Sod calculator
Measure your lawn and see how many pallets and pieces of sod to order, what they weigh and cost, or how much grass seed and straw you need instead.
Order
3 pallets of sod
- Lawn area
- 1,000 sq ft
- Sod with extra
- 1,050 sq ft
- Pieces
- 394 slabs
- Exact pallets
- 2.33
- Weight
- 4,500–9,000 lb
- Sod
- —
- Installation
- —
- Total
Pallet sizes and weights vary by farm and grass; wet sod weighs more. Ask your supplier how much a pallet covers, and lay sod the day it arrives.
You need
6.0–8.0 lb of seed
- Lawn area
- 1,000 sq ft
- Bags (at the high rate)
- Seed cost
- Straw to cover it
- 1–2 bales
Rates are for uncoated seed; coated seed needs more, so follow the bag's label rate when it gives one.
How to calculate how much sod you need
Measure the lawn in feet and multiply length by width for square feet. Add a little for cuts around curves and beds, then divide by the square feet on a pallet and round up.
- Square feet = length × width (add up separate areas)
- Sod to order = square feet × (1 + extra %); about 5% is typical, up to 10% for curvy beds
- Pallets = sod to order ÷ square feet per pallet, rounded up
- Pieces: a 16 × 24 in slab covers 2.67 sq ft; a 2 × 5 ft roll covers 10 sq ft
- Grass seed = square feet ÷ 1,000 × the seeding rate in pounds per 1,000 sq ft
Worked example
A 40 × 25 ft backyard is 1,000 sq ft. With 5% extra that's 1,050 sq ft, which is 2.33 pallets of 450 sq ft: order 3 pallets, about 394 slabs. They weigh 4,500–9,000 lb in all, so have them dropped close to where you'll lay them.
Pieces per pallet of sod
| Pallet | Slab, 16 x 24 in (southern grasses) | Mini roll, 40 x 18 in | Roll, 2 x 5 ft (northern grasses) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 400 sq ft | 150 | 80 | 40 |
| 450 sq ft | 169 | 90 | 45 |
| 500 sq ft | 188 | 100 | 50 |
| 600 sq ft | 225 | 120 | 60 |
| 640 sq ft | 240 | 128 | 64 |
| 700 sq ft | 263 | 140 | 70 |
Sizes from Sod Solutions, How Many Square Feet are in a Pallet of Sod? and Mississippi State University Extension, Sod Installation and Maintenance (P2951). Slabs are often southern grasses (St. Augustine, zoysia, bermuda, centipede) and rolls often northern ones; farms pallet their own sizes.
Grass seed per 1,000 square feet
| Grass and job | Lb per 1,000 sq ft | Lb per acre |
|---|---|---|
| Kentucky bluegrass, new lawn | 2–3 | 87–131 |
| Tall fescue, new lawn | 6–8 | 261–348 |
| Perennial ryegrass, new lawn | 3–5 | 131–218 |
| Fine fescue, new lawn | 3–5 | 131–218 |
| Bermudagrass (hulled), new lawn | 1–2 | 44–87 |
| Zoysiagrass, new lawn | 1–2 | 44–87 |
| Centipedegrass, new lawn | 0.25–0.5 | 11–22 |
| Buffalograss (burs), new lawn | 1–2 | 44–87 |
| Tall fescue, thicken a thin lawn | 3–5 | 131–218 |
| Ryegrass over bermudagrass for winter color | 5–10 | 218–436 |
New-lawn rates from Virginia Cooperative Extension, Agronomy Handbook Part III: Turfgrass (SPES-299-C, Dec 2023), Table 1; UNL Extension G1946, Establishing Buffalograss Turf in Nebraska (2009) ; K-State Research and Extension MF736, Tall Fescue Lawns ; UGA Extension Field Report, overseeding lawns (2002) . St. Augustinegrass isn't grown from seed; plant sod or plugs.
Florida sod farm prices
Average farm prices per square foot for sod alone, before delivery and installation, from UF/IFAS EP658, Florida Sod Inventory and Pricing Report 2025 (2024 farm prices). Your price will differ with retail markup, region and delivery; enter your own above.
| Grass | Per sq ft | Per 450 sq ft pallet |
|---|---|---|
| Bahiagrass | $0.17 | $76.50 |
| Bermudagrass (non-certified) | $0.29 | $130.50 |
| Bermudagrass (certified) | $0.37 | $166.50 |
| Centipedegrass | $0.32 | $144.00 |
| St. Augustinegrass (non-licensed) | $0.29 | $130.50 |
| St. Augustinegrass (licensed) | $0.33 | $148.50 |
| Zoysiagrass (medium/coarse) | $0.37 | $166.50 |
| Zoysiagrass (fine) | $0.47 | $211.50 |
Sod questions
How many square feet are in a pallet of sod?
Usually 400–700 sq ft; 450 sq ft is typical. A 450 sq ft pallet holds about 169 slabs of 16 × 24 in; a 640 sq ft pallet of 2 × 5 ft rolls holds 64 rolls. Ask your supplier, since farms pallet their own sizes.
How much does a pallet of sod weigh?
About 1,500–3,000 lb, more when it's wet, and the grass makes a difference too. Have it delivered and dropped as close to the lawn as you can.
How much does sod cost?
As a national guide, Fixr, Sod Installation Cost (updated Jan 31, 2025) puts sod at $0.30–$0.80 per sq ft, a 450 sq ft pallet at $90.00–$390.00, and installed sod at $0.85–$1.75 per sq ft. At those installed prices 1,000 sq ft runs about $850.00–$1,750.00. Prices vary by grass, region and season; enter a local quote above for your own total.
How much grass seed do I need?
It depends on the grass: tall fescue takes 6–8 lb per 1,000 sq ft, so a 5,000 sq ft lawn needs 30–40 lb. Fine-seeded grasses like bluegrass and bermuda take far less. Choose "Grass seed" above and pick your grass; the table lists every rate, including overseeding.
How much should I water new sod or grass seed?
New sod needs watering every morning for the first 7–10 days, more often in heat, then deeper and less often once it roots (Iowa State University Extension, How should I water a newly sodded lawn?); don't keep it soggy. New seed needs only the top 0.25–0.5 inch of soil kept moist, so water lightly and often until it's up.
How much straw do I need to cover grass seed?
About 1–2 bales of weed-free straw per 1,000 sq ft, spread thin enough that you can still see some soil. The calculator works out the bales for your lawn. For topsoil under new sod or seed, use the soil calculator.