Perch to square feet table (common plot sizes)
Land in Sri Lanka is usually measured and priced by the perch. This table converts the plot sizes you’ll see most often in ads and survey plans. 1 perch = 272.25 sq ft, 1 rood = 40 perches and 1 acre = 160 perches.
| Perches | Square feet | Square metres (m²) | Acres | A-R-P (survey plan) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 272.25 | 25.29 | 0.00625 | 0A - 0R - 1P |
| 2 | 544.50 | 50.59 | 0.0125 | 0A - 0R - 2P |
| 3 | 816.75 | 75.88 | 0.01875 | 0A - 0R - 3P |
| 5 | 1,361.25 | 126.46 | 0.03125 | 0A - 0R - 5P |
| 6 | 1,633.50 | 151.76 | 0.0375 | 0A - 0R - 6P |
| 7 | 1,905.75 | 177.05 | 0.04375 | 0A - 0R - 7P |
| 8 | 2,178.00 | 202.34 | 0.05 | 0A - 0R - 8P |
| 10 | 2,722.50 | 252.93 | 0.0625 | 0A - 0R - 10P |
| 12 | 3,267.00 | 303.51 | 0.075 | 0A - 0R - 12P |
| 15 | 4,083.75 | 379.39 | 0.09375 | 0A - 0R - 15P |
| 20 | 5,445.00 | 505.86 | 0.125 | 0A - 0R - 20P |
| 25 | 6,806.25 | 632.32 | 0.15625 | 0A - 0R - 25P |
| 40 (1 rood) | 10,890.00 | 1,011.71 | 0.25 | 0A - 1R - 0P |
| 80 (2 roods) | 21,780.00 | 2,023.43 | 0.5 | 0A - 2R - 0P |
| 160 (1 acre) | 43,560.00 | 4,046.86 | 1 | 1A - 0R - 0P |
Square metres are rounded to 2 decimals. Square feet and acres are exact.
Square feet to perch
To turn square feet into perches, divide by 272.25. House plans and building sizes are usually given in square feet, so this is the quickest way to compare them with a plot in perches.
| Square feet | Perches | Square metres (m²) |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | 3.67 | 92.90 |
| 2,000 | 7.35 | 185.81 |
| 3,000 | 11.02 | 278.71 |
| 5,000 | 18.37 | 464.52 |
| 10,000 | 36.73 | 929.03 |
Perches and m² are rounded to 2 decimals. Example: 5,000 ÷ 272.25 = 18.365…, which rounds to 18.37 perches.
Plot size from length and width
If you search “perch to feet”, you probably want square feet, or you have a plot’s length and width. A perch is an area, so you need both sides. Multiply the length by the width in feet, then divide by 272.25.
- In feet: 45 ft × 60.5 ft = 2,722.5 sq ft. Then 2,722.5 ÷ 272.25 = 10 perches.
- In metres: 20 m × 30 m = 600 m². Then 600 ÷ 25.2929 ≈ 23.72 perches.
This works for rectangular plots. For an irregular plot, use the extent on your survey plan.
Official Land Conversion Factors in Sri Lanka
Land transactions, title deeds, and valuation reports in Sri Lanka frequently use both imperial units (perches, roods, acres) and metric units (square metres, hectares). The table below shows the exact relationships. To cross-check a figure, the Survey Department also has an official area converter (hectares, A-R-P, square metres and square feet).
| Unit | Symbol | Equivalent in Perches | Square Feet | Square Metres (m²) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Perch | P | 1 Perch | 272.25 sq ft | 25.2929 m² |
| 1 Rood | R | 40 Perches | 10,890 sq ft | 1,011.7141 m² |
| 1 Acre | A | 160 Perches | 43,560 sq ft | 4,046.8564 m² |
| 1 Square Metre | m² | ≈ 0.0395 Perch | ≈ 10.7639 sq ft | 1.0 m² |
| 1 Hectare | ha | ≈ 395.3686 Perches | ≈ 107,639.1 sq ft | 10,000.0 m² |
Northern land units: kuli, lachcham and parappu (Jaffna)
Older deeds and land sales in Jaffna often give extents in kulis, lachchams or parappu instead of perches. A lachcham isn’t one fixed size: it depends on the kind of land. Deeds mark it PC (paddy culture) or VC (varaku culture).
| Unit | Perches | Square feet | Square metres (m²) | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 kuli | ≈ 0.5556 (5/9) | 151.25 | 14.05 | 1/288 |
| 1 lachcham, paddy culture (PC) = 12 kulis | ≈ 6.6667 | 1,815.00 | 168.62 | 1/24 |
| 1 lachcham, varaku culture (VC) = 16 kulis | ≈ 8.8889 | 2,420.00 | 224.83 | 1/18 |
| 1 parappu (customary, see note) = 18 kulis | 10 | 2,722.50 | 252.93 | 1/16 |
Example: an extent of “1 lachcham PC and 6 kulis” is 18 kulis, which is 10 perches or 2,722.5 sq ft.
About the parappu: in Jaffna property sales, 1 parappu is commonly taken as 10 perches (1/16 acre). We found no official or historical definition of it, and some people use “lachcham” to mean the same 10 perches. Confirm the extent in perches or acres with your surveyor, or on the deed’s survey plan, before you rely on it.
Source: kuli and lachcham values from the Jaffna land-measure table in Ferguson's Ceylon Directory (1959), "Measures in the Northern Province" (paddy culture: 12 kulis = 1 lachcham, 24 lachchams = 1 acre; varaku culture: 16 kulis = 1 lachcham, 18 lachchams = 1 acre), which also appears in Ceylon in 1903. Both give 288 kulis to the acre. Parappu: customary usage only. Registry rows land_jaffna_kuli_lachcham and land_jaffna_parappu_customary, checked 29 Sep 2026.
Interpreting Acres, Roods, and Perches (A-R-P) on Survey Plans
When reviewing a cadastral survey plan or deed extract in Sri Lanka, the land extent is typically stated in the three-part compound format: A - R - P.
For instance, an extent recorded as 0A - 2R - 15P denotes:
- 0 Acres = 0 Perches
- 2 Roods = 2 × 40 = 80 Perches
- 15 Perches = 15 Perches
- Total Extent = 80 + 15 = 95 Perches (25,863.75 sq ft or 2,402.82 m²)
Use our calculator to enter values either as a single unit, or directly into the A-R-P fields, to quickly interpret surveyor notation.