Sod calculator.
Every piece laid in its row, cut ends paired where they fit, pallets counted from the piece.
Sod farms tell you to add 5 to 15 percent to the square footage and divide by a pallet. This calculator lays the pieces instead, in the staggered rows four extension services prescribe, pairs the cut ends that fit in one piece, and counts pallets from the size of the piece your farm actually cuts. It also covers plugging a lawn from sod, and the topsoil and compost that go under it.
0302 / Sod
- Lawn area
- 610.0 sq ft
- Pieces
- 231 × 16″ × 24″ (2.67 sq ft each)
- Flat allowance, for comparison
- 252 at a flat 10 %
- Pallets
- 2 pallets of 170, 109 left over
- Full and loose
- 1 full pallet + 61 loose pieces
- Weight
- 3,000 lb–6,000 lb for 2 pallets
- Topsoil
- 203.3 cu ft · 7.53 cu yd
- Organic matter
- 50.8 cu ft · 1.88 cu yd
- Plugs
- Solid sod: no plugs
Rectangles are counted from the layout, other shapes from their area plus the allowance. The flat line is what a square-foot calculator would ask for the same lawn.
0203 / Layout
ONE SCALE PER CELLPieces by area
| Area | Size | Area | Copies | Method | Laid | Cut | Bought | Extra |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rectangle 1 | 25′ 0″ × 18′ 0″ | 450.0 sq ft | 1 | Laid out | 182 | 26 | 169 | 0.15 % |
| Rectangle 2 | 30′ 0″ × 4′ 0″ | 120.0 sq ft | 1 | Laid out | 46 | 2 | 45 | 0.00 % |
| Triangle | Base 10′ 0″, height 8′ 0″ | 40.0 sq ft | 1 | By area + 10 % | — | — | 17 | 13.33 % |
Pieces, pallets and cost
| Item | Quantity | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Pieces | 231 × 16″ × 24″ | 214 laid out + 17 by area + 0 spare |
| Pallets of 170 | 1 full + 61 loose | 2 whole, 109 left over |
| Cost | No price entered | — |
A pallet of 170 slabs, Sod Solutions' 452 square foot size, covers the back lawn alone. The whole order is one pallet and 61 loose slabs, where the farm sells by the piece, or two pallets with 109 left over.
Soil preparation
Penn State asks for at least 4 to 6 inches of settled topsoil and tills a 1 to 2 inch layer of compost or peat into it. NC State mixes 1 to 2 cubic yards per 1,000 square feet into heavy clay or very sandy ground, which, spread flat, is a third to two thirds of an inch. The table converts each for your lawn; carry the topsoil figure to the soil calculator for bags, bulk and weight.
| Layer | Volume |
|---|---|
| Topsoil, 4″ | 203.3 cu ft · 7.53 cu yd |
| Organic matter, 1″ layer | 50.8 cu ft · 1.88 cu yd |
| As NC State’s rate | 3.086 cu yd per 1,000 sq ft |
| Publisher | Pattern | Topsoil | Organic matter | First watering |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penn State Extension, Lawn Establishment | staggered, similar to laying bricks | 4–6″ settled | 1–2″ layer | — |
| Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, How to select and install sod | brickwork | — | — | Wet to 4″ |
| UF/IFAS Extension, Establishing Your Florida Lawn (LH013) | staggered brick | — | — | — |
| UF/IFAS Extension, St. Augustinegrass for Florida Lawns (LH010) | staggered brick-like | — | — | — |
| NC State Extension, Carolina Lawns | bricklike | — | 1–2 cu yd per 1,000 sq ft | — |
| NC State Extension, Extension Gardener Handbook, chapter 9: Lawns | bricklike | — | — | — |
Plugs cut from sod
UF/IFAS plants 2-inch plugs 12 inches apart for St. Augustine and bermuda and 6 inches apart for centipede and zoysia, and gets 324 of them from a square yard of sod. On a square grid that is one plug per square foot at 12 inches and four at 6. Switch the method to plugs to fill this table.
| Item | Quantity | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Method | Solid sod selected | |
| Grass | Method | Spacing | Sod per 1,000 sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Augustinegrass | 2-inch plugs | 12″ | 30–50 sq ft |
| Centipedegrass | 2-inch plugs | 6″ | 100–150 sq ft |
| Zoysiagrass | 2-inch plugs | 6″ | 100–150 sq ft |
| Bermudagrass | 2-inch plugs | 12″ | 30–50 sq ft |
Piece formats
| Format | Sq ft per piece | 400 sq ft | 450 sq ft | 500 sq ft | For this lawn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slab, 16 × 24 in · yours | 2.67 | 150 | 169 | 188 | 229 |
| Mini hand roll, 18 × 40 in | 5.00 | 80 | 90 | 100 | 122 |
| Roll, 24 × 60 in | 10.00 | 40 | 45 | 50 | 61 |
| Roll, 18 × 80 in | 10.00 | 40 | 45 | 50 | 61 |
A back lawn, a strip and a corner: 231 slabs
The back lawn runs 25 feet along the rows and 18 across. Slabs of 16 by 24 inches give 13 full rows and an 8-inch strip. Every second row starts on half a slab, so the 25-foot rows alternate between ending on a 12-inch cut and starting on one, and the two halves of a slab serve two rows. Seven slabs are split that way, and the 8-inch row takes two strips from each slab it uses: 169 slabs for 450 square feet, 0.15 percent over the area. The side strip is two rows of 15 and a middle row of 14 with a half slab at each end, both halves cut from one slab: 45, nothing wasted. The corner is 40 square feet with a slanted edge cut to the line, so it gets the 10 percent allowance: 17 slabs. The order is 231 slabs for 610 square feet; 10 percent on everything would be 252.
Plugged instead, and what goes under either
Plugged with St. Augustine at UF/IFAS's 12 inches, the same 610 square feet take 610 two-inch plugs: 16.9 square feet of sod, 7 slabs. Table 3's allowance of 30 to 50 square feet per 1,000 raises that to 18.3 to 30.5 square feet, 7 to 12 slabs. Under either, Penn State's minimum of 4 settled inches is 7.53 cubic yards of topsoil, and an inch of compost another 1.88, where NC State's 1 cubic yard per 1,000 square feet would be 0.61.
Questions asked before ordering sod
How to calculate how much sod you need?
Measure each section and count pieces rather than square feet: rectangles laid in staggered rows with their cut ends paired, curves by area plus an allowance. The example lawn, 610 square feet, takes 231 slabs of 16 by 24 inches, where square feet plus 10 percent would ask for 252. Divide by the pieces on a pallet last.
How many sq ft is one piece of sod?
It depends on how the farm cuts it. A 16 by 24 inch slab is 2.67 square feet (Sod Solutions rounds it to 2.66; one Florida nursery divides by 2.75). Mini hand rolls of 18 by 40 inches are 5, and rolls of 24 by 60 or 18 by 80 inches are 10. Multiply the two dimensions in inches and divide by 144.
How many sq feet does one pallet of sod cover?
From 400 to 700 square feet by Sod Solutions' account, depending on the farm, the grass and the piece. Texas A&M and Tip's Turf say about 450; Tri-Turf loads 540 of bermuda, fescue or bluegrass and 450 of zoysia. Slab pallets listed at 399, 452 and 503 square feet hold 150, 170 and 189 slabs.
How much is 1,000 square feet of sod?
In pieces: 375 slabs of 16 by 24 inches, 200 mini rolls or 100 ten-square-foot rolls, before any cut; Texas A&M counts 111 square yards. That is more than two pallets of 450 square feet. Prices depend on the farm and the grass and none is recorded here; enter your quote by the pallet, the piece or the square foot.
Can I just lay sod on dirt?
On prepared soil. Penn State asks for at least 4 to 6 inches of settled topsoil, tilled at least 4 inches deep, and says never to lay sod on wet soil; UF/IFAS lays it over bare, moist soil. The preparation table works out the topsoil and compost for your lawn.
Is 2 inches of topsoil enough for sod?
Not by Penn State's figure, which is a minimum of 4 to 6 inches, firmed or settled. Its 2 inches are the part of that topsoil worked into the top 2 to 3 inches of subsoil so the layers blend. The page flags any depth under 4 inches.
What pattern should sod be laid in?
Staggered, like brickwork, so the end joints of one row fall between those of the next: Penn State, Texas A&M, UF/IFAS and NC State all say so. NC State starts from a straight edge such as a driveway and, on a slope, lays the pieces across the face and pegs them. The drawing here uses a half-piece offset.
What should I put down before laying sod?
Topsoil with organic matter worked in. Penn State tills a 1 to 2 inch layer of peat or compost 4 to 6 inches into the soil; NC State mixes 1 to 2 cubic yards per 1,000 square feet into heavy clay or very sandy ground. Fertilizer can wait: UF/IFAS notes most sod is fed before harvest and holds off at least 30 days after laying.
How far apart should I plant sod plugs?
UF/IFAS's table puts 2-inch plugs 12 inches apart for St. Augustine and bermuda and 6 inches apart for centipede and zoysia; its text allows 6 to 12 inches and NC State 6 to 24. IFAS adds that wider spacing prolongs establishment. At 12 inches, 1,000 square feet takes 1,000 plugs; at 6 inches, 4,000.
Are sod plugs worth it?
They trade time for sod. At 12 inches, UF/IFAS's table plugs 1,000 square feet of St. Augustine with 30 to 50 square feet of sod, against 1,000 for a solid lawn, and the gaps close only as the grass spreads. IFAS recommends solid sod where cover is wanted at once, for looks or to hold soil against erosion.
Will a pallet of sod fit in a pickup truck?
Check its weight against your payload. Sod Solutions and Inch Calculator both put a pallet at 1,500 to 3,000 pounds depending on moisture, and Sod Solutions notes that wetting can raise a pallet's weight by 50 percent. Compare with the payload on your door-jamb placard; enter it and the page counts trips at both ends of the range.
What is the best month to lay sod?
It depends on the grass. Penn State names spring, late summer or fall for cool-season sod; NC State allows it whenever the ground is not frozen in the cool season, and puts warm-season sod from about April to July 1 in one publication, March 1 to July 1 in another. Texas A&M warns that warm-season sod laid in late fall may not root until spring.
What the count leaves out
- Rectangles are laid in rows along the length entered, with a half-piece offset; other offsets and diagonal layouts are not modeled.
- Circles, triangles and typed areas are counted by area plus the allowance; their cuts are not drawn.
- Cut ends are paired within one section, not across sections; spare pieces cover breakage and handling.
- Pieces are counted at their stated size, butted tight; sod that dries out shrinks.
- Plugs sit on a square grid at one spacing; the UF/IFAS range applies to 2-inch plugs and was written for Florida.
- No prices, fees or minimum orders are preset, and pallet weight is a range quoted by two sellers.
- Watering is not converted to gallons: the extension services give a depth of wet soil, not a volume.