Green Cover Requirement Calculator

Work out green cover requirement instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Green Cover Requirement Calculator

Green cover requirements express soft landscaped area as a percentage of the plot and usually pair it with a tree planting density. Both matter: a paved courtyard with planters may satisfy an area test but fails the canopy intent, which is why the tree count is specified alongside.

Formulas

Green cover

Required area = plot area x required percentage

Tree planting

Trees = ceil(required green area x trees per 100 m² / 100)

Worked example

With the default values below, Green Cover Requirement Calculator returns Green cover required of 1,500.0. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Plot areaminimum 0.1 m²: 10,000 m²
Green cover requiredaccepts 1–60 %: 15 %
Green cover providedminimum 0 m²: 1,200 m²
Trees per 100 square metres of green areaminimum 0.1: 1

Results

Green cover required: 1,500.0 m²
Shortfall or surplus: -300.0 m²
Trees required: 15
Green cover provided: 12.00% %

Step by step

1Values used
2Green cover
3Tree planting
4Green cover required= 1,500.0 m²
5Shortfall or surplus= -300.0 m²
6Trees required= 15
7Green cover provided= 12.00 %

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
Preliminary estimate only. Green cover and tree planting requirements are set by local development control and environmental regulations.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Preliminary estimate only. Green cover and tree planting requirements are set by local development control and environmental regulations.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the Green Cover Requirement figure worked out?

Required area = plot area x required percentage. Green cover requirements express soft landscaped area as a percentage of the plot and usually pair it with a tree planting density.

Does a green roof count?

In some regulations partially, often at a reduced weighting because the ecological and cooling benefit differs from ground-level planting with mature trees.

What values do I need to enter?

This calculator takes 4 inputs: Plot area, Green cover required, Green cover provided, Trees per 100 square metres of green area. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic worked example — replace them with your own site or project figures.