Sod Calculator
This sod calculator tells you how much sod a lawn needs. Enter the length and width, or the total square feet, set how much a pallet covers and a small waste margin, and you'll get the pallets, pieces, and cost. Everything updates as you type, so it's easy to plan a fresh lawn or a patch repair. It's free and runs in your browser, so pricing a turf job takes seconds.
- Pallets for a lawn
- Pieces of sod
- Lawn area
- Waste margin
- Cost estimate
Last updated June 17, 2026 Feet, by lawn area Reviewed by the Calcowa team
Enter a lawn size and pallet coverage above zero.
A pallet of sod usually covers about 450 sq ft; ask your supplier for the exact figure. A standard slab is 16 by 24 inches, roughly 2.67 sq ft. Leave the price blank to skip the cost line.
How do you calculate how much sod you need?
Sod is sold by the pallet, so the job is to turn a lawn into pallets, and it's not as fiddly as it sounds. First you find the area: for a rectangular yard that's just the length times the width in feet, and for an odd shape you can split it into rectangles and add them up, or type the total square feet straight in. Don't skip a small waste margin, often 5 to 10 percent, because sod gets trimmed around beds, paths, and curves, and a few pieces always tear. Then you divide the area by the coverage of one pallet, around 450 square feet, and round up. This tool runs every step, so you'll get a pallet count, a piece count, and a cost the moment you type your numbers, and you don't have to do the arithmetic by hand. If you're only patching a small section, that's fine too, since you can drop the area right down.
Estimating a lawn, step by step
Here's the quick routine before you order, and it's just three steps:
- 1
Measure the lawnEnter the length and width, or the total square feet.
- 2
Set coverage and wasteUse your pallet coverage, and raise waste for a curvy yard.
- 3
Read the palletsSee the pallets, pieces, and cost you'll need.
Pallets by lawn size
Here's a rough guide at 450 sq ft per pallet and 5 percent waste. It's a starting point, so don't treat it as exact, since your pallet coverage won't match every supplier. When you're ready, run your own numbers above.
| Lawn area | With 5% waste | Pallets |
|---|---|---|
| 500 sq ft | 525 | 2 |
| 1,000 sq ft | 1,050 | 3 |
| 1,500 sq ft | 1,575 | 4 |
| 2,000 sq ft | 2,100 | 5 |
| 5,000 sq ft | 5,250 | 12 |
Frequently asked questions
You enter the lawn size, set how much a pallet covers, and it works out the pallets, pieces, and cost. It finds the area from the length and width, or you can type the total square feet, then adds a small waste margin for cuts and odd shapes before dividing by the pallet coverage. Everything runs in your browser, so you'll see the pallet count change as you adjust a number, and you can copy the result to take to the sod farm or garden center.
Measure the lawn area in square feet, add about 5 to 10 percent for cuts and curves, then divide by the coverage of one pallet. A pallet of sod usually covers around 450 square feet, though some run 400 or 500, so check with your supplier. A 1,500 square foot yard needs roughly 4 pallets once you allow for waste, and the calculator does that math the moment you type your numbers.
Most pallets cover about 450 square feet, but it's not a fixed number. Some farms sell 400 square foot pallets and others go up to 500, and the piece count per pallet shifts with the slab size. That's why this tool lets you set the coverage yourself, so the pallet count matches what your supplier actually delivers rather than a generic guess. When you're unsure, ask the farm for the exact square footage per pallet.
A standard slab of sod is about 16 by 24 inches, which works out to roughly 2.67 square feet per piece. Big rolls are larger, often closer to 10 square feet, and sizes vary by region and grass type. You can change the piece size in the calculator, so the piece count reflects what you're buying. If you only order full pallets, the piece number is mainly a handy check on how many you'll be laying.
Yes, a small surplus is smart, because sod gets trimmed around beds, paths, and curves, and a few pieces always tear or dry out. The waste margin here defaults to 5 percent, but bump it toward 10 percent for a lawn with lots of corners or circles. Sod doesn't keep, so don't massively over-order, yet running short means a second trip and grass that may not match the first batch in color.
Yes, it's completely free, with no sign-up, and it runs right in your browser, so nothing you enter leaves your device. Type the lawn size, set the coverage and price, and read the pallets in a tap. Bookmark it for a new lawn, a patch repair, or a landscaping quote, and you'll have a solid sod estimate whenever you plan to lay turf.
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