Short answer
One acre is 4,046.86 sq m (43,560 sq ft, or 40 guntha). A 6 m x 50 m roll covers 300 sq m, so a flat roof over one acre needs at least 14 rolls. Side curtains add more. For a 100 m x 40.5 m house with 3 m high sides, add about 6 rolls of 3 m width. Always allow extra for overlaps and fixing.
Reviewed by the Gopal Agritech team · Updated 2026-10-19
How big is one acre and one guntha?
Start with the exact area. An international acre is 4,840 square yards, which is 43,560 sq ft or 4,046.86 sq m. A guntha is a 33 ft x 33 ft square: 1,089 sq ft, or about 101.17 sq m. Forty guntha make one acre. We checked this: 4,046.86 divided by 40 is 101.17.
| Unit | Square metres | Square feet |
|---|---|---|
| 1 guntha | 101.17 | 1,089 |
| 10 guntha | 1,011.71 | 10,890 |
| 20 guntha (half acre) | 2,023.43 | 21,780 |
| 1 acre (40 guntha) | 4,046.86 | 43,560 |
| 1 hectare (about 2.47 acres) | 10,000 | 107,639 |
How much area does one roll cover?
Our standard rolls are 50 m long. Multiply the width by 50 to get the area of one roll. Then divide your area by the roll area and round up. The last column is the bare minimum for a flat one-acre roof, with no overlap and no sides.
| Roll width | Area per 50 m roll | Area in sq ft | Minimum rolls for a 1-acre roof |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 m | 50 sq m | 538 | 81 |
| 1.5 m | 75 sq m | 807 | 54 |
| 2 m | 100 sq m | 1,076 | 41 |
| 3 m | 150 sq m | 1,615 | 27 |
| 5 m | 250 sq m | 2,691 | 17 |
| 6 m | 300 sq m | 3,229 | 14 |
Worked examples: how many rolls for my plot?
Real plots are not perfect squares, and strips must fit the plot's length. These three examples show the method. Each one lays strips along the longest side.
| Plot | Roof net | Side curtains | Total to order |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 acre roof only: 100 m x 40.47 m | 7 strips of 6 m net, each 100 m long (2 rolls per strip) = 14 rolls. 7 x 6 m = 42 m covers 40.47 m with 1.5 m spare for overlaps. | None | 14 rolls of 6 m x 50 m (4,200 sq m) |
| 1 acre with 3 m high sides: 100 m x 40.47 m | Same as above: 14 rolls of 6 m | Perimeter 280.9 m. 280.9 / 50 = 5.6, so 6 rolls of 3 m width | 14 rolls of 6 m + 6 rolls of 3 m |
| 10 guntha nursery: 45 m x 22.5 m (1,012.5 sq m) | 5 strips of 5 m net, each 45 m long. One 50 m roll per strip (5 m left over) = 5 rolls | 2 m high sides. Perimeter 135 m. 135 / 50 = 2.7, so 3 rolls of 2 m width | 5 rolls of 5 m + 3 rolls of 2 m |
Why should I add extra for overlaps, edges and side curtains?
The minimum numbers above assume the net fits edge to edge with no waste. In practice, you lose some net when you fix it. Good practice is to:
- Overlap neighbouring strips so sun and rain do not get through the joins.
- Leave extra at every edge to wrap around wires or pipes and tie down.
- Plan side curtains separately. They often need a different width, and sometimes a different shade. A shade house design from Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology, shown on Vikaspedia, uses 50-75% net on the roof and 30% net on the sides.
- Allow for doors and an entry area. The Vikaspedia capsicum net house uses a double-door ante-chamber and 40 mesh insect net on all sides.
- Keep a little spare net for repairs after storms.
- Check the height with your fabricator. TNAU advises fixing the net at least 3 m above the ground for anthurium, and a taller house needs wider side curtains.
How heavy will the net be?
Knowing the weight helps you plan transport and the structure. We calculated this from the GSM (grams per square metre) of our net grades. Actual roll weight may differ slightly.
| Shade grade | GSM | One 6 m x 50 m roll | 14 rolls (1-acre roof) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50% | 50 | about 15 kg | about 210 kg |
| 75% | 90 | about 27 kg | about 378 kg |
| 90% | 120 | about 36 kg | about 504 kg |
How do I work out my own quantity?
- 1Measure the length and width of the structure, not the whole field.
- 2Choose a roll width that divides neatly into the width of the plot.
- 3Count strips: plot width divided by roll width, rounded up.
- 4Count rolls: strips multiplied by strip length, divided by 50 m, rounded up.
- 5Add side curtains: perimeter multiplied by wall height, using a roll width close to the wall height.
- 6Add a margin for overlaps, edges, doors and repairs.
- 7Check the result with our free quantity calculator at /quantity-calculator, or send us your plot size.
Where we can help
How Gopal Agritech can help
Gopal Agritech makes shade net in standard 50 m rolls, in widths of 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 5 and 6 m, so you can match the roll to your plot and walls. Our free quantity calculator at /quantity-calculator does the arithmetic, and we send delivered quotations across India.