Lawn area · rolls & pallets · material cost
Sod Calculator
How much sod do I need? Measure lawn sections or enter a known area. Add a cutting allowance, compare rolls and pallets, and calculate purchased coverage, surplus, and optional sod material cost.
Worked example
- Net lawn area
- 900 sq ft
- With 10% cutting allowance
- 990 sq ft
- 450 sq ft per pallet
- 1,350 sq ft purchased
Illustrative example. Measurements, allowances, product details, and prices are not prefilled from this example.
Your result
Know the area before you shop
Enter lawn dimensions or a known area to see rolls, pallets, surplus coverage, and optional material cost.
Suggest an improvement
Choose and measure
Measure the lawn before choosing rolls or pallets
The Square Footage Calculator can help measure separate lawn sections and subtract beds or paths. Enter the resulting net area here, then add your cutting allowance once. Confirm each roll or pallet’s coverage with the grower before ordering.
If your project also needs a new soil layer, use the Topsoil Calculator for its volume and bags. Soil preparation and installation labor are separate from this sod material estimate.
Measure first
Measure the lawn you will actually cover.
Split an irregular lawn into rectangles, triangles, or circles that do not overlap. Subtract patios, paths, and planting beds once. If you already know the net area, enter square feet, square yards, square meters, or acres directly. Dimensions accept feet and inches or meters.
Net area
Add included areas and subtract excluded areas. A rectangle is length × width, a triangle is base × perpendicular height ÷ 2, and a circle is π × (diameter ÷ 2)². One square yard is 9 sq ft; one acre is 43,560 sq ft.
Cutting allowance
Target coverage = net lawn area × (1 + allowance / 100). The form starts at 5%; adjust it for your layout and supplier guidance. Do not add the same allowance twice.
Whole packages
Divide target coverage by your supplier’s coverage per roll, piece, or pallet, then round up. Purchased coverage = whole purchase quantity × coverage per unit. The difference from target coverage is package surplus.
Cost
For a quote per square foot, multiply by purchased coverage. For a quote per purchase unit, multiply by the selected order quantity. Add the entered total delivery fee. No local price is assumed.
From measurement to purchase
A 40 × 25 ft lawn minus a 10 × 10 ft bed has 900 sq ft of turf area. With a 10% allowance, target 990 sq ft. At an illustrative 450 sq ft per pallet, buy 3 whole pallets covering 1,350 sq ft: 360 sq ft above the target. At an illustrative $0.60 per purchased sq ft plus $75 delivery, the estimate is $885. Buying 10 sq ft rolls instead would mean 99 rolls; the alternatives are not added together.
FAQ
Sod planning questions
How many square feet are on a pallet of sod?
There is no universal pallet size. Sod Solutions describes formats spanning roughly 400–700 sq ft, and the exact coverage depends on the grower and cut. The form starts at 450 sq ft as an editable example; use your supplier’s figure.
How much extra sod should I order?
Sod Solutions recommends 5–10% extra for waste and measurement errors. The calculator starts at 5%, and allows 0–100%. Curves and obstacles may need a different allowance; package rounding is shown separately.
How many pallets do I need for 1,000 sq ft?
At 5% extra the target is 1,050 sq ft. With 450 sq ft per pallet, that is 3 whole pallets and 1,350 sq ft purchased. With 600 sq ft per pallet, it is 2 pallets and 1,200 sq ft. Confirm coverage before ordering.
Does the roll size have to match the pallet size?
Rolls and pallets are alternative purchasing options in this calculator. Their coverage is entered independently; the tool does not infer rolls per pallet or combine full pallets with loose rolls. Ask the supplier whether partial pallets are available.
Is this a complete sod installation cost?
No. It calculates quoted sod materials and an optional delivery fee. Preparation, old lawn removal, grading, irrigation, installation labor, tax, and pallet deposits are excluded. Prices are left blank for your supplier’s quote.
Can I measure my lawn on a map?
This tool uses your measurements or a known net area. Address lookup and satellite mapping are not included. Subtract existing beds and paved areas before entering a known area.
References
Check product specifications before ordering.
Sod Solutions pallet coverage
Supplier guidance on pallet and piece sizes; replace example coverage with your grower’s specification.
View reference ↗Sod Solutions measurement and allowance FAQ
Guidance on splitting irregular areas and allowing for cutting and fitting.
View reference ↗