Measuring for sod
Sod is sold by the area it covers, so the whole job is the square feet of the lawn. Measure the ground that will be laid, not the lot: break it into rectangles, circles and triangles, add them, and take out a patio, a bed or the footprint of a shed with a cut-out. A curved edge is close enough as a circle or a triangle laid against a rectangle; the extra below covers the rest.
Pallets, slabs and rolls
A grower stacks sod on pallets and sells it by the pallet. The Grass Outlet gives the usual pallets as 400, 450 and 500 sq ft; the calculator opens on 450. Ask your supplier for theirs and type it: on a lawn of 2,000 sq ft with 5% extra, which is 2,100 sq ft of sod, pallets of 400 sq ft take 6 and pallets of 500 take 5.
What is on the pallet is slabs or small rolls. The same source puts a slab at 16 × 24 in, which is 2.67 sq ft, and a small roll at about 18 × 40 in. A small lawn or a repair is often bought by the piece: choose to buy by the piece and the count is of slabs or rolls.
Worked example. A lawn of 40 × 25 ft, pallets of 450 sq ft.
- Lawn: 40 ft × 25 ft = 1,000 sq ft
- With 5% extra for the edges: 1,050 sq ft of sod
- Pallets: 1,050 ÷ 450 = 2.33, rounded up to 3 pallets
- Or loose: 1,050 ÷ 2.67 = 394 slabs of 16 × 24 in
In small rolls of 18 × 40 in, the same lawn is 210 rolls.
How much extra to order
Every edge of a lawn is cut: along a path, round a bed, against the house. The Grass Outlet advises 5 to 10% more than the exact area, for cuts round curves and obstacles, for a measurement that was a little short and for what is spoiled while it is laid; the calculator opens on 5%. Take more for a lawn of narrow strips and curves: at 10% the example is 1,100 sq ft, still 3 pallets.
The extra goes on the whole lawn, once, and the pallets are rounded up after. Several areas are added before anything is rounded, so a lawn in three parts does not buy three part-pallets.
Common mistakes
- Counting the pallet as the round figure on the website. The coverage of a pallet is the grower’s, and it changes from one farm to the next.
- Dividing by a rounded area for a slab. A slab of 16 × 24 in is 2.67 sq ft. Even The Grass Outlet rounds it upward, and a larger slab gives a count of slabs that falls short: divide by its size.
- Leaving the soil for later. The Grass Outlet says to prepare the soil before the sod is laid: have it done when the pallets arrive.
Questions about sod
How many square feet in a pallet of sod?
Usually 400, 450 or 500 sq ft, by The Grass Outlet’s figures. The grower decides, so ask yours.
How many slabs of sod in a pallet?
About 169 slabs of 16 × 24 in make 450 sq ft, by their size. A grower’s own count can differ a little: ask, if you buy by the piece.
How much sod do I need for 1,000 square feet?
1,050 sq ft with 5% extra: 3 pallets of 450 sq ft, or 394 slabs.
Should I order extra sod?
Yes: 5 to 10% for the cuts along every edge, more for curves and narrow strips.
Sources
- The Grass Outlet, How Many Square Feet in a Pallet of Sod? Complete Guide (30 January 2025). Pallets of sod typically cover 400, 450 or 500 sq ft. A piece of sod is generally 16 in wide and 24 in long; a mini hand roll about 40 × 18 in. Order 5 to 10% more sod than the exact calculation. Read on .
Updated . How we calculate. Found a mistake? Tell us.