How delivery and roll math actually work when you order turf

Work out a turf order from a take-off

The sequence below turns a site measurement into an order a trade desk can actually pull and ship.

1. 1. Measure in rectangles, not in area. Break the space into rectangles and record the length and width of each one. A single area figure cannot be cut from a roll, because a roll has a fixed width. Two jobs of the same square footage can need very different amounts of material.
2. 2. Lay the rectangles out against the roll width. Turf is supplied on a fixed-width roll — 15 ft on every line we stock. Fit each rectangle against that width and record the running length you need. Anything wider than the roll needs a seam, and anything narrower leaves an offcut.
3. 3. Keep the pile direction consistent. Every piece on a job should have its fibre leaning the same way. Turning a piece to save material changes how it reads in daylight and shows as a visible colour change across a seam. Plan the layout with the direction fixed before you look for savings.
4. 4. Add for seams, trims and obstacles. Add length for the trim allowance at each end, for the tuck at hard edges, and for cutting around trees, beds and utility boxes. Curves and complicated perimeters consume more than a rectangle of the same area.
5. 5. Compare your running length to a full roll. A full roll is 15 ft by 100 ft, which is 1,500 sq ft or 166.7 sq yd. If your running length lands close to a full roll, a full roll is usually the cleaner buy: you get the material in one piece, in one dye lot, and you have offcuts for the next job.
6. 6. Call the order in and confirm it in writing. Give the trade desk the pieces you need rather than the total area, along with the delivery address and the date you want it on site. We confirm the material, the cut lengths and the delivery on a written quote before anything moves, and nothing is collected online.

The roll is the unit, not the square foot

Turf is manufactured and shipped on rolls of a fixed width. Every line we stock is 15 ft wide, and a full roll runs 100 ft — 1,500 sq ft, or 166.7 sq yd, in one continuous piece. Cut lengths are available when a full roll does not suit the job.

That fixed width is the single most important number in your take-off. A 14 ft by 40 ft lawn is 560 sq ft, and it comes off the roll as one 40 ft pull with a foot of trim down the side. A 20 ft by 28 ft lawn is the same 560 sq ft, but it needs either a seam or a second pull, and the offcut is a 5 ft strip you may or may not use.

Two areas of identical square footage can need materially different amounts of turf. Always order from the piece list, never from the total.

Where the waste actually comes from

• Pile direction. Fibre lays one way, and pieces laid in opposite directions read as different shades in daylight. Holding the direction consistent across a site is not optional, and it removes the most tempting way to save material.
• Seam placement. A seam wants to sit away from the main sight line and away from the highest-traffic path. Moving a seam for appearance often means taking a longer pull than the geometry strictly requires.
• Perimeter work. Curves, planters, tree wells and equipment pads all consume more than their footprint, because you are cutting out of a rectangle every time.
• Dye lot. Material produced in different runs can vary slightly in colour. Ordering one continuous piece where you can, rather than topping up later, keeps a single job on a single lot.

On a straightforward rectangular lawn, an experienced crew works to a small allowance over the measured area. On a site with several separated areas, planting beds and tight access, the same crew will carry a much larger one. Neither figure is a rule; they are the outcome of the layout.

How order size changes the delivery

A full roll of landscape turf is a heavy, awkward object — the lighter lines in our range run well over 800 lb per roll, and the denser ones are heavier again. That is a forklift item, not something a crew lifts off a tailgate, and it sets what a delivery involves.

Because freight is charged on the move rather than on the material, the cost per square foot of getting turf to a job falls sharply as the order grows. A small cut length occupies a truck and a driver much the same way a full roll does. That is why most trade desks — ours included — handle small orders differently from full-roll orders, and why consolidating two jobs into one delivery is usually worth the scheduling effort.

Small orders carry a different delivery arrangement from full-roll orders. Ask your rep how your specific order will be handled before you commit a date — it is confirmed in writing on your quote, and nothing is collected online.

• Will-call pickup. Collecting the material yourself takes the delivery out of the equation entirely. On a small order that is often the practical answer.
• Consolidation. Two jobs in the same week, delivered together, move at the cost of one delivery instead of two.
• Site access. Tell us before the truck is booked if the site cannot take a forklift, has a weight or height restriction, or has a narrow window for unloading. Access found on arrival is the most common cause of a failed delivery.
• Lead time. Availability and lead times are confirmed by phone against live stock. Book the delivery once the material is confirmed, not before.

What to hand the trade desk

We confirm the material, the cut lengths, the delivery and the pricing on a written quote first. Superior supplies materials only — we do not install, and we do not direct the crew on site.

Common questions

How big is a full roll of artificial turf?

Every line we stock is supplied on a 15 ft wide roll. A full roll runs 100 ft, which is 1,500 sq ft or 166.7 sq yd in one continuous piece. Cut lengths are available when a full roll does not fit the job.

Should I order a full roll or a cut length?

If your running length lands close to a full roll, the full roll is usually the cleaner buy: one continuous piece, one dye lot, and offcuts you can carry to the next job. For a small isolated area a cut length is the sensible order.

Does a small order cost more to deliver?

Freight is charged on the move rather than on the material, so a small order carries a different delivery arrangement from a full-roll order. Your rep confirms how your order will be handled on the written quote before anything ships.

Why does pile direction matter to my order quantity?

Fibre lays one way, and pieces laid in opposite directions read as different shades in daylight. Because the direction has to stay consistent across the site, you cannot rotate a piece to save material — the layout has to be planned with the direction fixed.