To measure a yard, many homeowners become understandably confused, and this confusion could be a result of a lack of experience. It could also be attributed to simply being overwhelmed by all the possible steps required how to measure a yard.
You may need to measure lawn size in outdoor spaces in order to determine the kinds of plants you will be growing. Keep reading this article, as we will look into the various ways you can calculate lawn size for your outdoor spaces that will suit you best.
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How To Measure a Yard
To measure square feet of lawn areas, you will need to determine the shape of your lawn, begin by determining the square footage of yard space, use manual measurement and computation, use Google Maps, and Hire an expert.
– Determining the Square Footage of Areas
For basic and regular shapes, such as squares and rectangles, you will need to measure the length and width of your yard.
You can use a measuring tape to take the length and width, and simply multiply both figures to come up with the square footage for your yard. This method is perfect for homeowners who prefer to get a rough estimate rather than an exact number down to the last inch.
– Using Manual Measurement and Computation
If the lawn has an irregular shape, you can break your lawn into several basic shapes, such as squares, rectangles, triangles, and circles.
Take the measurement of each shape, and compute the area of each shape. Add all calculated areas and you will arrive at the estimated square footage for your yard.
This given method is perfect for those who prefer to take things into their own hands. Homeowners who love to do projects by themselves will end up with a great sense of accomplishment and pride once they finish measuring the square footage of their outdoor yards.
Here is a table to calculate the areas for basic shapes:
| Square | A = a² |
| Rectangle | A = a * b |
| Triangle | A = b * h / 2
A = 0.25 * √( (a + b + c) * (-a + b + c) * (a – b + c) * (a + b – c) ) |
| Circle | A = πr² |
| Oval | A = a * b * π |
| Parallelogram | A = a * h |
| Rhombus | A = a * h |
| Kite | A = (e * f) / 2 |
| Pentagon | A = a² * √(25 + 10√5) / 4 |
| Hexagon | A = 3/2 * √3 * a² |
| Octagon | A = 2 * (1 + √2) * a² |
– Using Technology as Your Measuring Tool
For homeowners who are more attuned to using technology, they can utilize this as a tool to get the square footage of their yards with less work. Technology has always been used to make work faster and more efficient, and measuring yard areas is not any different.
Online services that provide satellite images of your property can help. Some apps can measure your lawn as easily as typing in your address and marking your grass or lawn areas. Some may be for free, while some come with a subscriber plan or price. You can simply select the ones that meet your physical and budgetary requirements.
– Google Maps
Google Maps has a distance-measuring tool that can give you a quick figure for your square footage needs. Google Maps is frequently updated, and best of all the software application is free. All you need to do is follow these steps:
- Enter your property address.
- You can use the basic view for the entire lot or the satellite image view to include a view of your house from above.
- Select a starting point by right-clicking on your preferred starting point.
- A list of options should come out when you click right.
- Select “Measure Distance.”
- Click right on the points of your property until you have covered your area.
- Google Maps should immediately give you the square footage once you have finished selecting the points on your lawn.
- You can even drag to correct your points if you feel that they were misplaced.
- To clear your points, simply right-click again to erase your points.
You may have to do two measurements: one for your entire property and the other for your house. The idea is to simply deduct the total area of your house from your total lot area. From these calculations, you should know the square footage of your outdoor spaces.
Using Google Maps satellite imaging, Measure My Lawn provides a rapid analysis of the square footage of your yard.
This tool is perfect if you are planning to have an estimate for your grass turf needs or your lawn fertilizer requirements. You can use Measure My Lawn on almost any gadget, such as desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and even mobile phones.
– Global Syn-Turf
Additionally, you may grow your horizon into the notion through Global Syn-Turf; this app allows you to measure lawns, decks, patios, and other outdoor spaces. The Global Syn-Turf app also uses Google Maps, though it has more functions.
It is a free app that allows unlimited searches and is intuitive even for novice users. You can access this from any gadget, although your desktop computer is the best way to experience the software application fully.
– Hire Experts
Landscapers can easily measure the square footage of your yards. Aside from this, landscapers can also provide you with a more accurate requirement and maintenance for your yard, keeping it beautiful year-round.
Hiring one may cost you some money, but it does free you from hard guesswork. Hire experts only when you have the resources to get the results you want professionally.
– Take The Easiest Manual Method
Get a copy of the sketch, lot, and property plans of your house. Your architectural plan should indicate the total area of your lot, as well as the total area of your house as most architectural plans do.
You can ask for your architectural blueprints from your contractor. You can also check with the local government offices overseeing building and housing permits. They should be able to provide you with a copy or at least direct you to the right agency for your copy.
Simply deduct the total area of your house from the total area of your lot. You should have a very near approximation to the total area of your lawn.
Sometimes, architectural plans already include the whole outdoor space area in square footage already. If your plans already indicate the total square footage of your outdoor spaces, all you will need to do is check your plans and look for the square footage indicated by your architect.
Final note:
The first reason is to make sure that if you decide to plant large trees, the roots of the trees will not spread too wide to disturb the structural integrity of your house. If you decide to plant trees on a small lawn, there is a tendency that the root system of the tree will cause some damage to your house especially if you plant it too near.