How many rolls of turf do I need for my project?

4 min read

When you’ve recently bought garden turf, the most important question to answer when planning a turfing project is “how many rolls of turf do I need?”. In this blog, we explain how to calculate the area for turfing so you can work out how many grass turf rolls you need.

To work out how many turf rolls you need, follow this 3 step plan:

  1. Measure the dimensions of your new lawn in metres
  2. Calculate the area using simple maths or Turfonline’s online tool
  3. Translate the area into rolls – it’s easy because 1 roll of turf from TurfOnline’s range of turf covers one square metre of soil.

More about calculating the area for turfing

In the days of yore, turf was harvested by hand. Literally dug out of a field using a special tool. It was backbreaking work and not particularly accurate. No matter how skilled the workforce there would be differences in the thickness of each turf and in the size.

Modern turf-layers are spoiled rotten in comparison. Most turf growers use modern machinery to harvest their turf. The machines are set up to cut each grass turf roll to the same size and the same thickness. That means it’s easy to lay turf and it’s also easy to answer that all-important question “how many grass turf rolls do I need?”

What size is a piece of turf?

The Turfonline website is supplied by Harrowden Turf Ltd. Harrowden Turf has production units in The East of England and in The Northwest. We use Trebro Turf Harvesters to cut each piece of turf so that it is 610mm wide and 1640mm long. (roughly 2 ft wide x 5.3 feet long) That’s an area of one square metre.

Not all turf growers use Trebro Harvesters and not all turf suppliers supply turf in rolls of 1 square metre. B&Q Turf, for example, measures 610mm x 1370mm and covers 0.8 of a square metre.

Meadowmat Wildflower Turf comes in rolls of 1m wide by 2m long

Always check the roll size when calculating how much turf you need.

How many grass turf rolls do I need for my project?

To work out how many rolls of turf to order, you first need to calculate the area to be turfed. Then you need to translate that into rolls.

The first job  is to measure the area

I always recommend preparing the soil before measuring for a turfing project. It’s surprisingly easy to dig slightly more than you originally planned. It’s even easier to dig less – because soil preparation is hard work!

The team at Turfonline often hear from customers who have under-ordered and need to buy 5 or 6 rolls to make up the shortfall. It costs an absolute fortune to hire a lorry or a van to deliver just a few rolls of turf so it’s vital to be absolutely sure of your calculations.

Measure the length and width of the area to be turfed. If it’s a circular area, measure at the widest point of the circle. Take each measurement at least twice so that you’re confident of the accuracy.

Measure in metres if you can – it saves having to convert from imperial to metric later on. Every sum is an opportunity to make a mistake. So the fewer the calculations you need to make the easier it will be.

Now use the online turf calculator on our home page to calculate the number of grass turf rolls you’ll need. The calculator asks if you want to add 5% for wastage – that’s your choice of course, but I’d highly recommend saying “yes”.

If you can’t get to the turf calculator, or if the area to be turfed is an unusual shape, this graphic will help you take the right measurements.

how many rolls of turf do I need?

Remember, if you have measured in metres, your answer will be in square metres. If you are ordering from Turfonline, 1 square metre = 1 roll of turf.

Struggling to calculate your turfing needs?

There’s no need to struggle. Our customer service team is here to help and we more than happy to do so.

Have your measurements handy and call us on 01832 777111 for advice on turf types, delivery lead times and of course the answer the question “how many rolls of turf do I need”

Useful links

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Our turf laying guide

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