About the Artificial Turf Calculator
This artificial turf calculator plans the materials for a synthetic grass lawn. Enter the length and width of the area, the roll width your supplier sells (usually 15 ft or 12 ft) and the extra length you want on each piece for trimming, and it lays the rolls out in whichever direction wastes least. You get the square feet of turf to order, the number of pieces, seam length for seam tape, infill sand and the crushed base rock to excavate and compact.
It suits homeowners pricing a DIY install and anyone checking a contractor quote. Turf is sold by the linear foot off fixed-width rolls, so the amount you pay for is almost always more than the lawn area — the layout and waste figure show you why.
All pieces run the same direction so the grain matches. The base estimate assumes compacted crushed aggregate at about 1.4 tons per cubic yard; infill rates are typically 1–3 lb per square foot depending on pile height, so use the rate your turf manufacturer specifies. Rectangular areas only — for curved lawns, measure the bounding rectangle.
With the default inputs, the turf to order is 615 sq ft. Change any value above to recalculate instantly.
How to use the artificial turf calculator
- 1Measure the length and width of the area (use the bounding rectangle for curved lawns).
- 2Choose the roll width your supplier sells and a trimming allowance.
- 3Enter the infill rate from the turf spec sheet and the base depth you plan to compact.
- 4Add the price per square foot to estimate the turf cost.
- 5Use the layout, seam and material totals to order and plan the install.
Formula and method
Turf comes off rolls of a fixed width, so the number of pieces is the width you need to cover divided by the roll width, rounded up. Each piece is cut to the run length plus a trimming allowance. The calculator tries running the pieces along the length and along the width and picks the layout that needs less turf; seams are the joins between neighbouring pieces.
Infill is the lawn area times the infill rate in pounds per square foot. The compacted base is area × depth converted to cubic yards, and weight assumes crushed aggregate at roughly 1.4 US tons per cubic yard — ask your supplier for the exact figure for their material.
- Roll width
- Width of the turf roll (commonly 15 ft or 12 ft)
- Run length
- Length of each piece before trimming allowance
- Trim
- Extra length added to each piece for cutting
Worked examples
30 × 20 ft lawn with 15 ft rolls
Running pieces along the 20 ft width needs two 15 ft-wide pieces (30 ÷ 15), each 20.5 ft long: 2 × 15 × 20.5 = 615 sq ft, with one 20 ft seam. Running them the other way would take 915 sq ft. Infill at 2 lb/sq ft is 1,200 lb, and 3 in of base is 600 × 3 ÷ 12 ÷ 27 ≈ 5.56 cu yd (about 7.8 tons).
25 × 18 ft yard with 12 ft rolls
Running pieces along the 25 ft length needs ⌈18 ÷ 12⌉ = 2 pieces of 12 × 25.5 ft = 612 sq ft, with one 25 ft seam. Running them across would need ⌈25 ÷ 12⌉ = 3 pieces of 12 × 18.5 ft = 666 sq ft, so the length-wise layout wins. About 26% of the turf is offcut, and at $2.50/sq ft the turf costs $1,530.
Narrow 40 × 7 ft side strip with 7.5 ft rolls
A single 7.5 ft-wide piece 40.5 ft long (303.75 sq ft) covers the 7 ft strip with no seams. Four inches of base over 280 sq ft is 280 × 4 ÷ 12 ÷ 27 ≈ 3.46 cu yd.
Frequently asked questions
How much artificial turf do I need?+
Turf is sold off fixed-width rolls, so divide the width you need to cover by the roll width, round up, and multiply by the roll width and the run length plus about 6 inches of trim. Expect to order 5–20% more than the lawn area.
How much infill does artificial grass need?+
Most landscape turf uses about 1–3 lb of silica sand or other infill per square foot, with taller, denser pile needing more. A 600 sq ft lawn at 2 lb per square foot needs 1,200 lb, or 24 fifty-pound bags.
How deep should the base be under artificial turf?+
Residential installs commonly use 3–4 inches of compacted crushed aggregate or decomposed granite over excavated, compacted soil; areas with heavy use, dogs or poor drainage often get more.
Should all turf pieces face the same direction?+
Yes. Synthetic grass has a grain, and pieces laid in different directions look like two shades of green. Lay every piece with the pile leaning the same way, ideally toward the main viewing point.
How many seams will my turf have?+
The number of seams is one less than the number of pieces. Choosing the wider roll or running the pieces in the other direction can often remove a seam, which also lowers labor and seam tape costs.