Sod Calculator

How It Works

Sod gives you an instant lawn. This calculator converts your lawn area into sod rolls (each about 2 ft x 5 ft, covering 10 sq ft) and pallets (about 500 sq ft each). It includes a 5% waste factor for trimming around edges and obstacles.

The Formula

Variables

• Area_sqft — Lawn area: LxW (rectangle), 0.5xLxW (triangle), or pi x (L/2)^2 (circle)
• 1.05 — 5% waste factor for edge trimming
• 10 — Square feet per standard sod roll (2 ft x 5 ft)
• 500 — Square feet per standard pallet (50 rolls)

Example

A 50 ft x 30 ft rectangular lawn: 1,500 sq ft, with 5% waste = 1,575 sq ft. That is 158 sod rolls or 3 full pallets + 8 extra rolls. At $0.45/sqft, cost is about $709.

Tips

• Install sod within 24 hours of delivery -- it is a living product that will die if left rolled up.
• Water new sod heavily for the first 2 weeks (twice daily) until roots establish.
• Stagger the seams like brickwork so they do not line up in straight rows.
• Roll the sod with a lawn roller after laying to press roots into the soil.
• Avoid walking on new sod for 2-3 weeks to let roots anchor.