Sod Calculator: Square Feet, Rolls and Pallets of Sod

This sod calculator works out how much sod to order for a rectangular lawn. Enter the length and width in feet, an allowance for cuts and waste, and the size of one roll and one pallet from your supplier; you get the square feet of sod, the number of rolls and the pallets to order.

Formula

Sod needed = length × width × (1 + waste ÷ 100). Rolls = sod needed ÷ area of one roll, rounded up to a whole roll. Pallets = sod needed ÷ the area one pallet covers, rounded up. Square yards = square feet ÷ 9.

• l, w: lawn length and width in feet
• waste: extra percentage for cutting around beds, curves and edges
• roll: area of one roll or slab in square feet (a common small roll is 2 ft × 5 ft = 10 ft²)
• pal: area of sod on one pallet in square feet, as your supplier states it

Worked Example

A lawn 40 ft long and 25 ft wide, 5% extra, 10 ft² rolls and 450 ft² per pallet.

1. Area = 40 × 25 = 1,000 ft²
2. Sod needed = 1,000 × 1.05 = 1,050 ft²
3. Rolls = 1,050 ÷ 10 = 105 rolls
4. Pallets = 1,050 ÷ 450 = 2.33, rounded up to 3 pallets
5. Square yards = 1,050 ÷ 9 = 116.7 yd²

How to use the result

Order by the unit your supplier sells. If sod is sold by the pallet, the pallet count is what you order, and any spare area on the last pallet covers mistakes. If it is sold by the roll or slab, order the roll count. Some suppliers quote square yards; use the last result for that.

For an L-shaped or curved lawn, split it into rectangles, run each one, and add the results, or use the irregular yard area calculator first and enter the total as one rectangle (length = total area, width = 1).

Limits and common mistakes

• Pallet sizes vary between sod farms and grass types, commonly about 450 to 500 ft², some up to about 700 ft². Use the figure on your quote, not a guess.
• Measure in feet, not paces. A 10% error in each side gives about a 21% error in area.
• Use 5% waste for simple rectangles and 10-15% for curves, many beds or tree rings.
• Sod is perishable: plan delivery for the day you lay it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many square feet are in a pallet of sod?

It depends on the farm and the slab size. Many pallets carry about 450 to 500 ft², some up to about 700 ft². Ask the supplier and enter their figure.

How many rolls of sod do I need for 1,000 square feet?

With 10 ft² rolls, 100 rolls cover 1,000 ft² exactly; with 5% waste it is 105 rolls.

Should I order extra sod?

Yes, a small allowance (5-10%) covers cuts at edges and around beds. Very curved lawns need more.

Does the calculator work in metres?

Enter feet. To convert, 1 m = 3.2808 ft, and 1 m² = 10.764 ft².

in l | Lawn length | ft | 40 | 0 | 100000
in w | Lawn width | ft | 25 | 0 | 100000
in waste | Extra for cuts and waste | % | 5 | 0 | 50
in roll | Area of one roll or slab | ft² | 10 | 0.1 | 1000
in pal | Area covered by one pallet | ft² | 450 | 1 | 10000
out need | Sod needed | ft² | l * w * (1 + waste / 100) | 0
out rolls | Rolls or slabs | rolls | ceil(round(need / roll, 6)) | 0
out pallets | Pallets (rounded up) | pallets | ceil(round(need / pal, 6)) | 0
out sqyd | Sod needed | yd² | need / 9 | 1