Sod Calculator

Sod is often sold by the square yard or by the pallet, and some farms sell single pieces too. A typical slab covers 3 sq ft, and a pallet holds 450 to 500 sq ft of sod. Each farm sizes its pieces and pallets differently, so confirm yours before you order.

How to use this calculator

1. Measure the length and width of the lawn in feet. For an odd outline, split the lawn into rectangles, measure each section and add the areas together.
2. Take out large areas that will not get sod, such as a patio or a driveway. Leave small beds in, because cutting around them is what the extra covers.
3. The extra for cuts runs from 5 to 10 percent. The calculator starts at 10 percent, the upper end, which suits a yard with curves, beds or many corners.
4. Read the sod to order in square feet. The piece count is already rounded up, but the pallet count is a decimal, so round it up to whole pallets yourself.
5. Ask the farm for its piece and pallet sizes. If its pallets hold a different area, divide the sod to order by that area to get your own pallet count.

Worked examples

Square feet of sod to order by lawn length and width

Each cell: Sod to order (sq ft). Inputs not in the table use the calculator's starting values.

How the calculation works

The lawn area is length times width, and the calculator adds the extra for cuts on top of it. The piece count divides that total by the size of a slab and rounds up, because a farm sells whole slabs.

The pallet count divides the same total by the size of a pallet without rounding, so you will see a decimal. The calculator uses the lower figure in the pallet range, which makes its count a little high, the safe side for ordering.

Pieces, pallets or square yards?

Small quantities are often sold by the piece, which suits a narrow strip or a small back yard. Larger lawns usually come by the pallet. If a farm quotes a price per square yard, convert the sod to order into square yards before you compare.

Ask each farm for its piece size and pallet size before you book.

Mistakes to avoid

• Ordering only the measured area. Curves, bed edges and corners all take cut pieces, and the extra covers them.
• Leaving out strips. Side yards and the ground beside a walk need sod too if they will be part of the lawn.
• Laying sod on hard or uneven ground. The new lawn can settle unevenly, and levelling it after the sod is down is hard.
• Trusting the pallet count. The calculator uses a standard pallet size, and your farm's pallet may hold more or less.

Before the sod arrives

Level the ground and clear out stones, roots and old debris before delivery. If the topsoil is thin or poor, work out how much you need with the soil calculator.

If you mix compost into the top layer, the compost calculator gives the volume to order. Seed is the other way to get a lawn and fills in more slowly than sod. The grass seed calculator takes the same length and width.

How can I measure my lawn with a map or a measuring wheel?

A satellite map tool with a distance or area measure can give your lawn's length and width, or its total area, without a tape. A measuring wheel works well for long, straight edges. Either way, round up and double-check one side with a tape before you order.

How do I convert square feet of sod to square yards?

Divide your sod to order in square feet by 9 square feet, since that is how many square feet fit in one square yard. Use the result to compare with a farm's price per square yard.

Common questions