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Groundworks · rolls · topsoil
How many rolls of turf do I need?
Rolls of turf for a lawn with a cutting allowance, and the topsoil to lay it on if the ground needs it. Turf is laid the day it arrives, so order it for that day.
Measure it
Every box has its own unit next to it.
Change the unit beside any box and the number converts. The (i) beside each question says what the box wants and where the figure usually comes from. Anything marked per cent is a percentage of the quantity above it.
Check the rates
Rates and assumptions used
These are the figures the calculator works to. Change any of them and the order list updates — your merchant’s pack sizes and your own waste allowances beat the defaults every time.
Order list
The orange figure is the one you order to. Highlighted rows are the other numbers you order to. The small print under each row is the sum that produced it, so you can check it against your own take-off. Amber rows are warnings, not quantities.
How this one works
- Rolls =
area × (1 + cutting %) ÷ roll size, rounded up - Topsoil =
area × topsoil depth × density
The figures the calculator works to. Every one can be changed in step 2, and your merchant’s pack sizes and your own waste allowances beat these defaults every time.
| Rate | Default | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Topsoil density | 1.4 t/m³ | Loose and dry. |
| Bulk bag weight | 0.85 t |
A worked example
With the defaults the page opens on:
- How long is the lawn? 10 metres
- How wide is it? 6 metres
- Any odd bits to add on? 0 square metres
- Which roll size? 1 m²
- How much spare for cuts? 5 per cent
- Topsoil to lay it on? 0 millimetres
- What does a roll cost? £3.50
Turf
- Area: 60 m² — L × W + extra area
- Rolls to order: 63 no. — area +5% ÷ 1 m² a roll
- Topsoil: 0 t — none asked for
- Topsoil bulk bags: 0 bags
Budget
- Turf cost: £221 — excludes topsoil, delivery and VAT
Change any figure above and every line recalculates; the small print under each row is the sum that produced it.
Questions people ask
How many rolls of turf do I need?
Area plus a cutting allowance, ÷ what one roll covers, rounded up. A 10 m × 6 m lawn at 5% spare in 1 m² rolls takes 63 rolls.
How big is a roll of turf?
Ask the grower: many UK rolls are 1 m², some 0.83 m² or 0.5 m². The calculator offers all three.
Do I need topsoil under the turf?
Only if the ground needs it. Give a depth and the calculator works out the tonnes and bulk bags at 1.4 t/m³; leave it at 0 for none.
Calculators for the same job
Doing this for a whole job rather than one wall? SiteLedger keeps the valuations, supplier statements, invoices and variations against the project they belong to.
Read before you order. These work out quantities, not structural design — spans, lintels, rebar and foundation depths need an engineer and Building Control sign-off. Waste allowances are defaults, not promises: awkward cuts, long runs and bad weather all eat more than 5%. Where a merchant sells whole packs, the figure is rounded up to whole packs.