Sod Calculator — how many pallets or rolls do you need?
Enter your lawn area to get the number of pallets and rolls you need, including a waste allowance for cuts and edges.
Sod is the one product in this set that is not sold by weight. It is sold by the pallet or the roll, and a pallet covers a fixed area — which makes the maths simpler, and makes it surprising how many calculators still get the pallet count wrong.
The coverage figures come from Mississippi State University Extension, which publishes 450 to 500 square feet per pallet, cross-checked against the standard pallet loading of 500 square feet quoted in the turf industry's own trade press. We show both, because your supplier's pallet may sit anywhere in that range.
We deliberately do not offer a tonnage figure for sod. We searched for an authoritative weight per pallet and did not find one. Publishing a plausible-sounding number would have been easy and wrong.
How we calculate this — and every number we used
We do not use a hidden "magic number". Here is the entire calculation:
area_with_waste = area × (1 + waste%)
units = area_with_waste ÷ coverage per unit
units_to_buy = round up to whole units
Sod — supplied by the pallet or roll (sold by area, not weight)
State
as-delivered, sold by area
Moisture basis
not applicable
Coverage per pallet (low / typical / high)
450 / 475 / 500 ft²
sold by area, not by weight
Last reviewed
2026-09-13
How we chose the typical value. Mississippi State University Extension gives 450-500 sq ft per pallet; Turfgrass Producers International's member directory lists a standard 500 sq ft per pallet. We use the MSU range with the midpoint as typical.
Limits of this constant
Sod is sold by AREA, not by weight. We deliberately do not convert sod to tonnes: we could not find any authoritative weight per pallet, so inventing one would be worse than omitting it.
Pallet size varies by farm and by variety. Confirm the coverage per pallet with your supplier before ordering.
This calculator does not include soil preparation, fertiliser or establishment water.
This calculator is only valid under these assumptions. If any of them do not match your project,
treat the result as a rough guide and get a quote from your supplier.
The lawn area is treated as a rectangle. Measure your lawn properly — irregular lawns need more waste allowance.
Sod is sold by AREA, not by weight, so this calculator does not convert to tonnes. We could not find an authoritative weight per pallet, and we would rather omit it than invent it.
Coverage per pallet is 450–500 sq ft, the range published by Mississippi State University Extension. Your supplier's pallet may differ.
The waste allowance covers cuts, edges and odd shapes — not soil preparation or establishment.
This calculator does not include topsoil, fertiliser, or establishment watering.
Frequently asked questions
How many square feet are in a pallet of sod?
Typically 450 to 500 square feet. Mississippi State University Extension publishes that range, and the turf industry commonly quotes 500 sq ft as the standard pallet load, with up to 650 sq ft possible. Always confirm with your supplier.
How many pallets of sod for 1,000 square feet?
At 475 sq ft per pallet and a 10% waste allowance, you need about 2.3 pallets — so buy 3. The calculator does this for your own area and shows the range.
Should I add waste for sod?
Yes. Sod is cut around paths, beds and curves, and offcuts cannot always be reused. Ten percent is a reasonable default for a simple rectangular lawn, and 15% or more for a complex shape.
Why don't you give a weight for sod?
Because we could not find an authoritative figure. Sod weight depends on soil type, moisture and thickness, and varies enormously. Since sod is bought and sold by area, the weight does not affect your order — so we omit it rather than publish a guess.
How deep should topsoil be before laying sod?
About 4 inches of settled topsoil over the subgrade is the usual minimum, and 6 inches is better. Use our topsoil calculator for that part, then come back here for the sod.