives, water it in well, and keep off it while it roots. Ordering the right amount matters more with turf than with most materials precisely because you can't store the surplus.
From materials to a priced job
Turf is only part of a lawn job; there's the ground prep, the topsoil and the labour on top. Price the whole thing with how to quote a landscaping job fast, and drop your materials into a clean, itemised quote with the quote generator. Laying a patio on the same project? The paving calculator handles slabs, sub-base and bedding.
This tool is for general estimating and gives approximate quantities. Roll sizes and lawn shapes vary, so check your own measurements and your supplier's rolls, and order a sensible amount over rather than exactly to the calculation.
How much turf do I need?
Measure the lawn area, length times width, then add a little for cuts and curves. A 40 square metre lawn with 5% wastage is 42 square metres of turf. This calculator works it out and tells you the rolls too.
How is turf sold?
Turf is sold by the square metre, usually as rolls that each cover about 1 square metre. Set the roll size in the calculator if your supplier's rolls are a different size, and it will tell you how many to order.
How much wastage should I allow for turf?
Around 5% is enough for a straight-edged lawn, since turf trims cleanly. Add more, up to 10%, for a lawn with curves, borders or awkward shapes, where you'll trim off more around the edges.
How do I measure an irregular lawn?
Split it into rectangles, work out each one as length times width, and add them up. For curved edges, measure to the widest point and round up. It's better to have a roll or two spare than to come up short.
Should I order extra turf, and when should I lay it?
Order a small margin over, and lay turf the same day it's delivered if you can. Turf is alive and deteriorates quickly rolled up, especially in warm weather, so don't order it until the ground is prepared and you're ready to lay.
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