Turf Calculator
How many rolls of turf a lawn needs and what it costs by variety, with waste, laying, soil preparation and delivery.
Area × (1 + waste%) is the turf required; rolls = required ÷ roll coverage, rounded up, and the supply cost is the rolls you actually buy × the variety's rate per m².
| Turf supply | $731.40 |
|---|
How the turf calculator works
Area × (1 + waste%) is the turf required; rolls = required ÷ roll coverage, rounded up, and the supply cost is the rolls you actually buy × the variety's rate per m². Laying and soil preparation are charged on the lawn area; delivery is a flat amount.
Formula: Required = area × (1 + waste%) · rolls = ⌈required ÷ coverage⌉ · supply = rolls × coverage × rate · total = supply + laying + prep + delivery
How the turf and cost are worked out
Area, a waste allowance, whole rolls, then the rate
The calculator takes your lawn's area (length × width) and adds about 5% for offcuts around edges, curves and garden-bed cut-outs. Instant-turf rolls are roughly 1 m² each (a strip about 1.7 m × 0.59 m), and you can only buy whole rolls, so the number of rolls is ceil(area × 1.05 ÷ roll coverage) — always rounded up. The cost is then rolls × the per-m² rate for your variety, plus optional laying and soil prep, and any delivery fee.
Worked example
A 50 m² lawn in Sir Walter buffalo: 50 × 1.05 = 52.5 m², which rounds up to 53 rolls. At about $13.80/m² supplied that's roughly $731 for the turf. Choose supplied-and-laid and you add professional laying at about $12–25/m² on top — for a 50 m² lawn that's another ~$750, taking it to roughly $1,480 all-in. Soil prep and delivery are extra.
Turf varieties & pricesTurf varieties and what they cost
Typical supply rates per square metre (2026 supplier ranges — approximate, and priced by the whole ~1 m² roll):
- Kikuyu — ~$9.50/m². The cheapest and fastest-growing. Tough and self-repairing, but it needs mowing often and can be invasive, creeping into garden beds.
- Couch — ~$11/m². Fine-leafed and loves full sun, with a lovely dense finish — but it browns off and goes dormant through a cold winter and doesn't like shade.
- Buffalo (Sir Walter) — ~$13.80/m². The shade-tolerant, soft-leaf, low-allergy all-rounder and Australia's most popular lawn — hard-wearing and holds colour well.
- Zoysia — ~$15/m². Slow-growing, very dense and low-maintenance with the least mowing, but it's the dearest and slow to knit in and recover.
Match the variety to your yard, not just the price. Shade points to buffalo or zoysia; full sun and heavy foot traffic suit couch or kikuyu. If you hate mowing, zoysia asks the least; if budget rules, kikuyu is cheapest to buy but the most to mow. There's no single "best" turf — it's a trade-off between price, sun, traffic and how often you want the mower out.
Laying, ground prep & getting it to liveLaying, ground prep and getting it to live
Supply-only vs supplied-and-laid
Turf supply is only half the job — someone has to prep the ground and lay it. Professional laying runs about $12–25/m² on top of the turf, so supplied-and-laid works out around $25–35/m² all-in. Laying it yourself saves that labour, but it's a big weekend: you still have to level, remove weeds, add underlay, lay the rolls tight and roll and water them.
Prep the ground first
Turf laid on poor ground struggles. Kill and remove the existing weeds and grass, cultivate and level the surface, then spread about 50–75 mm of a sandy turf underlay or lawn soil. Lay the rolls tight with staggered joins, roll them flat, and don't leave gaps. Good prep is the difference between turf that knits in and turf that dies in patches.
Turf is perishable — lay it the same day
Turf is a living product: it's cut to order and starts to yellow and heat up on the pallet within about a day, especially in summer. Order it to arrive the morning you'll lay it, have the ground fully prepped first, and get it down and watered the same day. Most farms have a minimum order (often around 40–50 m²) and a delivery fee, and a pallet is roughly 50 m². Then water deeply every day for the first fortnight so the roots chase the moisture down.
Frequently asked Frequently asked questions
Where these figures come from
There's no single official price for turf — it depends on the variety, your supplier, the season and your region, and whether you're buying supply-only or supplied-and-laid. The rates below are 2026 supplier ranges drawn from typical Australian turf-farm and landscaper pricing; they are approximate and vary from one quote to the next, so treat them as a planning guide and use your own supplier's price.
- Supply rates (per m²) — kikuyu ~$9.50, couch ~$11, Sir Walter buffalo ~$13.80, zoysia ~$15. Turf is sold and priced by the whole roll (≈1 m²).
- Laying — professional laying adds about $12–25/m² on top of supply, so supplied-and-laid works out around $25–35/m² all-in.
- Soil prep — a sandy turf underlay or lawn soil is spread about 50–75 mm deep; budget an $/m² rate for the material and effort.
- Ordering — turf is cut to order and lasts roughly a day on the pallet; a pallet is about 50 m² and farms often have a minimum order near 40–50 m² plus a delivery fee.
- Further guidance — MoneySmart (ASIC) — budgeting and cost guidance.
Last checked: July 2026. All prices are indicative supplier ranges and vary by variety, supplier, season and region. This is a planning estimate — get a current quote from your turf supplier before you order.
Understanding your resultSelect the question that matches where you are right now.
The headline number is the estimated cost of your new lawn: the turf supply (whole rolls × the per-m² rate for your variety) plus any laying, soil prep and delivery. The breakdown shows how many rolls you'll order and where each dollar goes.
What to do with itUse the roll count when you order — turf farms sell by the roll and pallet — and use the cost to set a budget and sanity-check quotes. If a laid quote lands well outside the range, ask what prep it includes.
What it is notIt's not a fixed quote. It doesn't price tricky access, tree-root removal, irrigation, top-dressing or drainage — those come from your landscaper — and delivery and minimum-order rules vary by farm.
Why whole rollsTurf is cut into ~1 m² rolls and sold whole, so the tool always rounds up after the waste allowance. On a fiddly or curved lawn, bump the waste to 10% so you don't run a roll short on the day.
Four things move the cost of a new lawn the most: the area, the variety, whether you lay it or pay to have it laid, and the ground prep.
VarietySupply ranges from about $9.50/m² for kikuyu to $15/m² for zoysia — roughly a 60% spread. Buffalo sits in the middle and suits most yards. Pick for sun, traffic and mowing, then price follows.
Supply vs laidLaying adds about $12–25/m² — often as much again as the turf — so supplied-and-laid can roughly double the bill. DIY saves that labour if you have the weekend and the back for it.
Waste, prep and deliveryA curvy lawn wastes more turf, so a bigger waste allowance means more rolls. Soil prep (underlay and levelling) and a delivery fee are easy to forget but real — add them at the Detailed level for a true all-in figure.
A few habits keep the order right and the lawn alive.
Measure the real shapeSplit an odd-shaped lawn into rectangles, measure each, and add them up. Push the waste to 10% for lots of curves or garden-bed cut-outs so you don't come up short mid-lay.
Prep before it arrivesKill weeds, level and lay the underlay before the turf turns up. It's cut to order and only lasts about a day, so the ground must be ready to lay the same morning it's delivered.
Water like you mean itDeep daily watering for the first fortnight is what makes turf knit in. Skimp here and you get patchy, lifting rolls — the cheapest insurance on the whole job is the hose.
A new lawn is usually one line in a bigger yard or renovation budget. Model the rest of the job and the running costs too.
Mulching the bedsWorking out mulch for the garden beds around the new lawn?
Mulch calculator → Fencing the yardNeed to price fencing and posts around the yard?
Fence calculator → The running costsSee how the yard fits your household's monthly outgoings.
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50 m² of Sir Walter buffalo 53 rolls · about $731 supplied
A 50 m² lawn in Sir Walter DNA-certified buffalo needs about 53 rolls (turf is ~1 m² a roll, and you add ~5% for offcuts around edges and curves). At around $13.80/m² supplied that's roughly $731 for the turf. Sir Walter is Australia's most popular soft-leaf buffalo — shade-tolerant, hard-wearing and low-allergy.
| Area + 5% waste | 52.5 m² → 53 rolls |
|---|---|
| Supply rate | $13.80/m² |
| Turf cost | ≈$731 |
| Roll size | ≈1 m² |
- Add laying For a supplied-and-laid price
- Curved edges Bump the waste up
Supply-only vs supplied-and-laid Laying roughly doubles it
Turf supply is only half the job — someone has to prepare the ground and lay it. Professional laying runs about $12–25/m² on top of the turf, so a 50 m² Sir Walter lawn goes from ~$731 supplied to roughly $1,480 supplied-and-laid (about $25–35/m² all-in). DIY laying saves the labour but it's a big weekend: level, remove weeds, add underlay, lay tight, roll and water heavily.
| Supply only (50 m²) | ≈$731 |
|---|---|
| Laying | $12–25/m² |
| Supplied & laid | ≈$1,480 |
- DIY Saves labour, costs a weekend
- Timing Lay the day it's delivered
How many rolls for 100 m²? About 105 rolls
Turf rolls are roughly 1 m² each (a strip about 1.7 m × 0.59 m), and you can only buy whole rolls, so for 100 m² you add ~5% waste (105 m²) and round up to 105 rolls. Larger or square areas waste less; long thin strips, curves and garden-bed cut-outs waste more, so lean towards 10% if your lawn is a fiddly shape.
| Roll size | ≈1 m² |
|---|---|
| 100 m² + 5% | 105 m² |
| Rolls | 105 (round up) |
- Fiddly shape Allow ~10% waste
- Whole rolls only Always ceil
Which turf variety — and price $9–15/m² supplied
Supply prices (per m²) vary by variety: kikuyu is cheapest and fastest-growing at ~$9.50 but needs mowing often and can be invasive; couch ~$11 is fine-leafed and loves full sun but goes dormant/brown in winter; Sir Walter buffalo ~$13.80 is the all-rounder — shade-tolerant, soft, low-allergy; zoysia ~$15 is slow, dense and very low-maintenance but pricey. Match the variety to your sun, traffic and mowing appetite.
| Kikuyu | ≈$9.50/m² |
|---|---|
| Couch | ≈$11/m² |
| Buffalo (Sir Walter) | ≈$13.80/m² |
| Zoysia | ≈$15/m² |
- Shade Buffalo / zoysia
- Full sun Couch / kikuyu
Don't skip the ground prep Underlay + levelling make it live
Turf laid on poor ground struggles. Budget for soil prep: kill and remove existing weeds/grass, level the surface, and spread ~50–75 mm of a sandy turf underlay or lawn soil (about $8–15/m² for material and effort). Lay the rolls tight with staggered joins, roll it flat, then water deeply every day for the first fortnight. The prep is the difference between turf that knits in and turf that dies in patches.
| Underlay depth | 50–75 mm |
|---|---|
| Prep cost | ~$8–15/m² |
| First 2 weeks | Water daily, deeply |
- Skip it Patchy, struggling lawn
- Add it 'Soil prep' at Detailed level
Order fresh, lay it fast Turf is perishable
Turf is a living product — it's cut to order and starts to yellow and heat up on the pallet within a day, especially in summer. Order it to arrive the morning you'll lay it, have the ground fully prepped first, and get it down and watered the same day. Most farms have a minimum order (often ~40–50 m²) and a delivery fee; buying by the pallet (~50 m²) is cheaper per m² than loose rolls if you need the quantity.
| Shelf life | ~1 day on the pallet |
|---|---|
| Pallet | ≈50 m² (cheaper/m²) |
| Min order | often ~40–50 m² |
- Prep first Then order to arrive
- Summer Lay the same morning
After it's down Water, then mow high
For the first two weeks water deeply every day so the roots chase the moisture down; then taper to a couple of deep soaks a week. Don't mow until it's knitted in (gently tug a corner — resistance means roots have taken), usually 2–3 weeks, and never cut more than a third of the leaf at once. Feed it in spring and autumn. Buffalo and zoysia want a higher mow height than couch or kikuyu.
| First 2 weeks | Daily deep water |
|---|---|
| First mow | Once knitted (2–3 wks) |
| Cut | ≤ ⅓ of the leaf |
- Test Tug a corner for root grip
- Feed Spring + autumn
Worked examples
| Inputs | Total turf cost | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 5 m × 10 m of buffalo, 5% waste | $731 | 53 rolls, $731 |
| Couch, laid for you | $1,281 | 51 rolls; $561 supply + $720 laying |
| Kikuyu with soil preparation | $1,798 | 105 rolls |
FAQFrequently asked questions
How many rolls of turf do I need?
Measure the lawn (length × width), add about 5% for offcuts around edges and curves, then divide by the roll size. Instant-turf rolls are about 1 m² each (a strip roughly 1.7 m × 0.59 m) and you can only buy whole rolls, so round up. A 50 m² lawn needs about 53 rolls; 100 m² about 105. Allow 10% waste for a fiddly or curved shape.
How much does a new lawn cost?
Turf supply runs roughly $9.50/m² for kikuyu, $11 for couch, $13.80 for Sir Walter buffalo and $15 for zoysia, so a 50 m² buffalo lawn is about $731 supplied. Add professional laying at about $12–25/m² and supplied-and-laid comes to roughly $25–35/m² all-in — about $1,300–$1,750 for that 50 m². Soil prep and delivery are extra. These are 2026 supplier ranges that vary by region and supplier.
Which turf variety is best?
There's no single best. Kikuyu (about $9.50/m²) is cheap and fast-growing but invasive and needs frequent mowing; couch (about $11) is fine-leafed and loves full sun but browns off in winter; Sir Walter buffalo (about $13.80) is the shade-tolerant, soft, low-allergy all-rounder; zoysia (about $15) is slow, dense and very low-maintenance but pricey. Match it to your sun, foot traffic and how often you want to mow.
Is it cheaper to lay turf myself?
Yes — professional laying is about $12–25/m² on top of the turf, so laying a 50 m² lawn yourself saves roughly $600–$1,250 in labour. The turf costs the same either way. But it's a big weekend: you still have to kill weeds, level the ground, add underlay, lay the rolls tight the same day they arrive, roll them flat and water heavily.
How do I prepare the ground for turf?
Kill and remove the existing weeds and grass, cultivate and level the surface, then spread about 50–75 mm of a sandy turf underlay or lawn soil. Lay the rolls tight with staggered joins the same day they arrive, roll them flat and water deeply. Good prep is the difference between turf that knits in and turf that dies in patches.
How do I look after new turf?
Water deeply every day for the first two weeks so the roots chase the moisture down, then taper to a couple of deep soaks a week. Don't mow until it has knitted in — usually 2–3 weeks; gently tug a corner and feel for resistance — and never cut more than a third of the leaf at once. Feed in spring and autumn, and mow buffalo and zoysia a little higher than couch or kikuyu. Sources
The sources behind this calculator
- American Association of Feline Practitioners — Feline Life Stage Guidelines — the six feline life stages the cat-age page uses
- Wang et al. 2020, Cell Systems — Quantitative translation of dog-to-human aging by conserved remodeling of the DNA methylome — the 16·ln(age)+31 epigenetic formula on the dog-age page
- Fair Work Ombudsman — sets hospitality award wages — why tipping is optional in Australia
Last checked: July 2026. Where a page states a convention (a tipping custom, a pet life stage), the page names the body it follows.