Calculate exactly how much sod your lawn needs with this sod estimator. Enter the lawn size to get square footage, rolls, pallets and waste allowance.
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Enter your values and press Calculate.
Start by picking the shape that matches your lawn. For a rectangular lawn, enter the length and width in feet and the calculator multiplies them to get the area in square feet. For a circular lawn, enter the diameter and the calculator uses 3.14159 times the radius squared, where the radius is half of the diameter. Next, the calculator adds a waste allowance for the strips you trim off along edges, around curves, trees and beds. The convention is: adjusted area = area × (1 + waste percent / 100). So a 1,200 square foot lawn with a 5 percent waste allowance becomes 1,260 square feet of sod to order. Use 5 percent for a simple rectangle, 10 percent for a lawn with curves and obstacles, and up to 15 percent for complex shapes. Finally it divides the adjusted area by the coverage per roll you selected and rounds up to whole rolls, then does the same with your pallet coverage for whole pallets: rolls = ceil(adjusted area / roll coverage) and pallets = ceil(adjusted area / pallet coverage). Rounding up matters because sod farms do not sell fractions of a roll or pallet. Choose the roll and pallet coverage your supplier quotes, since a standard roll covers 10 square feet but slabs and St. Augustine rolls are smaller, and pallets range from about 400 to 600 square feet.
Sod is sold by area, so the math is square footage first, then packaging. For a rectangle: area = length (ft) × width (ft). For a circle: area = 3.14159 × (diameter / 2)². Add your waste allowance: adjusted area = area × (1 + waste percent / 100). Convert to order units with ceiling rounding: rolls needed = ceil(adjusted area / roll coverage) and pallets needed = ceil(adjusted area / pallet coverage). Ceiling rounding is not optional: you cannot buy two-thirds of a roll, so any partial unit pushes the count up by one. The calculator runs this exact chain for every input you change, so the three results always agree with each other.
Measure the longest length and widest width of the lawn with a tape measure, in feet. Choose the rectangle shape for square or rectangular lawns and enter those two numbers. Choose the circle shape for round lawns and enter the diameter, the distance straight across the middle. Then set the coverage per roll (the standard 2 ft by 5 ft roll covers 10 sq ft; St. Augustine rolls cover about 9 sq ft; small slabs cover about 5 sq ft) and the coverage per pallet your supplier quotes (400 to 600 sq ft, most commonly 450 or 500). Set the waste allowance: 5 percent for plain rectangles, 10 percent for yards with curves or beds. The lawn area, rolls needed and pallets needed update instantly.
Most lawns are not one clean rectangle, so break the yard into simple shapes, measure each, and add the areas together. A rectangle is length times width; a triangle is base times height divided by 2; a circle is 3.14159 times the radius squared. Sketch the yard on paper, write each section's square footage on the sketch, and add them up for the total. Measure only what you will actually sod: subtract the house footprint, driveway, patios, walkways and garden beds from the total. For an L-shaped lawn, measure it as two rectangles, not one big rectangle, or you will count the notch twice and over-order.
Prepare the soil before the sod arrives: clear debris, till a few inches deep, level the grade and moisten it, because dry hard ground stops roots from knitting in. Schedule delivery for the day you plan to install, since cut sod heats up and dies quickly off the pallet: lay it within 24 hours and water each section as you go. Lay rolls in staggered rows like brickwork, keep the edges tight so they do not dry out, and trim with a sharp knife around curves and obstacles. Water deeply right after laying, then keep it consistently moist for the first two weeks. Sod typically roots in 2 to 6 weeks; test with the tug test: grip a corner and pull, and if it resists firmly the roots have established.
Take a rectangular lawn 40 feet long and 30 feet wide, with a 5 percent waste allowance, standard 10 square foot rolls and 500 square foot pallets. Step 1, area: 40 × 30 = 1,200 sq ft. Step 2, adjusted area: 1,200 × (1 + 5 / 100) = 1,260 sq ft. Step 3, rolls: ceil(1,260 / 10) = 126 rolls. Step 4, pallets: ceil(1,260 / 500) = ceil(2.52) = 3 pallets. That is the same math the calculator above runs for any lawn size and any roll or pallet coverage.
For 1,000 square feet with standard 10 square foot rolls, you need exactly 100 rolls before waste. Add 5 percent for cutting and waste and order 105 rolls, which is about 2 pallets at 500 square feet per pallet. Enter your exact dimensions in the calculator above for your lawn's numbers.
It depends on both sizes: divide the pallet coverage by the roll coverage. A 450 square foot pallet of standard 10 square foot rolls holds 45 rolls; a 500 square foot pallet holds 50. Since pallets range from 400 to 600 square feet, always confirm both numbers with your supplier and use the selectors above to match them.
Most commonly about 450 square feet, though it varies from 400 to 600 square feet by farm and grass type. Big-roll pallets can cover 500 to 700 square feet, while mini pallets for small repairs cover 200 to 250 square feet. For reference, one acre is 43,560 square feet, which needs about 97 pallets at 450 square feet each. Use the pallet coverage selector to match your supplier's quote.
The standard roll is 2 feet by 5 feet, which covers exactly 10 square feet. St. Augustine is commonly sold in 16 inch by 81 inch rolls covering 9 square feet, and smaller slabs (about 16 by 24 inches) cover roughly 2 square feet. Check what your supplier sells before you order, then pick the matching coverage in the calculator.
Add 5 percent for a simple rectangular lawn with straight edges. Use 10 percent for lawns with curves, garden beds or trees, and up to 15 percent for complex shapes or steep slopes. The leftover rolls are what you patch with, and it is cheaper to order one extra roll than to make a second trip to the farm for a missing strip.
Walk the lawn with a tape measure and record the length and width of each section in feet. Multiply to get square feet per section, add them together, and subtract anything you will not sod: the house footprint, driveway, patios and garden beds. For round areas, measure the diameter straight across the middle. Add 5 to 10 percent for cutting and waste.
Split the yard into simple shapes and measure each one: length times width for rectangles, base times height divided by 2 for triangles, and 3.14159 times the radius squared for circles. Add the areas together for the total square footage, subtract obstacles like beds and walkways, then add 10 percent waste for the extra cutting that curves and edges create.
A fit DIYer can lay 1 to 2 pallets (450 to 1,000 square feet) in a day once the soil is prepped, so small lawns are very doable yourself. Hire a crew for large lawns, steep slopes, or jobs needing grading and old-lawn removal, since fresh sod must be laid within 24 hours of delivery. Either way, prep the soil first: till, level, and moisten it before the truck arrives.
Sod roots typically establish in 2 to 6 weeks under normal conditions, with cool-season grasses usually rooting faster. Keep it consistently moist during this time and avoid heavy foot traffic. Use the tug test: grip a corner of a roll and pull gently, and if it resists firmly the roots have knitted into the soil.
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