How to Calculate Landscape
Estimates and Quotes
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1
2
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2.01 Apply procedures to perform
calculations used in estimates and
quotes
Why oh Why do I need this!!
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• To compute area to determine amounts
of seeds, sod, stolons, plants, fertilizers,
pesticides, pavers, or railroad ties
• To compute volume to determine
amounts of soil, mulch, or concrete
• To calculate amounts of labor and
materials and their cost.
Area For Squares
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• Formula for squares,
rectangles and
trapezoids:
• Example:
• 200’ x 120’= 24,000 ft²
• 24,000 sq ft / 9= 2666.67 yds²
– Length x width
200’
Length in feet x width in
feet = square feet
120’
Total square feet / 9 =
square yards
120’
200’
Area For Triangles
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Area = ½ base X height
1. Use tape or wheel to take
measurements for base and
for height.
2. Divide the base
measurement by 2.
3. Multiply the ½ base
measurement times the
height measurement to get
total square feet.
4. Divide total square feet by 9
to get total square yards.
• Example:
½ base = 222‘/2 = 111'
111' x 234' = 25,974 ft²
25,974 sq. ft. ÷ 9 = 2886 yd²
234’
222’
Area For Trapezoids:
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1. Use tape or wheel to take
measurements at 90 degree • Example:
angles to get an accurate
Average Length =(225’+ 325’)/2
length or width
measurement.
= 550‘/2 = 275'
2. Add the unequal opposite
Area = 275' X 112' = 30,000 ft²
sides (length or width)
together.
30,000 ft² ÷ 9 = 3422.2 yds²
3. Divide the two opposite sides
total by 2 to get average
225’
length or average width.
4. Multiply the average length
times the average width to
112’
get total square feet.
5. Divide total square feet by 9
325’
to get total square yards.
Area For Circles
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• Area = π r²
• Notes: π = 3.14
radius = ½ diameter
1. Use tape or wheel to take
measurements for diameter.
2. Divide the diameter
measurement by 2 to get
radius measurement.
3. Multiply the radius
measurement times π = 3.14
to get total square feet.
4. Divide total square feet by 9
to get total square yards.
• Example:
Radius = 40' ÷ 2 = 20‘
Area = 3.14 X 20²=1256 ft²
1256 ft² ÷ 9 = 139.6 yd²
20’
Volume for Cubes
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• Volume = length X width X
height
• ft X ft X ft = ft³
• ft³ ÷ 27 = yd³
1. Use tape or wheel to take
measurements for length,
width and height.
2. Multiply the length times the
width times the height to get
total cubic feet.
3. Divide the total cubic feet by
27 to get total cubic yards.
• Example:
8' X 5' X 4' = 160 ft³
160 cubic feet ÷ 27 = 5.93 yd³
8’
4’
5’
Percentages
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• Percentage =
number divided by
100
1. Divide the number
by 100 which will
give two decimal
places.
2. The number of
hundredths equals
the percentage.
Example:
9 ÷ 100 = .09 = 9%
Ratio
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• Ratio = one number
compared to
another such as 3:1
• Example:
3 shovels of sand to 1
shovel of cement =
a 3:1 ratio
Labor Cost
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• Labor cost =
number hours X cost per hour (set by
landscaper)
• Example:
10 hours X $8.00/hr
= $80.00
Materials
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• Plants, Hardscape, Softscape,
Fertilizers, Pesticides
• quantity X cost per unit
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Foundation Plant Calculations
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• Number of plants
• Example: How many
needed for linear
plants are needed for a
feet (hedge,
100' row if plants are 10’
foundation, etc.)
apart?
1. Divide the linear
feet of space by the • Number of plants =
distance apart
plants will be.
100' ÷ 10' = 10 plus 1 = 11
2. Add one plant for
100’
the starter plant.
Sod Calculations
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• Square feet of sod needed (use area formula and
steps)
Example:
How many square feet of sod are needed for a lawn
area that measures 60' X 80'? How many square
yards?
Sq. ft. = 60' X 80' = 4800 sq. ft.
Sq. yd. = 4800 sq. ft. ÷ 9 = 533.33 sq. yd.
Groundcover Calculations
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• Number of plants needed per square foot of
groundcover
• Divide square feet by number of square feet
each plant needs.
Example: How many plants are needed for a 50
square feet flower bed if each plant requires 2
square feet?
Number plants = 50 sq. ft.÷ 2 sq. ft. = 25 plants
Estimating Plant Cost
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Cost is number of plants X price per plant
Example:
4 plants times $25.00 per plant = $100.00
Seed, Stolon, Sprig Calculations
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• Quantity of seeds,
stolons or sprigs
needed
1. Divide square feet by
1000.
2. Multiply that number by
the amount of seeds,
stolons or sprigs
needed per 1000
square feet.
• Example:
How many lbs. of seed are
needed for 44,000
square feet of lawn area
if recommended rate is
2 lb of tall fescue seeds
per 1000 square feet?
44,000 sq. ft. ÷ 1000 sq. ft.
= 44 X 2 = 88 lbs
Seed, Stolon, Sprig Calculations
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• Example:
How many bushels of Bermuda grass
stolons are needed for 20,000 square
feet of lawn area if the recommended
rate is 10 bushels/1000 square feet?
Number bushels = 20,000 sq. ft. ÷ 1000
sq. ft. = 20 x 10 = 200 bushels
Cost of Seed, Stolons, Sprigs
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• Cost is amount
needed X price per
unit (lbs., bushels,
each, etc.)
• Example:
100 lbs. of grass
seeds needed X
$1.75/ lb. seed cost
= $175
Bricks and Pavers
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• Number of pavers
• Example:
How many 4" X 8" brick pavers are
needed for a patio that measures 25'
1. Divide area to be paved
X 15'? How many if 10% waste is
expected?
by area of each paver.
2. Add the amount needed
for waste.
3. Remember to convert
inches to feet. Either
use fractions of feet (4"
= .33 ft. or multiply
inches by inches and
divide by 144 sq. in to
get sq. ft
Area to be paved = 25' X 15' = 375ft²
Area of paver = 4" X 8" = 32 sq. in ÷ 144
= .22 ft. ²
Number with 10% waste = 1705 X 1.10
= 1876
Note: 100% + 10% = 1.10 (You can also
calculate 10% (.10) of
1705 which is 171 and add the two
(1705 + 171 = 1876)
Yards of Concrete
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• Yards of concrete (use
volume formula and
steps)
Volume = length X width X
depth (convert inches to
feet)
Ft X ft X ft = cubic feet
Cubic ft ÷ 27 = cubic yards
Example:
How many cubic yards of concrete
are needed for a 4" deep
driveway that is 60‘ long X 9'
wide?
12" ÷ 4" = .33 ft.
Volume = 60' X 9' X .33' = 178.2
cubic feet
Cubic yards = 178.2 cu. ft. ÷ 27 =
6.6 cubic yards
Retaining Wall
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•
Steps to finding the number of
railroad ties or timbers needed
for a wall
1. Calculate the area of the face of
the wall (part of wall that is
visible when you look at the
installed wall).
2. Calculate the area of the face of
the tie (part of tie that is visible
when you look at the installed
tie).
3. Divide the area of the wall face
by the area of the tie face to find
number of ties needed.
4. Be certain to convert inches to
feet. (6" = .5 feet)
• Example:
How many railroad ties are
needed for a 40' X 6'
retaining wall if the ties
measure 6" X 6" X 8'?
wall area = 40' X 6' = 240 ft²
tie face area = .5' X 8' = 4 ft²
number needed=240 ft ²÷ 4 ft²
= 60
Mulch
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• Yards of mulch for beds
(use volume formula
and steps)
Volume = length X width X
depth (convert inches to
feet)
• Example:
How many cubic yards of pine bark
mulch are needed for a bed that
measures 12' X 8' if the mulch
depth is 3"?
Ft X ft X ft = cubic feet
Volume = 12' X 8' X .25' = 24 cubic ft
Cubic ft ÷ 27 = cubic yards
Cubic yards = 24 cu. ft. ÷ 27 = .89
cubic yd
12" ÷ 3" = .25 feet
Soil
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• Yards of soil for beds
(use volume formula
and steps)
Volume = length X width X
depth (convert inches to
feet)
Ft X ft X ft = cubic ft
Cubic feet ÷ 27 = cubic
yard
• Example:
How many cubic yards of soil
will be needed to construct a
flower bed 4" deep that
measures 12' X 10'?
12" ÷ 4" = .33 feet
Volume = 12' X 10' X .33' = 39.6
cubic feet
Cubic yards = 39.6 cu. ft. ÷ 27 =
1.47 cubic yards
Bales of pine needles
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• Bales of pine needles
Calculate area to be
covered divided by area
each bale will cover
(use area formula)
• Example:
How many bales of pine
needles are needed to
cover a natural area that is
80' long by 25' wide if each
bale will cover a 50 sq. ft.
area?
Area to be covered = 80' X
25' = 2000 square feet
Bales needed = 2000 sq. ft.÷
50 sq. ft. = 40
Fertilizer
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• Calculate the amount of
fertilizer required to get a
specific amount of
nitrogen.
Formula – Number of
pounds of Nitrogen
divided by percent of
Nitrogen in fertilizer
equals the amount of that
analysis fertilizer needed.
Lbs. Fertilizer = Lbs. N/% N
• Example:
How much 12-4-8 fertilizer is
needed if the soil test
report recommends three
pounds of nitrogen per
1000 square ft?
3 lbs. nitrogen ÷ 12% (.12) =
25 pounds of 12-4-8 per
1000 square ft.
Pesticides
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• Pesticide labels
contain the
percentage of active
ingredient and inert
ingredients on the
container.
• Example:
If 41% of Round-up is the
active ingredient
Glyphosate, the
remainder of the
container (100% - 41%
= 59%) is a mixture of
other ingredients called
inert ingredients.
Pesticides
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You can calculate the amount of pesticide
necessary to spray an area if they know
the size of that area and the application
rate of the pesticide or the proper
concentration of the pesticide.
Pesticide Examples
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• Example:
Controlling Spurweed in
established turf might
require 0.67 lb. of
Sencor 75 DF per acre.
If the area to be treated
is 2 ½ acres, then the
amount of Sencor
needed is
0.67 X 2.5 = 1.675 lbs. of
Sencor 75 DF
• Example:
Azaleas can be treated with
Dimethoate 400 for
lacebugs at a rate of ¾
teaspoons per gallon.
How much chemical
should be mixed to fill a 3
gallon sprayer?
0.75 X 3 = 2.25 teaspoons.
Yearly Spray Schedule
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• Similar calculations can be repeated to
produce a yearly spray schedule
including costs of materials.
Example
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• How much would it cost to treat Azaleas and
Japanese Andromedas around a home with
Orthene if the rate is 2 tablespoons per gallon
of spray, 2 ½ gallons of spray are necessary
for each application, the shrubbery has to be
treated every 2 weeks from April 1 to
September 30, and Orthene costs $12.00 per
pint (there are 32 tablespoons in a pint)?
Example
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April 1 to September 30 is 183 days (6 months)/ 14 day
intervals = 13 applications,
and there are 2.5 (gallons) X 2 tablespoons = 5 tablespoons per
application.
Therefore, the season spraying program would require 13 X 5 = 65
tablespoons of spray.
If there are 32 tablespoons in a pint then 65 / 32 = 2.03 pints (2 pints).
Since 2 pints of Orthene cost $12.00, then $12.00 X 2 = $24.00 cost of
Orthene for season.