Mesr measures any outdoor area in the UK — a garden, a lawn, a driveway, a paddock — from your phone or from satellite imagery. Here's how to get the most out of it.
Tapping a blue plot opens a property card with the plot size, buildings and last-sold date already filled in, plus:
Tap Draw area and tap each corner. Tap the first point again to close the shape. Drag any corner afterwards to fine-tune — the area updates as you go, and Undo removes the last point.
Switch to On site mode and tap Drop pin at each corner as you walk the boundary. Good for areas hidden under tree cover, where satellite imagery can't help. Your phone shows a live accuracy figure — wait for it to settle before dropping a pin.
You can mix the two: walk the awkward side, then drag the remaining corners on the satellite view.
With a shape on the map, open More (the cog next to the property details) and choose Match to plot boundary to snap your shape to the registered plot outline — the quickest route to a whole-property figure.
Choose Use AI to detect from the property card. Mesr looks at the satellite image and works out where the garden is — the green, growing part — leaving out the house, driveway, patio and paths.
It takes a few seconds and gives you an editable shape. It's a strong starting point, not the last word: drag any corner to correct it before you quote from it.
Already measured by someone else? If this property has been AI-detected before, your result comes back instantly and doesn't use one of your free detections.
If the AI can't find a garden — heavy tree cover, a very new build, poor imagery — Mesr says so plainly. You can always fall back to Measure garden or draw it by hand.
Once you're signed in, a small cog next to the Sale £/m² figure opens Costings — three fields: what you charge per m² per visit, your own cost per m² (optional), and how often the job runs (one-off, weekly, fortnightly or monthly). The measurement panel then shows a live sale total, or a monthly headline plus your margin for a recurring job.
Your rates stay on this device. Cost and margin are never sent to Mesr and never appear on an exported PDF or CSV — only the sale figure does, because that's what your customer sees.
Mesr gives indicative areas, good enough to quote from. It is not a legal survey and not a Land Registry boundary.
| Method | Typically | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Match to plot boundary | Most consistent | Whole plots where boundary data exists |
| Measure garden (plot − buildings) | A quick, free estimate | A fast first figure, no AI needed |
| AI detection | A good estimate — check it | Getting the garden shape roughly right, fast |
| Drawing on satellite | Depends on your eye and image age | Clear, open areas |
| GPS pin-walk | Depends on signal — watch the accuracy figure | Under trees, or where imagery is out of date |
Satellite imagery can be a year or two old. If a garden has been re-landscaped, an extension built or a fence moved, trust what's in front of you over the picture.
Open the account menu (top corner) and choose My measurements. Tap Save on a measurement to keep it — because you're signed in, it follows you to any device, and you can rename, reopen or delete it later.
From the menu's Export button, or per measurement in My measurements, you can export a PDF report, CSV data, or raw GeoJSON. Share image produces a satellite picture of the measurement to send straight to a customer.
Every account gets ten free AI detections. Everything else — the map, drawing, GPS pins, matching to a boundary, Costings, saving, exporting — is unlimited and free.
When your ten are used, you can carry on by adding your own Anthropic API key — Your Anthropic key in the account menu, or you'll be prompted the next time you need one. Mesr then uses your key for detections and Anthropic bills you directly, typically a couple of pence per detection.
sk-ant-.Your key is encrypted before it's stored, is never shown back to you in full, and is only ever used for your own measurements. Remove it any time from Your Anthropic key in the account menu.
A failed detection never costs you one of your free ten — if the AI can't answer, you get the go back.
Paid plans are launching shortly — measuring stays free while we finish them, and there's nothing to pay today. The plans on the table so far:
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Mesr | £5/month | Unlimited measuring on your own Anthropic key — you still pay Anthropic directly, at cost. |
| Mesr Inclusive | £7/month | 150 AI measurements a month included — no Anthropic account needed. |
| White-label add-on | +£2/month | Put Mesr on your own website — your colours, your name, no Mesr branding. |
Find these any time from Subscription in the account menu.
We don't sell your data. Export my data in the account menu downloads a copy of everything we hold; Delete account removes your measurements and any stored key immediately. You can also email us and we'll do it for you.
Drag any corner to correct it, or tap Clear and draw it yourself. The AI is a starting point — trees overhanging a lawn and shaded areas are the usual culprits.
Usually heavy tree cover, a very new build, or an outdated image. Try Measure garden for the plot-minus-buildings estimate, or draw the area by hand — both are always free and unlimited.
Check you're signed in with the same account — sign-in is what keeps your measurements with you across devices. See Your saved measurements.
Yes. Drawing, GPS pins and Match to plot boundary measure any outdoor area — driveways, paddocks, roofs, car parks. Only AI detection and Measure garden are garden-specific.
Not yet. Mesr is built around UK postcodes and UK property data.
Square metres (m²). Tap the reading to copy it.