Sod Calculator: How Much Sod Do I Need?

Sod sizes and pallet coverage

Sod comes in different formats depending on the grass and the region. These are the typical ranges reported by Sod Solutions:

A 16 × 24 in slab is 384 square inches, and 384 ÷ 144 = 2.67 sq ft. If your farm sells rolls, change the piece coverage in the calculator to 5 or 10 sq ft.

Pallets are heavy. Sod Solutions puts them at roughly 1,500 to 3,000 pounds depending on moisture, so plan where the delivery truck can set them down.

How much a pallet of sod covers, by grower

400 to 600 sq ft for most pallets, depending on the grower. Southern farms usually cut warm-season grass into slabs, and northern farms more often sell cool-season grass in rolls, so the same lawn can take a different number of pallets depending on where you buy. Published figures from sod growers and one extension office (where a grower lists only the pallet and piece size, the piece count is the pallet coverage divided by the piece size):

Weight depends on moisture and format as much as on size: Sod Solutions says pallet weight can increase by 50 percent when wet, and CT Sod notes that a 600 sq ft cool-season pallet can still weigh less than a 400 sq ft warm-season pallet on a dry harvest day. Hauling it yourself? Aldino Sod Farms says a 1/2-ton pickup can comfortably handle about 270 sq ft at a time and a 3/4-ton pickup about 540 sq ft. Whatever your grower sells, enter its pallet and piece coverage in the calculator.

Pallets needed by lawn size

This chart includes 5 percent extra, the calculator's default. Find your lawn size, then read across to your supplier's pallet size.

Pieces and rolls of sod by lawn size

Buying loose pieces or rolls instead of full pallets? Divide the same sod total by the coverage of one piece. This chart uses the three formats in the Sod Solutions table above, again with 5 percent extra. Piece sizes vary by farm, so check with your supplier and enter its number in the calculator.

Pallets of sod for larger lawns, up to an acre

26 pallets of 450 sq ft for a 1/4 acre lawn and 102 for a full acre, both with 5 percent extra. The pallet chart above, extended to bigger areas (1 acre = 43,560 sq ft):

Tri-Turf Sod Farms puts an acre at roughly 97 pallets of 450 sq ft, which leaves out the extra for cuts. Counting pieces instead, Cornell Cooperative Extension in Suffolk County, New York, figures 1,452 pieces of 18 in × 5 ft sod for a quarter acre, 2,904 for a half acre, and 5,808 for an acre, also before any extra. For your own number, enter the total square footage as the length and 1 as the width, typed without a comma: 10890 by 1 returns "You need about 11,435 sq ft of sod: 26 pallets."

How much extra sod to order

Sod farms generally suggest 5 to 10 percent extra. Sod Solutions and CT Sod both use that range. Tri-Turf breaks it down by yard shape:

• Simple rectangle: add 5 percent
• Some curves and planting beds: add 10 percent
• Complex shapes, lots of landscaping, or slopes: add 10 to 15 percent

The calculator starts at 5 percent. Raise it if your lawn has many curves, islands, or narrow strips, where every edge means another trimmed piece.

Prepare the ground before the sod arrives

Sod is perishable, so the soil should be ready before delivery day.

• Topsoil depth: Penn State Extension recommends at least 4 to 6 inches of good topsoil, firmed or settled. Our topsoil calculator sizes that order.
• Grade: slope the soil away from the house at 1 to 4 percent, per Penn State Extension.
• Firm, moist surface: Texas A&M AgriLife advises laying sod on a surface firmed by rolling or settled by rain or irrigation, moist but not wet.
• Soil test: Penn State suggests sampling three to four weeks before you prepare the soil.

Tips for laying sod

• Lay it fast. University of Minnesota Extension says fresh sod should be cut no more than 24 hours before delivery and laid within a day of arriving. Penn State notes it can deteriorate within 24 to 48 hours in warm weather.
• Stagger the joints. Lay pieces in a brick pattern so seams don't line up.
• Stake slopes. On banks, Penn State Extension recommends staking each strip as you lay it so it can't slide.
• Roll it. A light roller presses the sod into the soil and removes air pockets.
• Water deeply at first. Water until it soaks through the sod into the soil below, then keep it moist daily, if needed, until it roots. Penn State says that can take up to 4 weeks.

Best time to lay sod, including fall

September and October are among the best months to lay sod in Iowa, along with late April and May, according to Iowa State University Extension. Other extension services give a wide window:

In fall, leave time for the roots. Colorado State says new sod should be well rooted within 2 to 3 weeks, and that roots should be well established before freezing temperatures. Sod laid later needs water through winter: Colorado State says sod planted late in the fall must be irrigated during the winter to prevent drying, using only enough water that no puddles or ice form, which may mean watering every 2 to 3 weeks in an especially dry winter.

New sod watering schedule

7 to 10 days of daily watering, then deeper and less often: new sod roots in about 10 days to 4 weeks, depending on the grass and the weather. What extension services advise:

Don't keep it soaked: Iowa State warns that sod kept saturated will not root properly. Colorado State suggests a gentle tug to check whether the sod has rooted, and Penn State says not to walk on the sod once you begin to irrigate, since footprints leave depressions.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Assuming every pallet is 450 sq ft. Coverage ranges from about 400 to 700 sq ft depending on the format. Always ask.
• Ordering before the ground is ready. Sod left sitting on the pallet dries out and deteriorates.
• Skipping the waste allowance. Curves and edges eat sod fast.
• Counting the whole lot. Subtract the house footprint, driveway, patio, and beds.
• Coming up short. Bethel Farms notes that running short and scrambling for more can cause delays and uneven growth. Order enough the first time.