Free sod calculator — pieces, pallets and cost
Measure your lawn, add as many shapes as you need, and get the exact number of pieces and pallets to order. Handles rectangles, circles and triangles, so an irregular yard is no problem. No signup, nothing to download.
How to use it
1. Break the yard into simple shapes. Almost no lawn is one clean rectangle. Split it into the shapes you can actually measure, add each one, and the calculator totals them.
2. Pick your sod size. The standard American piece is 16" × 24", which covers 2.67 square feet. Some farms cut large slabs or small rolls instead.
3. Confirm the pallet coverage. This is the number people get wrong. Pallet coverage varies from around 400 to 700 square feet depending on the farm, the region and the grass type. Ring your supplier and use their real number.
4. Add waste. Five to ten per cent covers cutting and shaping around beds, trees and curves. Go higher if the lawn is heavily curved or broken up.
Measuring an irregular lawn
Don't try to find one clever formula for an odd shape. Break it into rectangles, triangles and circles, measure each, and add them up — which is exactly what this calculator is built to do. For a curved bed edge, measure to the average of the curve rather than the widest or narrowest point.
Pace it out if you don't have a long tape. A comfortable adult stride is close to three feet, which is accurate enough for ordering when you have waste built in.
Order at the right time
Sod is a perishable product. It is harvested to order and should be laid within 24 hours of delivery — sooner in summer heat, when a pallet left standing can burn from the inside out. Book delivery for the morning you plan to install, not before, and have the ground prepared and watered ahead of time.
Turn it into a quote
Hit Copy order and the whole breakdown goes to your clipboard, ready to paste into an estimate. Add your prep and install labour, price it with the profit margin calculator, and send it with the estimate generator.
Also useful for lawn and landscape jobs: our fence calculator, and state-by-state rate data showing what landscapers actually earn in your state.
FAQ
How do I calculate how much sod I need?
Measure the length and width of each area in feet and multiply them for square footage, then add every area together. Add five to ten per cent for cutting and shaping. Divide the total by the coverage of one piece — 2.67 square feet for a standard 16" × 24" piece — to get the piece count, and by your farm's pallet coverage to get pallets.
How many square feet is a piece of sod?
The most common American cut is 16 inches by 24 inches, which is 2.67 square feet per piece. Some farms sell larger 24" × 48" slabs at 8 square feet, and small rolls at around 10 square feet. Big rolls used on commercial jobs can cover several hundred square feet each.
How many pieces of sod is 100 square feet?
At the standard 2.67 square feet per piece, 100 square feet takes about 38 pieces. With a typical seven per cent waste allowance you would order closer to 41.
How much does 1,000 square feet of sod cost?
Material for 1,000 square feet usually means two pallets. Pallet prices commonly run between $150 and $500 depending on grass type and region — Bermuda tends to sit at the lower end, St. Augustine and Zoysia higher. Delivery is normally billed separately and can be significant, so ask for it as a line item when you quote.
How many pieces of sod are on a pallet?
It depends on the coverage, not a fixed count. A 500 square foot pallet of standard 16" × 24" pieces holds about 187. Because coverage varies from roughly 400 to 700 square feet by farm, always confirm the number with your supplier rather than assuming.
How much waste should I add when ordering sod?
Five to ten per cent is right for most lawns. Use the lower end for a simple rectangular yard with straight edges, and the higher end when you have curved beds, trees, paths or a lot of small cuts. Running short is far more expensive than a little leftover, because a second delivery usually carries its own freight charge.