Sod Calculator
Sod Calculator
Work out how much sod to order for a lawn from its size: square feet with a little extra for cuts, the number of slabs or rolls, and how many pallets that makes, including a part pallet. Add the topsoil to level the ground first and see the weight and cost before you order.
Your lawn in pallets
Pallets by pallet size
Sod to order is the lawn area plus the extra for cuts, 5 percent by default as Mississippi State University Extension advises, rounded up to whole pieces. Southern sod is usually cut in 16 by 24 in slabs and northern sod in rolls; pallets usually hold 400, 450 or 500 sq ft of slabs and up to 700 sq ft of large rolls, so check with your supplier. A pallet weighs roughly 1,500 to 3,000 lb depending on moisture and grass. Topsoil is the lawn area times the depth, in cubic yards or cubic meters. The CSV, image and printed report contain the values you entered, nothing preloaded.
How to use this tool
Enter the lawn’s length and width and the area fills in, or type the area directly in square feet or square meters. Pick the kind of pieces your supplier cuts and how much their pallets hold, and leave the extra for cuts at 5 percent unless the lawn has lots of curves. The sod to order, the number of pieces and the pallets appear at the top, with the weight of the load.
Add a topsoil depth if you are bringing in soil to level the ground, and a price per square foot to see the cost. The first drawing shows the order as pallets, with the part pallet marked, and the chart compares the common pallet sizes for the same lawn.
How the order is worked out
The lawn area is increased by the extra for cuts, 5 percent by default, then divided by the size of one piece and rounded up to whole pieces: 2.67 sq ft for a 16 by 24 in slab, 10 sq ft for a 2 by 5 ft roll. The pieces times their size is the sod to order, and that divided by what one pallet holds is the number of pallets, including the part pallet that many farms sell loose.
Topsoil, if you add it, is the lawn area times the depth, converted to cubic yards or cubic meters. The weight is a range, because a pallet can weigh anything from about 1,500 to 3,000 lb depending on moisture.
Sod for common lawn sizes
| Lawn | Order with 5% | 16 x 24 in slabs | 450 sq ft pallets | 500 sq ft pallets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500 sq ft | 525 sq ft | 197 | 1.17 | 1.05 |
| 1,000 sq ft | 1,051 sq ft | 394 | 2.33 | 2.10 |
| 1,500 sq ft | 1,576 sq ft | 591 | 3.50 | 3.15 |
| 2,000 sq ft | 2,101 sq ft | 788 | 4.67 | 4.20 |
| 3,000 sq ft | 3,152 sq ft | 1,182 | 7.00 | 6.30 |
| 5,000 sq ft | 5,251 sq ft | 1,969 | 11.67 | 10.50 |
| 10,000 sq ft | 10,501 sq ft | 3,938 | 23.34 | 21.00 |
Order rounded up to whole slabs. Part pallets are often sold loose by the square foot or the piece.
Slabs, rolls and pallets
Sod for warm season grasses in the South, such as St. Augustine, zoysia and bermudagrass, is usually cut in small slabs, 16 by 24 in, and stacked 400 to 500 sq ft to a pallet. Cool season sod in the North is more often cut in rolls: small hand rolls of about 2 by 5 ft, or large rolls laid by machine, which come 500 to 700 sq ft to a pallet. In the UK and Europe turf is sold in rolls of 1 m², around 40 to 60 to a pallet.
A worked example you can check on paper
A back yard lawn measures 40 by 60 ft, 2,400 sq ft. Add 5 percent for cuts and it is 2,520 sq ft. Each 16 by 24 in slab is 2.67 sq ft, so the order is 945 slabs. At 450 sq ft a pallet that is 5.6 pallets: five full pallets and 270 sq ft more, or six pallets if the farm only sells whole ones.
If you are laying it on 4 in of new topsoil, that is 2,400 sq ft times a third of a foot, 800 cu ft, or 29.6 cu yd, a large load that is best delivered in bulk rather than bagged.
Preparing the ground and laying sod
Remove the old turf and weeds, loosen the top few inches of soil and rake it level, a little below paths and edging so the new sod sits flush. Mississippi State University Extension notes that soil amendments only need to go into the top 6 to 10 in where the roots grow. Water the soil lightly the day before.
Start along a straight edge such as a path or driveway, and lay the pieces in a staggered pattern like brickwork, butted tight with no gaps or overlaps. Cut pieces with a sharp knife around beds and trees, roll the lawn to press it onto the soil, and water it straight away. For the first week the soil beneath should stay moist; then water less often and more deeply as the roots knit in.
Mistakes that catch people out
Ordering before the ground is ready. Sod on a pallet does not keep. Prepare first, then order.
Assuming every pallet is the same. Pallets range from 400 to 700 sq ft. Ask the farm.
Measuring the whole yard. Take off beds, patios and paths, or measure the lawn in rectangles and add them up.
Leaving gaps between pieces. Edges dry out and shrink. Butt the joints tight and fill any gaps with soil.
Underestimating the weight. A pallet can weigh a ton and a half; that is more than most pickup trucks should carry.
Popular calculations
Each opens the calculator with its own address, and every value can be changed once it is open.
Lawn sizes in slabs
Rolls and larger pallets
With topsoil
Square meters
How this was checked
The engine was tested in Node against hand calculations: 1,000 sq ft with 5 percent extra is exactly 1,050 sq ft, rounded up to 394 slabs of 2.67 sq ft and 2.33 pallets of 450 sq ft; 2,400 sq ft gives 945 slabs and 5.6 pallets; 4 in of topsoil over 1,000 sq ft is 333.3 cu ft, or 12.35 cu yd; and 50 m² in 1 m² rolls with 5 percent extra is 53 rolls. Unit switching was checked for the area, the topsoil depth and the price.
Every address in the lists above was then opened and checked for a distinct title, the right answer, drawings that render, and clean CSV, image and print output containing only that calculation, at desktop, tablet and phone widths.
Common questions
How many square feet are in a pallet of sod?
Usually 400, 450 or 500 sq ft for slab sod, the kind cut in 16 by 24 in pieces for southern grasses. Northern sod cut in large rolls often comes 500 to 700 sq ft to a pallet. Farms differ, so ask yours.
How much sod do I need for 1,000 square feet?
About 1,050 sq ft, which is 1,000 sq ft plus 5 percent for cuts: 394 slabs of 16 by 24 in, or 2.33 pallets of 450 sq ft. Many suppliers will sell two pallets plus about 150 sq ft loose.
How much does a pallet of sod weigh?
Roughly 1,500 to 3,000 lb, depending on how wet it is, the grass and how thick it was cut. Check the weight before it goes on a pickup truck or a trailer.
How many pieces of sod are on a pallet?
A 450 sq ft pallet of 16 by 24 in slabs holds about 169 slabs, since each slab is 2.67 sq ft. A 500 sq ft pallet holds about 188.
How much extra sod should I order?
About 5 percent for a simple rectangular lawn, as Mississippi State University Extension advises, and up to 10 percent for curved beds, lots of edges or trees to cut around.
How soon do I have to lay sod after delivery?
The same day if you can. Sod stacked on a pallet heats up and yellows quickly, within a day or two in warm weather, so have the ground prepared before it arrives and water it straight after laying.
Related Calculators and Reference
- Grass Seed Calculator: pounds of seed if you would rather sow than lay sod.
- Mulch and Soil Calculator: topsoil and mulch in cubic yards and bags.
- Square Footage Calculator: for lawns that are not simple rectangles.
- Cubic Yard Calculator: any volume of soil or fill in cubic yards.
- Gravel Calculator: for paths and edging around the new lawn.
- Fertilizer Calculator: pounds per 1,000 sq ft from the numbers on the bag.
- Mississippi State University Extension: sod installation and maintenance: preparing, laying and watering new sod.