Sod calculator: how much sod do I need?
188 sod pieces
500 square feet of surface · for 20 × 25 ft
Run your own numbers
Enter it the way you measured it: 4.5, 4 1/2,
3/8 or 10' 6".
188 sod pieces
500 square feet of surface
A 500 square foot lawn takes 188 pieces of sod cut 16 by 24 inches, which each cover 2.67 square feet. Pick the roll or slab size you are buying and add waste for the cuts at the edges.
A worked example
A 30 by 40 ft yard in 24 by 60 in rolls, with a 5% waste allowance needs 126 pieces. 1,200 square feet at 10 square feet per roll is 120, and the 5% allowance for the cuts takes it to 126.
What else it is called
Sod is sold by the slab, the roll and the pallet. A pallet covers about 450 square feet, so divide this area by 450 for pallets. Slabs are the small pieces cut for hand-laying; big rolls cover more ground per piece but need two people or a layer.
Common sizes
| Area | 16 × 24 in slab | 18 × 24 in slab | 24 × 48 in roll | 24 × 60 in roll |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 × 8 ft — 64 sq ft | 24 | 22 | 8 | 7 |
| 10 × 10 ft — 100 sq ft | 38 | 34 | 13 | 10 |
| 10 × 12 ft — 120 sq ft | 45 | 40 | 15 | 12 |
| 12 × 12 ft — 144 sq ft | 54 | 48 | 18 | 15 |
| 12 × 16 ft — 192 sq ft | 72 | 64 | 24 | 20 |
| 16 × 20 ft — 320 sq ft | 120 | 107 | 40 | 32 |
| 20 × 20 ft — 400 sq ft | 150 | 134 | 50 | 40 |
Pieces, rounded up, with no waste allowance added.
Where the numbers come from
- Sod coverage is the piece size you select, multiplied out: a 16 by 24 inch slab covers 2.67 square feet. The count is your lawn area divided by that coverage, rounded up, so no figure here is ours to source.
This counts the lawn area you type in. It does not subtract beds, paths or the house footprint, and sod on a slope or an odd shape cuts more, so raise the waste allowance for those. Order a little over: sod cannot be stretched, and it has to go down within a day of delivery.
By Javier Miralles · Last updated . How this site is made.
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