Land Measurement in Sri Lanka: Perches, Roods, Acres & Square Feet Explained

How big is your land? "10 Perches."

If you're from outside Sri Lanka—or even a young Sri Lankan unfamiliar with the imperial system—this answer tells you nothing. Is 10 Perches enough for a house? A mansion? A parking lot?

Sri Lanka inherited the British imperial measurement system for land, and we've stubbornly kept it while the rest of the world moved to metric (square meters). This creates confusion for first-time buyers, foreign investors, and anyone trying to compare local land prices with international benchmarks.

In this comprehensive guide, I'll demystify Perches, Roods, and Acres—and give you the conversion formulas you need.

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Table of Contents

1. The Key Conversion: 1 Perch = 272.25 Sq Ft
2. The Full Measurement Hierarchy
3. Visualizing Land Sizes
4. Reading a Survey Plan
5. Converting Prices
6. Metric Conversions
7. FAQs
8. Quick Reference Chart

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1. The Key Conversion: 1 Perch = 272.25 Sq Ft

Memorize this number: 272

This is the foundation of all land calculations in Sri Lanka.

• 1 Perch = 272.25 Square Feet
• 1 Perch = 25.29 Square Meters
• 1 Perch ≈ 25.3 m²

Why 272.25?

The system comes from old English surveying. A Perch was defined as a rod measuring 16.5 feet × 16.5 feet = 272.25 square feet.

💡 Pro Tip: For quick mental math, round to 272 or even 270. If someone says "8 Perches," you can quickly estimate: 8 × 270 ≈ 2,160 sq ft.

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2. The Full Measurement Hierarchy

Land in Sri Lanka is described using a hierarchy of Acres, Roods, and Perches—written as "A-R-P."

Unit	Subunits	Square Feet	Square Meters
1 Acre	4 Roods = 160 Perches	43,560 Sq Ft	4,047 m²
1 Rood	40 Perches	10,890 Sq Ft	1,012 m²
1 Perch	Base unit	272.25 Sq Ft	25.29 m²

Reading A-R-P Notation

On survey plans and deeds, you'll see extents written like: "0A - 2R - 15P"

This breaks down as:

• 0 Acres (Zero acres)
• 2 Roods = 2 × 40 = 80 Perches
• 15 Perches
• Total: 80 + 15 = 95 Perches

Conversion to Square Feet

95 Perches × 272.25 = 25,864 Sq Ft (roughly ¼ acre)

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3. Visualizing Land Sizes

Numbers are abstract. Here's what common land sizes actually look like:

6 Perches (~1,630 sq ft)

• Footprint: Approximately 33ft × 50ft rectangle.
• Use: Minimum viable size for a 2-story house in urban areas like Colombo. Very tight—you'll touch boundary walls from your windows.
• Parking: Space for 1 car only.
• Garden: Almost none.

10 Perches (~2,720 sq ft)

• Footprint: Approximately 40ft × 68ft rectangle.
• Use: Standard suburban house plot. Comfortable for a 4-bedroom, 2-story house.
• Parking: Space for 2 cars.
• Garden: Small front garden, reasonable backyard.

15-20 Perches (~4,000-5,400 sq ft)

• Footprint: Approximately 50ft × 80-100ft.
• Use: Spacious family home. Room for a swimming pool (if 20 perches).
• Parking: 3+ cars, potential for covered carport.
• Garden: Generous garden space, fruit trees, outdoor BBQ area.

1 Acre (160 Perches / ~1 Hectare)

• Use: Small estate, rubber/tea land, boutique hotel, or subdivision into 10-15 residential plots.

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4. Reading a Survey Plan

Every land transaction in Sri Lanka requires a Survey Plan registered with the Surveyor General's Department.

Key Elements on a Survey Plan:

1. Extent: The total area, usually shown in A-R-P format and also in Square Feet/Meters.
2. Boundaries: North, South, East, West—described by neighbors' names or landmarks.
3. Plan Number: Unique identifier (e.g., "SG/2023/12345").
4. Scale: Usually 1:500 or 1:1000.
5. Date: When the survey was conducted.
6. Surveyor's Seal: Licensed surveyor's signature and registration number.

The "Shape" Warning

A survey plan shows the area, but area doesn't tell you shape.

Example: 10 Perches can be:

• A nice square: 52ft × 52ft ✅
• A rectangle: 40ft × 68ft ✅
• A long narrow strip: 20ft × 136ft ⚠️ (Very difficult to build on)

Always check the Road Frontage: The width of land facing the road. You need at least 25-30 feet of frontage to build a practical house. Narrow frontages (15-20 feet) limit your design options and resale value.

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5. Converting Prices (Per Perch to Per Sq Ft)

When comparing land prices, it helps to convert to a common unit.

Formula: Price per Sq Ft = Price per Perch ÷ 272

Example

• Land is advertised at Rs. 2,720,000 per Perch.
• Price per Sq Ft = 2,720,000 ÷ 272 = Rs. 10,000 per Sq Ft.

This makes it easier to compare with apartment prices (usually quoted per Sq Ft) or construction costs.

Reference: Land Prices Per Sq Ft (Colombo Suburbs, 2025)

Area	Per Perch	Per Sq Ft
Nugegoda	Rs. 50 Lakhs	Rs. 18,400
Maharagama	Rs. 30 Lakhs	Rs. 11,000
Homagama	Rs. 14 Lakhs	Rs. 5,150
Horana	Rs. 7 Lakhs	Rs. 2,570
Padukka	Rs. 6 Lakhs	Rs. 2,200

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6. Metric Conversions (Square Meters & Hectares)

For international buyers or when dealing with agricultural lands:

Imperial	Metric
1 Perch	25.29 m²
40 Perches (1 Rood)	1,012 m²
160 Perches (1 Acre)	4,047 m²
1 Acre	0.4047 Hectares
1 Hectare	2.47 Acres

Converting Hectares to Perches

1 Hectare = 395.4 Perches

If someone offers you a "2 Hectare rubber land," that's approximately 790 Perches or roughly 5 Acres.

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7. Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Why does Sri Lanka still use Perches?

Historical inertia. The Land Registry, all existing deeds, and survey plans dating back to colonial times use the imperial system. Switching to metric would require converting millions of documents. Plus, most Sri Lankans are now familiar with Perches.

Q2: Do banks use Perches for valuation?

Yes. All bank valuations, mortgage calculations, and loan documents use Perches as the unit.

Q3: How do I measure land myself?

Use a long tape measure (minimum 30m). Measure the length and width in feet, then multiply. Divide by 272.25 to get Perches. For irregular shapes, break into rectangles and triangles. Or hire a licensed surveyor (costs Rs. 15,000-25,000).

Q4: What's the minimum land size to build a house?

By law, the UDA requires minimum plot sizes depending on the zone. In most urban areas, 6 Perches is the practical minimum for a 2-story house. Rural areas may allow 5 Perches.

Q5: What if the survey plan and deed show different extents?

The Survey Plan is the ground truth. If your deed says "12 Perches" but the survey plan says "10 Perches," the actual land is 10 Perches. The deed may contain errors copied from older incorrect deeds.

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8. Quick Reference Chart

Perches	Square Feet	Square Meters	Rough Description
5	1,361	126	Tiny (apartment footprint)
6	1,634	152	Minimum house plot
8	2,178	202	Small house plot
10	2,723	253	Standard house plot
15	4,084	379	Spacious house
20	5,445	506	Large house + pool
40 (1 Rood)	10,890	1,012	Small villa/estate
80 (2 Roods)	21,780	2,024	Medium villa
160 (1 Acre)	43,560	4,047	Estate/subdivision

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