To accurately measure your lawn for a new lawn project, you’ll need a measuring tape or measuring wheel, and a pen or notepad. Start by measuring the length and width of the lawn in feet. If the lawn isn’t a perfect rectangle, break it into sections and measure each separately. Add the measurements together to find the total square footage.

Detailed Steps:

1. Gather Tools:
You’ll need a measuring tape, or measuring wheel, a pen, and paper or a notebook to write down your measurements.

2. Divide and Conquer:
If your lawn isn’t a simple rectangle or square, divide it into smaller, manageable sections like rectangles and squares.

3. Measure Each Section:
For each section, measure the length and width in feet. You can use a tape measure or, if you’re estimating, estimate your pace at 3 feet per step.

4. Calculate Area:
Utilize our free turf calculator above, or if you want to calculate manually. For each section, multiply the length by the width to get the square footage. For example, a 10-foot by 15-foot section would be 10 x 15 = 150 square feet.

5. Total the Areas:
Add up the square footage of all the sections to find the total area of your lawn.

6. Subtract Obstacles:
If you have obstacles like gardens, patios, or sprinkler systems, subtract their square footage from the total area to get the net lawn area.

7. Account for Uneven Terrain:
If your lawn has slopes or uneven areas, take extra measurements to ensure accurate coverage.

8. Order Extra:
It’s always a good idea to order a little extra sod or seed (3-5%) to account for mistakes, cuts, and uneven areas. Our free turf calculator takes this into account and automatically adds the 3% buffer for you!