Outdoor, Deck & Fence
Sod Calculator
Rolls and pallets of sod for a new lawn, with the waste allowance for curves and beds.
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Results
Adjust the inputs to see your result.
About this calculator
Sod is sold by the roll (10 sq ft) and by the pallet (about 450 sq ft), and the waste allowance decides which unit wins. This calculator turns your lawn measurements into both counts, so you can compare a roll order against a pallet quote honestly.
What this number means
Sod is sold by the roll and by the pallet, and the two units exist for different job sizes. A standard roll covers 10 sq ft — a 2 × 5 ft strip — while a pallet holds about 450 sq ft. Below a pallet, rolls make sense; above it, pallet pricing is almost always cheaper per square foot, and delivery usually comes with the pallet.
The waste allowance is the part most first-time buyers skip. Sod is cut to fit, and every curve, tree ring and angled bed turns a rectangle into offcuts. Five percent covers a plain rectangle; a lawn wrapped around beds and paths wants 10%.
The formula
- Area = Length × Width
- Area with waste = Area × (1 + waste %)
- Rolls = Area with waste ÷ 10 sq ft, rounded up
- Pallets = Area with waste ÷ 450 sq ft, rounded up
- Square yards = Area ÷ 9 (the unit some suppliers quote by)
Worked example
A 20 × 30 ft front lawn at 5% waste.
- Area = 600 sq ft (66.7 sq yd)
- With waste: 600 × 1.05 = 630 sq ft to buy for
- Rolls: 630 ÷ 10 = 63 rolls
- Pallets: 630 ÷ 450 = 1.4 → 2 pallets
Assumptions and limitations
- One rectangular area per calculation. For L-shaped or curved lawns, measure in rectangles, total the square footage, and run that total.
- Standard roll and pallet sizes (10 sq ft and 450 sq ft) are the US industry norms; a local supplier may use slightly different sizes — check before ordering.
- Beds, paths, driveways and tree wells inside the measured rectangle must be deducted from the area first, or the roll count will be high.
- Sod should be laid the day it arrives. Order for the day you can install, not the day the soil is merely ready.
Frequently asked questions
At 5% waste: 1,000 × 1.05 ÷ 10 = 105 rolls — or 3 pallets (1,050 ÷ 450 = 2.33, rounded up). For a curved lawn at 10% waste, plan on 110 rolls.
About 450 sq ft — roughly a 15 × 30 ft area. A pallet is typically 45 rolls of 10 sq ft each, though the exact count varies by supplier and grass type.
Five percent for a plain rectangle with straight edges. Ten percent for lawns with curves, planting beds, trees or angled boundaries, where every cut leaves an offcut that usually cannot be reused.
By the pallet once you pass about 450 sq ft — the per-square-foot price drops and delivery is usually included. Below that, rolls avoid paying for a second pallet you mostly will not use.
Split it into rectangles and triangles, work out each area (a triangle is half × base × height), and add them. The Square Footage Calculator handles each shape, and you deduct beds and paths from the total.
Per square foot, seed is far cheaper — but sod gives an instant lawn and skips weeks of watering, germination and weed pressure. The Grass Seed Calculator compares the two quantities for the same area.