Free Sod Calculator
Sod is sold by area, so there is no depth and no density here: an area, an overage and a piece size, then whole rolls, whole slabs and whole pallets. The interesting number is not the count — it is the surplus a pallet order leaves you paying for.
Your estimate
Your lawn needs 1,050 sq ft of sod, including 5% overage.
105 rolls — $892.50 at your $8.50/roll — $0.85 per sq ft of lawn, 1,050 sq ft covered, no surplus.
3 pallets — $1,020.00 at your $340.00/pallet — $0.97 per sq ft of lawn (1,500 sq ft delivered), 450 sq ft more than you need.
394 pieces of 16 × 24 in (2.6667 sq ft each) — ask your supplier for a piece price.
Pallets cost $127.50 more here and leave 450 sq ft you may not lay.
Both per-sq ft figures divide by the 1,050 sq ft your lawn needs, so they compare like with like. A cheaper-looking $0.68 figure is per delivered square foot: it counts the 450 sq ft surplus as if it were lawn. Pallets do mean 3 pieces to lay instead of 105 — that is the trade, and it is yours to make.
- Includes 5% overage (50.0 sq ft) — our editable default, not a published standard.
- Roll and pallet sizes vary by farm. Change either above to match the product you were quoted.
- No density is used: sod is sold by area, so weight never enters the answer.
Sizes REG-06: roll 10.00 sq ft, pallet 500 sq ft, slab 16 × 24 in (2.6667 sq ft) — verified - primary pages opened and read: extension publication and sod-farm product data, body text. Slab 2.667 is SINGLE-SOURCE (Coosa Valley only). Pallet 500 is a chosen default inside a sourced 450-600 range, not a sourced constant., read 2026-11-05.
Prices are yours, not ours: the figures in the form are examples to start from. The answer says what your order costs at the price you typed.
Buy-list — materials list
| Areas | rectangle 40.00 × 25.00 ft |
|---|---|
| Overage | 5.0 % |
| Roll coverage | 10.00 sq ft |
| Pallet coverage | 500 sq ft |
| Prices | $8.50 per roll; $340.00 per pallet |
| Region | United States (US customary, cu yd increment) |
| Item | Quantity | At your price |
|---|---|---|
| Sod — rolls | 105 rolls | $892.50 |
| Sod — pallets | 3 pallets | $1,020.00 |
| Sod — slabs | 394 pieces of 16 × 24 in | ask your supplier |
YardWise — quantity estimates only. Prices are the ones you entered. yw/print
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How this calculator works
Sod is sold by area, so there is no depth and no density here: an area, an overage and a piece size, then whole rolls, whole slabs and whole pallets. The interesting number is not the count — it is the surplus a pallet order leaves you paying for.
Both per-square-foot figures are divided by the area your lawn actually needs, not by what was delivered. That is what makes rolls and pallets comparable: dividing the pallet spend by the 1,500 sq ft delivered would print a smaller number and invite the conclusion that pallets are cheaper, when per square foot of lawn they cost more.
Roll coverage, pallet coverage and slab dimensions are supplier data and are editable. The register row (REG-06) is sourced and dated: two sod farms state 10 sq ft per roll, an extension publication and three farms put a pallet between 450 and 600 sq ft, and the 500 sq ft default sits inside that range. The slab figure comes from a single farm, so treat it as a starting point rather than a spec.
The 5 % overage is our editable default, and the surplus line is computed from the order form you choose, not estimated.
The formula, in symbols
F1 A = length × width F9 n = ⌈A × (1 + waste ÷ 100) ÷ coverage per piece⌉ rolls : coverage = roll size slabs : coverage = slab width × slab length ÷ 144 pallets : coverage = pallet size surplus = ordered area − required area $/sq ft of lawn = order cost ÷ required area $/delivered sq ft = order cost ÷ ordered area
Worked example — the values this page starts with
F1 A = 40.0 × 25.0 = 1,000 sq ft
F9 A′ = 1,000 × 1.05 = 1,050 sq ft
rolls = ⌈1,050 ÷ 10⌉ = 105 rolls ; 105 × $8.50 = $892.50
$892.50 ÷ 1,050 = $0.85 per sq ft of lawn
pallets = ⌈1,050 ÷ 500⌉ = 3 pallets ; 3 × $340 = $1,020.00
$1,020 ÷ 1,050 = $0.97 per sq ft of lawn
$1,020 ÷ 1,500 = $0.68 per delivered sq ft
slabs = ⌈1,050 ÷ 2.6667⌉ = 394 pieces of 16 × 24 in
pallet surplus = (3 × 500) − 1,050 = 450 sq ft
pallets cost $1,020.00 − $892.50 = $127.50 more
Prices are example values. The $0.68 figure is only ever printed beside the words "per delivered sq ft", after the $0.97 figure — it counts the surplus as if it were lawn.
Questions people ask
How many rolls of sod are on a pallet?
At the register's figures, a 500 sq ft pallet is 50 rolls of 10 sq ft. Both numbers are editable, because pallet coverage varies by farm — suppliers sell 450, 500, 540 and 600 sq ft pallets.
How much sod do I need for 1,000 sq ft?
With the 5 % default overage, 1,050 sq ft. At 10 sq ft per roll that is 105 rolls; at 500 sq ft per pallet, 3 pallets — which deliver 1,500 sq ft and leave 450 sq ft you may not lay.
Why do pallets look cheaper per square foot?
Usually because the divisor is wrong. Dividing the pallet spend by the 1,500 sq ft delivered gives a smaller number than dividing by the 1,050 sq ft of lawn. This page uses the lawn as the denominator for both order forms, and shows the per-delivered figure separately.
How much extra sod should I order?
The 5 % overage is our editable default, not a published standard. Set it to 0 if you are laying into an exact area, or raise it if your site has awkward edges — the number is yours.
Do rolls and pallets vary by supplier?
Yes. That is why coverage is an input here rather than a constant baked into the formula. Change it to the figure on the product you were quoted and the counts follow.
Formula: F1 and F9 — area, overage, then whole rolls, slabs and pallets; surplus = ordered area − required area.
Piece sizes: roll 10 / 500 / 2.667, REG-06 (verified - primary pages opened and read: extension publication and sod-farm product data, body text. Slab 2.667 is SINGLE-SOURCE (Coosa Valley only). Pallet 500 is a chosen default inside a sourced 450-600 range, not a sourced constant.). No density is used: sod is sold by area.
Overage: 5 % is our default — change it in the form.
Prices: you enter them; the shown price is an example.
Last updated: 2026-11-05 — see Methodology & Sources.
Found a number that looks wrong? Tell us on the contact page — we cite the source for every constant and correct errors in public with the date.