Sod Calculator
Calculate rolls and pallets of sod for a new lawn.
Standard rolls cover about 10 sq ft; a pallet covers roughly 450 sq ft. 5% waste for edge cuts included.
Sod is the impatient gardener’s miracle — a finished lawn in a weekend — but it’s also perishable, heavy, and sold in units that don’t match how anyone measures a yard. Our sod calculator above converts your lawn dimensions into square feet, standard rolls, and pallets, with 5% added for edge cuts.
The Calculation
Area = Length × Width × 1.05
Rolls = Area ÷ 10 (a standard roll covers about 10 sq ft — typically 2 ft × 5 ft)
Pallets = Area ÷ 450 (pallets range 400–500 sq ft by farm; 450 is the common middle)
The 5% waste covers cutting sod to fit curves, beds, walkways, and sprinkler heads. For a yard with lots of curved borders or obstacles, bump your measurements up a touch more — a straight-edged rectangle wastes almost nothing, a kidney-shaped lawn wastes plenty.
Measuring Irregular Lawns
Break the lawn into rough rectangles and triangles, calculate each, and add them:
- Rectangle: length × width
- Triangle: base × height ÷ 2
- Circle: radius × radius × 3.14
Subtract large fixed features — driveways, patios, big planting beds — but don’t bother subtracting stepping stones or small obstacles; they’re covered by (and consume) the waste factor.
Before You Order: The Sod Rules
Sod is alive and dying from the moment it’s cut. Order for delivery the day before or the morning of installation, never earlier. In summer heat, rolls left stacked on a pallet begin yellowing within 24 hours and composting themselves within 48.
Prepare the soil first, completely. The ground should be graded, cleared, lightly compacted, and ideally amended before the truck arrives. Sod laid on hard, unprepared dirt roots slowly or not at all.
Check the weight before pickup. A pallet of sod weighs 1,500–3,000 lbs depending on moisture — this is delivery-truck territory, not sedan territory. Even a single roll runs 15–30 lbs.
Match the grass to your region: cool-season sod (fescue, bluegrass) for northern climates; warm-season (bermuda, zoysia, St. Augustine) for the south. Your local sod farm only grows what works locally — buying local solves this automatically.
Installation in Brief
Lay the first row against a straight edge like a driveway or walkway. Stagger the joints brick-style, press edges tightly together without stretching, and cut pieces with a utility knife. On slopes, run rolls across the slope, not down it. Roll the finished lawn with a half-full lawn roller to press roots into soil contact, then water immediately and daily for the first two weeks — the single biggest factor in whether sod takes.
Keep foot traffic off for 2–3 weeks and mow for the first time when the grass reaches about 3.5 inches and resists a gentle tug.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many pallets for a 50×30 lawn? 1,500 sq ft × 1.05 = 1,575 sq ft ≈ 3.5 pallets (or 158 rolls).
Is sod cheaper by the pallet? Almost always — per square foot, pallet pricing beats per-roll pricing meaningfully. Order pallets for the bulk and a few loose rolls only for small top-ups.
Sod or seed? Sod costs several times more but gives instant cover, works on slopes where seed washes away, and can be installed through more of the year. Seed wins on price and grass-variety choice (see our grass seed calculator).
Can I lay sod over an existing lawn? No — strip the old grass or kill and remove it. Sod needs direct soil contact to root.
Estimates are for planning purposes. Roll and pallet sizes vary by farm — confirm coverage when ordering.