Firstly, on any new lawn, you need to calculate the area to be turfed. This can be done in two ways: metric or imperial.  Metric is probably the easiest to work out as imperial involves converting square feet into square yards. Below is a list that explains how to work out the areas of oblong, square, round and non-regular areas:

Oblong & Square Areas

Metric: X x Y = area (measured in metres) giving the answer in square metres.

Imperial: X x Y = area (measured in feet) giving the answer in square feet. To convert from square feet to square yards divide by 9.

Example:

Metric: If X is 4 metres and Y is 4 metres then X x Y = 16 square metres.

Imperial:  If X is 9 feet and Y is 15 feet then X x Y = 135 square feet.  Divide by 9 = 15 square yards.

Round Areas:

R = Radius

The area of a circle is calculated by using Pythagoras’ Theorum which states that the area of a circle is calculated by multiplying Pi by the radius squared.  The value of Pi  is 3.14159.

Example:

Radius x Radius x 3.14159 = square area of circle.

This formula is used for both metric and imperial measurements but remember to convert from square feet to square yards by dividing the answer by 9.

Irregular Areas:

Irregular areas can be calculated using a combination of the above mentioned areas. The best way to calculate them is to measure them and draw them out on a piece of paper. You should then be able see the overall outline and be able to make squares out of the shape. For example, above the shape has been made into an oblong and two triangles, with measurements marked A, B, C, and D.

A x C = square area of the central oblong

A x B x 0.5 =  square area of the left hand triangle

A x D x 0.5 = square area of the right hand triangle

Add all three calculations together to achieve the square area of this irregular shape.

N. B.  Irregular areas can lead to the over calculation of materials so therefore do not allow for any wastage.