Sod Calculator

How It Works

The calculator multiplies length by width, subtracts the beds, paths, and other areas that will not get sod, then adds your extra. It divides that order by the size of your piece and your pallet, and rounds each count up.

Purdue Extension says to divide square feet by 9 to get square yards, and to order about 10 percent more sod than you expect to need, to cover calculation errors and cutting waste. The Mixed Order line fills as many whole pallets as fit, then covers the rest in single pieces. Gertens, for one, delivers only half or full pallets, so ask your supplier first. The weight range uses Purdue’s figure of 35 to 40 pounds per square yard.

See Methods and Sources

Worked Example

Here is the math for a 50 by 30 foot lawn with 100 square feet of beds, 10 percent extra, 10 square foot rolls, 450 square foot pallets, and a sample price of $0.90 per square foot.

1. 50 ft x 30 ft = 1,500 sq ft
2. 1,500 sq ft minus 100 sq ft of beds = 1,400 sq ft of lawn
3. 1,400 sq ft x 1.10 = 1,540 sq ft of sod to order
4. 1,540 sq ft / 9 = 171.1 sq yd
5. 1,540 sq ft / 10 sq ft per roll = 154 rolls
6. 1,540 sq ft / 450 sq ft per pallet = 3.42, rounded up to 4 pallets
7. 1,540 sq ft x $0.90 = $1,386.00

Four pallets hold 1,800 square feet. Three pallets hold 1,350, so the mixed order is 3 pallets plus 19 rolls for the other 190 square feet. At Purdue’s figure, 171.1 square yards of sod weighs about 5,990 to 6,840 pounds. The 4 whole pallets come to 200 square yards, or about 7,000 to 8,000 pounds, and $1,620 at the sample price.

Sod Needed by Lawn Size

This table adds 10 percent extra and rounds each count up. A 5,000 square foot lawn takes 5,500 square feet of sod, or 13 pallets of 450 square feet. An acre is 43,560 square feet, per NIST Handbook 44.

Sod Pieces and Pallet Sizes

What fits on a pallet depends on the farm and the piece it cuts. Sod Solutions gives the piece and pallet sizes below, so ask your supplier what its pallet holds before you order.

Sod Solutions says slab pallets sold as 400, 450, and 500 square feet really hold 399, 452, and 503 square feet, and the slab counts above divide those figures by 2.66. By its 16 by 24 inch size, a slab works out to about 2.67 square feet, so treat these as supplier figures. The large roll counts divide the pallet size by 10, and the mini roll counts are Sod Solutions’ own. Retailers vary too. Gertens sells a 2 by 5 foot roll of 10 square feet, and Van Putte lists 64 rolls of that size per pallet, which is 640 square feet.

Measuring a Lawn That Is Not a Rectangle

Clemson Cooperative Extension gives these formulas for lawn shapes. Work out each part, add the parts, and subtract what will not get sod. Then enter your total in the Length box, with 1 in the Width box and 0 in the Minus box.

For an irregular lawn, Clemson’s offset method divides the shape into smaller rectangles. Run a line along the longest part of the lawn, mark equal spaces along it, measure the lawn’s width at each mark, at right angles to that line, add those widths, and multiply by the space between marks. For example, widths of 20, 24, 30, 28, and 22 feet, taken 10 feet apart, add up to 124 feet, which gives about 1,240 square feet.

How Much Extra to Order

Purdue Extension suggests about 10 percent more than you expect to need, while Sod Solutions and Angi both say 5 to 10 percent. On the 1,400 square foot example, 5 percent makes 1,470 square feet, and 10 percent makes 1,540.

Penn State Extension says sodding is usually the most expensive way to establish cool-season turf. Sod Solutions says it is important to know the price per square foot and the square feet in a pallet. A cheaper pallet may simply hold less sod.

How Much Sod Weighs

Purdue Extension says sod weighs about 35 to 40 pounds per square yard. At that rate, a 450 square foot pallet comes to about 1,750 to 2,000 pounds. Sod Solutions says pallets usually weigh 1,500 to 3,000 pounds, and that the weight can rise by 50 percent when wet. Gertens says a 10 square foot roll can weigh 25 to 50 pounds, depending on recent rain. If you plan to haul it yourself, check your vehicle’s payload rating first, or ask about delivery.

Before the Sod Arrives

Sod does not keep long, so have the site ready before delivery day. Penn State Extension says the soil surface should be smooth and firm but not compacted, and dry to slightly moist, never wet. Purdue says driveways and walks should sit about 0.5 inch above the soil surface, to allow for the soil that comes on the sod. If the site needs new soil first, the Topsoil Calculator works out how much.

Penn State says to use sod immediately upon delivery, since it deteriorates rapidly in warm weather, within 24 to 48 hours. If you have to wait, unroll it and place it turf side up in a shady, cool place. Lay the strips in a staggered pattern, like bricks, with the joints tight and no overlap. On a slope, Purdue says to start at the bottom and work upward, and Penn State says to stake each strip.

Purdue says to irrigate daily in the morning until the sod is well rooted, usually about 10 days after installation. Penn State says rooting may take up to 4 weeks, depending on the site and weather.

For timing, Purdue says fall is the best time for cool-season grasses such as tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass, and early summer is best for warm-season grasses. The University of Nebraska prefers early spring or early fall, since sod needs less irrigation then than in summer.

Frequently Asked Questions

These cover the questions that come up most often.