Sod Calculator

How to use the Sod Calculator

Measure the lawn, not the lot. Break anything awkward into rectangles on the irregular tab rather than trying to average a curve, two rectangles measured properly beat one guessed shape.

Then set the piece size, because this is where sod calculators go wrong. A northern slab is 16 by 24 inches and covers 2.67 square feet; a southern roll is 24 by 60 inches and covers 10. Order 600 pieces expecting slabs and receive rolls and you have six times the lawn you needed.

Pallet coverage varies by farm, usually 400 to 500 square feet. Ask before ordering; the default here is 450.

Sod Cost prices by the square foot, the piece or the pallet. Pieces per pallet vary between farms, so if you know your supplier’s figure, use it rather than the default.

Sod formula

• area = length × width (add sections for irregular shapes)
• ordered area = area × (1 + waste%)
• pieces = ordered area ÷ sq ft per piece, rounded up
• pallets = ordered area ÷ sq ft per pallet, rounded up

Worked example

A 50 ft × 30 ft lawn in 16 × 24 in slabs, 5% waste, 450 sq ft pallets:

• Area: 50 × 30 = 1,500 sq ft
• Plus 5%: 1,575 sq ft
• Slabs: 1,575 ÷ 2.67 = 590.6, so 591 slabs
• Pallets: 1,575 ÷ 450 = 3.5, so 4 pallets

At $0.55 per square foot with a $75 delivery that is $941.25.

What the result means

Sod is perishable, and that changes how you order. It is cut to order and needs to go down within about 24 hours in warm weather, 48 at the outside. You cannot order short and top up next week, the second batch will be a visibly different colour and may be a different cut. Order the waste allowance.

Pallets are heavy: 450 square feet of sod runs 1,500 to 3,000 lb depending on how wet it is. That is a pallet jack and a truck, not a trailer.

The ground needs to be ready before delivery, not after. Sod laid on unprepared ground roots badly, and sod sitting on a pallet in the sun for two days dies.

Common mistakes

• Assuming a piece size. Northern slabs and southern rolls differ by nearly four times. Confirm with the grower before you convert square feet to pieces.
• Ordering before the ground is prepared. Sod is delivered live and starts dying immediately. Grade, amend and level first.
• Skipping the waste allowance. Every curved bed and every path edge means cutting, and offcuts rarely fit anywhere else.
• Underestimating pallet weight. A wet pallet can go over 3,000 lb. Check what your delivery and your driveway can take.
• Laying it dry. Water within half an hour of laying, and keep it wet for the first two weeks while it roots.

Frequently asked questions