How the sod calculator works
The calculator follows the same steps a sod farm uses when you call in an order:
- Area of each section. Length × width for a rectangle, 3.1416 × radius² for a circle, and base × height ÷ 2 for a triangle. Any shape you mark as a cut-out (a patio, a flower bed, a pool) is subtracted.
- Extra for cutting. The total is multiplied by 1 plus your waste percentage. Five percent is the default.
- Pieces. The order size is divided by the area of one piece and rounded up: 10 sq ft for a 2 × 5 ft roll, about 2.67 sq ft for a 16 × 24 inch slab, or your own size.
- Pallets. The order size is divided by the square feet on one pallet. The default is 450; change it to the number on your quote.
If you enter a price per square foot or per pallet, the scorecard adds the sod cost. Prices vary too much by region and grass type to quote here, so use the figure from your farm or garden center.
A worked example
Say the lawn is a main area of 40 × 25 ft, a side strip of 30 × 8 ft, and a round flower bed 10 ft across in the middle of the main area.
| Section | Math | Square feet |
|---|---|---|
| Main lawn | 40 × 25 | 1,000 |
| Side strip | 30 × 8 | 240 |
| Round bed (cut-out) | 3.1416 × 5 × 5 | − 78.5 |
| Lawn area | 1,161.5 | |
| Plus 5% extra | 1,161.5 × 1.05 | 1,219.5 |
That is 122 rolls of 2 × 5 ft sod (1,219.5 ÷ 10, rounded up) or 458 slabs of 16 × 24 inches (1,219.5 ÷ 2.667). On 450 sq ft pallets it comes to 2.71 pallets: two full pallets plus 32 rolls, or three full pallets if the farm only sells whole ones.
How much extra sod to order
Sod is cut to fit at every edge, and the offcuts are rarely big enough to use again. How much you lose depends on the shape of the lawn, not its size.
| Lawn shape | Extra to add | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Simple rectangle, straight edges | 5% | Only the ends of each row are trimmed. |
| A few curves, a bed or two, some trees | 7–10% | Curves and circles leave wedge-shaped offcuts. |
| Lots of beds, narrow strips, slopes | 10–15% | Short pieces and more trimming at every edge. |
Sod is a living crop and does not keep. Plan to lay it the day it arrives, so ordering far more than you need is money left drying on the driveway.
Common sod piece sizes
The size of one piece changes how many you count, not how much lawn you cover. Northern farms mostly cut rolls; in the South, St. Augustine and zoysia often come as small slabs. Large commercial rolls are laid by machine.
| Piece | Size | Sq ft each | Pieces per 100 sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small slab | 16 × 24 in | about 2.67 | 38 |
| Slab | 18 × 24 in | 3 | 34 |
| Standard roll | 2 × 5 ft | 10 | 10 |
| Big roll | about 2.5–4 ft wide, tens of feet long | varies | machine-laid |
See sod roll and slab sizes for more on each, including how to measure a piece yourself.
How many pallets for common lawn sizes
These include 5% extra. Pallet sizes vary, so both common sizes are shown.
| Lawn area | Order (with 5%) | Pallets at 450 sq ft | Pallets at 500 sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| 250 sq ft | 263 sq ft | 0.58 | 0.53 |
| 500 sq ft | 525 sq ft | 1.17 | 1.05 |
| 1,000 sq ft | 1,050 sq ft | 2.33 | 2.10 |
| 2,000 sq ft | 2,100 sq ft | 4.67 | 4.20 |
| 3,000 sq ft | 3,150 sq ft | 7.00 | 6.30 |
| 5,000 sq ft | 5,250 sq ft | 11.67 | 10.50 |
The pallet of sod calculator works the other way round as well: how many rolls or slabs are on a pallet, and how much ground it covers.
Before you order
- Measure in feet, and round each measurement up to the next half foot rather than down.
- Check the pallet size and piece size on the quote. Two farms can mean different things by “a pallet”.
- Prepare the soil first. Old grass removed, soil loosened, graded away from the house and raked smooth. Starter fertilizer goes down just before the sod; see the lawn fertilizer calculator.
- Line up water. New sod needs a soaking as soon as each section is down. The watering guide has a week-by-week schedule.
- Thinking about seed instead? The grass seed calculator gives pounds of seed for the same area, and sod vs seed compares the two.
Results are estimates. Piece sizes, pallet sizes and how much a lawn needs for cutting vary, so confirm the order with your sod farm or garden center before you buy.
Questions people ask
- How do I calculate how much sod I need?
- Measure each part of the lawn in feet, work out its area (length × width for rectangles), add the parts together, subtract beds and patios, then add 5 to 10 percent for cutting. Divide by the size of one piece to get rolls or slabs, and by the pallet size to get pallets.
- How many square feet are in a pallet of sod?
- Usually 400 to 500 square feet. Many farms use 450 or 500 square feet, but it varies by farm and grass type, so read the number on your quote and type it into the calculator.
- How many rolls of sod are on a pallet?
- A 450 sq ft pallet of 2 × 5 ft rolls holds 45 rolls, and a 500 sq ft pallet holds 50. A 400 sq ft pallet of 16 × 24 inch slabs holds 150 slabs.
- How much extra sod should I order?
- About 5 percent for a simple rectangle and 10 percent for a lawn with curves, beds, trees and narrow strips. Sod can't be stored for long, so ordering far more than that usually goes to waste.
- Can I order part of a pallet?
- Many farms and garden centers sell single rolls or slabs as well as full pallets, often at a higher price per square foot. The calculator shows both: full pallets plus loose pieces, or the next whole pallet.