Sod Calculator — Pallets, Rolls and Topsoil
Sod is sold by the pallet, and a pallet covers less than people expect. This gives pallets, pieces and the topsoil to lay it on.
Take this list to the store
We'll email the quantities above, what you typed in, and a link that reopens this calculator already filled in — so you can adjust it on your phone in the aisle.
How to work it out
-
Measure the lawn, not the plot
Measure only the grass. Take out the house footprint, drive, patio and beds — sod is expensive and paying for 300 sq ft you will not lay is a common and avoidable mistake.
-
Prepare the ground before it arrives
Break up compacted soil, remove stones and debris, add four to six inches of topsoil and rake it level. Sod laid on hard ground never roots properly — it greens up for a month and then dies back in the first dry spell.
-
Order for delivery the day you lay it
Sod is a living product on a very short clock. It starts to heat and yellow on the pallet within 24 hours in warm weather, sooner in real heat. Book delivery for the morning you intend to lay it, not the day before.
-
Water immediately and heavily
Within half an hour of laying, and enough that the water goes right through the sod into the soil beneath. Then keep it damp for two to three weeks while the roots knit in.
Sod by lawn size
Including 5% waste. Pallets at 450 sq ft.
| Lawn area | Order | Pallets | Big rolls | Topsoil at 4 in. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500 sq ft | 525 sq ft | 2 | 53 | 6.2 cu yd |
| 1,000 sq ft | 1,050 sq ft | 3 | 105 | 12.3 cu yd |
| 1,500 sq ft | 1,575 sq ft | 4 | 158 | 18.5 cu yd |
| 2,000 sq ft | 2,100 sq ft | 5 | 210 | 24.7 cu yd |
| 3,000 sq ft | 3,150 sq ft | 7 | 315 | 37.0 cu yd |
| 5,000 sq ft | 5,250 sq ft | 12 | 525 | 61.7 cu yd |
| 7,500 sq ft | 7,875 sq ft | 18 | 788 | 92.6 cu yd |
| 10,000 sq ft | 10,500 sq ft | 24 | 1050 | 123.5 cu yd |
A pallet weighs 1,500 to 3,000 lb depending on how wet it is. Think about where the delivery lorry can reach.
When to lay sod
| Grass type | Best months | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Cool season (fescue, bluegrass, rye) | Sept–Oct, then Apr–May | Autumn is best — warm soil, cool air, autumn rain. |
| Warm season (bermuda, zoysia, St Augustine) | Late spring–early summer | Needs warm soil to root. Never before the last frost. |
| Any type | Avoid midsummer | It can be done, but watering becomes a full-time job. |
Sod can be laid whenever the ground is not frozen. These are the windows where it establishes easily rather than with a struggle.
How many pallets of sod for 2,000 square feet?
Two thousand square feet plus 5% waste is 2,100 sq ft. At 450 sq ft per pallet that is 5 pallets.
Underneath, four inches of new topsoil over that area is about 24.7 cubic yards — which is a considerably bigger delivery than the sod itself, and worth ordering first.
What a pallet actually covers
Between 400 and 500 square feet in most of the US, depending on the farm and how the sod is cut. Big-roll sod for large lawns can come on much larger pallets.
Always ask the supplier rather than assuming. A hundred square feet per pallet either way changes the order on a decent-sized lawn.
The soil matters more than the sod
Sod is a finished lawn delivered on a pallet, and it is easy to think the hard part is over. It is not. The roots are perhaps an inch deep and they have two weeks to grow into whatever is underneath.
Compacted clay, builder's rubble or bare subsoil will not let them. Four to six inches of decent topsoil, broken up and raked level, is the difference between a lawn and a very expensive green carpet that dies in July.
Laying it properly
- Start along a straight edge — a path or a drive — and work across.
- Stagger the joints like brickwork. Never line up the ends in rows.
- Butt the pieces tight. Gaps dry out and the edges brown within days.
- Cut around beds and trees with a sharp knife, not by folding.
- Roll it lightly afterwards to press the roots into contact with the soil.
- Keep off it for two weeks, then mow high the first time.
Sod or seed?
Sod costs roughly ten times what seed does per square foot. Whether that is worth it comes down to time, slope and season.
Sod gives you a finished lawn the day it is laid, holds soil on a slope immediately, resists weeds because there is no bare ground for them to colonize, and can go down across a much wider window. It is the answer on a slope, in a front garden, or anywhere you cannot fence off the area for two months.
Seed costs a fraction as much, offers far more choice of grass variety, and roots deeper in the long run because the roots grow in place rather than being cut and relaid. But it needs a tight seasonal window, daily watering for weeks, and the area kept off for a couple of months — and the first rainstorm on a slope takes the seed with it.
A common compromise: sod the front, seed the back.
The first three weeks decide everything
Sod arrives with roots about an inch deep. Everything depends on those roots reaching into the soil beneath before the sod dries out.
Days 1–7: water daily, sometimes twice in heat. Lift a corner after a few days — the soil underneath should be damp, not just the sod itself. This is the check almost nobody does, and it is the one that matters.
Days 8–14: water every other day, more deeply each time, to draw the roots downwards. Tug a corner — resistance means it is rooting.
Days 15–21: twice a week. First mow at the end of this period, with a sharp blade, taking no more than a third of the height.
Keep off it entirely for the first fortnight. Footprints on new sod become permanent dips.
How this is worked out
No black box — here is the arithmetic the calculator runs, so you can check it against your own numbers.
-
area = length × width, summed over every sectionMeasure only the grass, not the whole plot. -
× (1 + waste ÷ 100)5% for a rectangle, 10% with curves and things to cut around. -
pallets = area ÷ pallet coverage, rounded upUsually 450 sq ft per pallet — confirm with your supplier. -
pieces = area ÷ piece sizeA big roll is 2 × 5 ft; a slab is 16 × 24 in. -
topsoil = area × depth ÷ 12 ÷ 27Cubic yards to lay under the sod. -
fertilizer = area ÷ 5,000A standard starter bag covers about 5,000 sq ft.
Common questions
How many square feet in a pallet of sod?
Usually 450 in the US, though it ranges from 400 to 500 depending on the farm and the cut. Ask your supplier before ordering — the difference matters on a big lawn.
How much extra sod should I order?
Five per cent for a plain rectangular lawn, ten if there are curves, trees or beds to cut around. Cut-offs rarely fit anywhere else.
How long can sod sit on the pallet?
Under 24 hours in warm weather, and less in real heat — it heats up from the middle of the pallet and yellows. Book the delivery for the morning you plan to lay it.
Do I need topsoil under sod?
Four to six inches unless the existing soil is already good and loose. The roots are about an inch deep on delivery and have two weeks to get into whatever is underneath.
How much does a pallet of sod weigh?
Between 1,500 and 3,000 lb depending on how wet it is. Check the delivery lorry can get close to where you need it, because moving a pallet by hand is not realistic.
When is the best time to lay sod?
Early autumn for cool-season grasses — warm soil, cool air and natural rainfall. Late spring to early summer for warm-season grasses. Midsummer works but the watering becomes a daily job.
How soon can I walk on new sod?
Keep off it for about two weeks while the roots knit in, then mow high the first time. Full use after three to four weeks.
How much should I water new sod?
Heavily within half an hour of laying, enough to soak through into the soil beneath. Then keep it damp — often twice daily in warm weather — for two to three weeks, tapering off as it roots.
Where these figures come from
Every figure below is traceable. How we check the numbers explains how they are verified, and the coverage reference collects them all in one place.
- Turfgrass Producers International — pallet coverage, handling and installation guidance
- University extension turf programs — laying windows by grass type and region
- Supplier delivery specifications — pallet weights and coverage by region
Think a number here is wrong? Tell us — we check every report, correct the page, and date the change. Last checked September 11, 2026.