How Much Sod Do I Need? (2026 Sod Calculator + Pallet Chart)
Ordering sod feels like guesswork until you do the maths: measure the lawn, add a little for waste, and divide by the pallet size. Get any of those three steps wrong and you either pay for a second delivery or end up with a pallet rotting on the driveway. This guide answers the questions every homeowner asks before ordering, with the same numbers the calculator uses.
How Much Sod Do I Need for My Lawn?
Measure your lawn’s length and width in feet, multiply them to get the area, then add 5 percent for a rectangular lawn or 10 percent for a curved one. A 40 by 25 foot lawn covers 1,000 square feet, so you need 1,050 square feet of sod. Use the sod calculator to convert measurements into pallets, rolls, and cost.
The most common mistake is measuring the whole plot instead of the lawn itself. Patios, paths, driveways, and garden beds do not need sod, so measure each one and subtract it from your total. If the lawn is an odd shape, split it into rectangles on paper, measure each section, and add the areas together before adding waste.
How Many Pallets of Sod Do I Need?
Divide your sod area, including waste, by your supplier’s pallet coverage and round up to the next whole pallet. With 5 percent waste, a 1,000 square foot lawn needs 1,050 square feet of sod, which is 3 pallets at 500 square feet per pallet. Suppliers do not sell part of a pallet, so rounding up is not optional.
That rounding up is also why the calculator’s default result looks generous: 1,050 divided by 500 is 2.1, which becomes 3 pallets. The spare pieces are not wasted. They fill the gaps around edges and corners, and they replace any pieces that fail to take root in the first few weeks.
How Much Does Sod Cost in 2026?
Sod typically costs $300 to $500 per pallet in 2026, depending on grass type, region, and delivery. At the calculator’s $350 default, a 1,000 square foot lawn costs $1,050 for 3 pallets. Get a written quote from a local supplier before ordering, because delivery fees and tax can add a meaningful amount to the pallet price.
Grass type moves the price more than anything else. Common Bermuda and Kentucky bluegrass sit at the cheaper end, while Zoysia and St. Augustine cost more. Installation is a separate charge on top of the sod itself, so ask whether a quote is supply-only or includes laying, and get the answer in writing.
How Much Waste Should I Add When Ordering Sod?
Add 5 percent waste for a rectangular lawn and 10 percent for a curved or irregular lawn with beds, trees, or many corners. Waste covers the offcuts left when sod is trimmed to fit edges and obstacles. Ordering a little extra is far cheaper than paying for a second delivery, which costs as much in fees as the sod itself.
Think of waste as insurance, not over-ordering. Every curve, tree ring, and path edge creates a triangular offcut that cannot be reused elsewhere. Lawns with lots of features can easily pass 10 percent, so if your lawn looks complicated on paper, it is complicated in real life too.
How Many Square Feet Does One Pallet of Sod Cover?
Most pallets cover 400 to 600 square feet, with 500 square feet the most common figure. Coverage varies by supplier and grass type, so always confirm it before you order, because it changes your pallet count directly. At 600 square feet per pallet, the same 1,050 square foot job needs only 2 pallets instead of 3.
This is the number worth a phone call before you order. Two suppliers quoting the same price per pallet can be selling very different amounts of grass, so the cheaper pallet is not always the cheaper lawn. Enter your supplier’s exact coverage in the calculator and the pallet count will match your actual order.
Should I Buy Sod by the Pallet or by the Roll?
Buy by the pallet for a full lawn and by the roll for small patches under about 100 square feet. Pallets are cheaper per square foot and arrive in one delivery, while individual rolls suit repairs. Either way, lay sod the day it arrives, because cut sod stacked in warm weather can die within a day or two.
A pallet is simply a stack of rolls, so the grass itself is identical either way; only the packaging and the price break differ. For a full lawn, one pallet delivery keeps the whole job on one schedule. For a repair, a few rolls from a garden centre avoid paying for a pallet you will never use.
What Else Should I Know Before Ordering Sod?
These are the questions suppliers hear most often, from timing and soil preparation to watering and finishing the rest of the garden. The short answers below assume a typical home lawn; for slopes, drainage problems, or very large areas, a local landscaper’s advice is worth more than any online guide.
When is the best time to lay sod?
Late spring and early autumn are ideal, when soil is warm but the sun is not brutal. Summer laying works if you water heavily, and winter laying suits mild climates where the ground does not freeze.
How do I prepare the soil before sod arrives?
Clear weeds and debris, loosen the top few inches of soil, level it, and water lightly so the sod meets damp earth. Good soil contact is what makes sod root quickly instead of drying out. If the area needs building up or levelling first, work out how much you need with the topsoil calculator.
How much should I water new sod?
Water deeply every day for the first two weeks, keeping the soil moist but not waterlogged. Then taper to a few deep waterings a week as roots establish, usually within three to four weeks.
What should I do with the rest of the garden after sodding?
Finish the edges properly: top up beds with fresh mulch using the mulch calculator, and refresh paths with the gravel calculator so the new lawn sits in a finished garden rather than a half-done one.
Disclaimer: This guide gives estimates only, not professional landscaping advice. Sod coverage, prices, and grass suitability vary by supplier and region, so confirm coverage and price with your supplier before ordering.
