How to Measure Your Garden

So, you have chosen to turf an area of your garden but have no idea how many rolls of turf you need to order? Don’t worry! Follow our tips below to help.

Most turf suppliers sell turf in rolls which cover 1 square metre, but it is important to double check this with your chosen supplier before hand. Rather than being a 1m x 1m square however, the rolls are usually harvested in long thin strips to make it easy to lay, but the area they cover still works out at 1 square metre.

When measuring your lawn, try to measure in metres if possible as this will save any converting later on. If you do measure in feet or yards however, just use our handy calculations to convert them to square metres.

Before we go into the calculations, let’s go through the general process of buying turf from an online supplier, from measuring your garden to receiving delivery.

The first step is to determine the shape of your garden. It may be a square (nice and easy), a triangle or a completely random shape that looks incredibly difficult to measure. If it is the latter, we suggest splitting it into smaller sections/shapes and measuring them separately (formula and examples below). We have guides on the different shapes below also.

The next stage is to then convert your figures with the relevant conversion formula (shown in the infographic below) so that you are left with a square metre figure.

Finally, it is just a case of contacting your chosen supplier, either on the phone or online and preparing the ground ready for the delivery of turf.

Info-graphic transcription

Thought about turfing your garden but slightly unsure on how to measure it? look no further. This guide will help no matter what weird and wonderfully shaped garden you may have.

Most turf suppliers stock rolls which cover 1 square metre. To make it easier to lay the turf, it is cut into long thin strips. Best to check the size with your supplier before ordering however.

Use the calculation below to work out how many square metres you need.

Square/Rectangle shaped lawn:

Let's start with the easiest shape, the square/rectangle. It's nice and easy to work out as we just take measurements of the length and width and then multiply them together. We may need to carry out another step based on the units you have used, but we'll get to that next.

"I have measured in metres" - 5m width by 6m length	5 x 6 m = 30 square metres
"I have measured in feet" - 15 ft width by 22ft length	15 x 22 feet = 330 sq feet, 330 x 0.093 = 31 sq metres
"I have measured in yards" - 7 yards width by 10 yards length	7 x 10 yards = 70 square yards, 70 x 0.831 = 59 square metres

Circle shaped lawn:

The Circle! this shape probably causes the most problems when it comes to measuring. So if you've forgotten how to calculate the area of a circle since your school days, read on and we'll sort you out in a jiffy.

Measure the line from a centre of the circle to the outside edge. This is called the radius
Multiply this value by itself then multiply this by Pi
If you have measured in metres you have your square metre figure. If not, use the magic number section for ft & yards.

"I have measured in yards, the radius measures 3 yards"

3 yards x 3 yards = 9 square yards

Pi = 3.14159265359

9 x 3.142 = 28.28

28.28 x 0.831 = 24 square metres

Triangle shaped lawn:

The triangle can be seen as quite a tricky shape to measure. Why? because the area of a triangle can differ depending on both the length of the sides and angles within it. However, we feel that the easiest way to calculate it is as follows:

Identify the longest side of your triangular garden. This will be the base
Fine the opposite corner to the base. (not the corners either side of the base)
measure a line from this corner to the base, making sure the line is perpendicular when it meets the base. This needs to be as close to 90° as possible. This is the height.
Multiply the base by the height and divide this answer by 2. This will give you the area.

"I have measured in feet: the base measures 22ft, the height measures 12 ft"

22ft x 12 ft = 264 square feet

264 / 2 = 132

132 x 0.093 = 13 square metres

Random:

If your garden is a strange shape then don't try to use a complicated formula, just split your garden into manageable shapes. Once you have the figures for the different shapes, just add them up. It's as simple as that.

Break up the garden into manageable, easy to measure shapes.
Measure the separate shapes (referring back to the previous sections)
add all the square metre numbers together for the final figure

Magic Numbers:

This is the go-to section for all your conversion needs. The ultimate aim is to be left with a square metre figure. If you have measured in feet or yards, use the conversion numbers below to get to a square metre figure.

"I have measured in Feet": > Multiply value by 0.093 > Square metre value
"I have measured in yards": > Multiply value by 0.831 > Square metre value

Conclusion:

By following the steps in this guide, you should be able to measure your garden in no time. With the majority of turf growers supplying rolls bu the square metre, you should always aim to end up with a square metre figure. Always check with your chosen turf supplier that their rolls are the right size! One last tip is to always add on a few extra rolls just in case. This cover you for any mistakes or miscalculations (but after this guide we know it won't be the latter!)

Measured your garden already? If you know how much you need, why not head over to our products section and order your new garden turf?