Understanding your result
For sod, the headline is the area to order, which is your lawn area plus the waste allowance. Below it is the number of pieces and the number of pallets. Suppliers usually sell full pallets and will often split one for a fee, so the table shows the exact pallet figure as well as the rounded-up number. If you land just over a whole pallet, ask whether they sell loose rolls.
For seed, the headline is the weight of seed at the middle of the typical range for your grass. The table shows the full range. If your lawn is in good soil and you can water reliably, the low end is enough. On poor soil, on slopes, or if you are sowing late in the season, use the high end.
Whatever the calculator says, the rate printed on your seed bag takes priority. Blends and coated seed have their own rates, and the label was written for that exact product.
How we calculate this
Sod is a matter of area:
Seed is a matter of area times rate:
In metric, rates are given in grams per square meter. One pound per 1,000 square feet is about 4.9 grams per square meter, so a rate of 6 to 8 pounds becomes roughly 29 to 39 grams per square meter.
The assumptions behind the numbers
| Grass | New lawn, lb per 1,000 sq ft | New lawn, g per m² |
|---|---|---|
| Kentucky bluegrass | 2 to 3 | 10 to 15 |
| Tall fescue | 6 to 8 | 29 to 39 |
| Perennial ryegrass | 6 to 8 | 29 to 39 |
| Fine fescue | 4 to 5 | 20 to 24 |
| Bermudagrass (hulled) | 1 to 2 | 5 to 10 |
| Zoysiagrass | 1 to 2 | 5 to 10 |
| Centipedegrass | 0.25 to 0.5 | 1 to 2 |
| Bahiagrass | 5 to 10 | 24 to 49 |
These are typical ranges of the kind printed on seed labels and in university extension guides. They are not a substitute for the label on the product you buy. Other assumptions:
| Assumption | Value used | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Overseeding | Half the new-lawn rate | Existing grass already covers part of the ground |
| Sod roll | 10 sq ft (2 ft × 5 ft) unless you change it | The most common roll size in the US. Metric rolls are usually 1 m² |
| Pallet | 450 sq ft (50 m²) unless you change it | Varies from about 400 to 500 sq ft by supplier |
| Sod waste | 5% unless you change it | Trimming at edges. Use 10% for curves |
| Pallet weight | 1,500 to 3,000 lb | For planning delivery only. Wet sod is much heavier |
Assumptions last reviewed October 3, 2026.
Two worked examples
Sod for a lawn with curved beds
A back lawn was measured in three pieces and adds up to 1,850 square feet. It has two curved flower beds cut into it, so the waste allowance is set to 10%.
- Lawn area: 1,850 sq ft
- With 10% waste: 2,035 sq ft
- Rolls of 10 sq ft: 2,035 ÷ 10 = 203.5, so 204 rolls
- Pallets of 450 sq ft: 2,035 ÷ 450 = 4.52, so 5 pallets
Four pallets would cover 1,800 square feet, which is not even the bare lawn area. Five pallets gives 2,250 square feet, about 200 more than needed. That surplus is worth asking about: many farms will sell four pallets plus 24 loose rolls, which lands almost exactly on the 2,035.
Seeding a new lawn, in metric
A new lawn of 12 meters by 8 meters is being sown with perennial ryegrass, bought in 5 kg bags.
- Area: 12 × 8 = 96 m²
- Rate: 29 to 39 g per m²
- Seed: 96 × 29 ÷ 1,000 = 2.8 kg, up to 96 × 39 ÷ 1,000 = 3.7 kg
- Middle of the range: about 3.3 kg
- Bags of 5 kg: 1 bag
One bag covers the job with more than a kilogram to spare. Keep the leftover seed somewhere cool and dry. It is exactly what you need three weeks later, when the thin patches show themselves.
Common mistakes
- Ordering sod before the ground is ready. Sod on a pallet starts to heat up and yellow within a day in warm weather. Grade, rake and water the soil first, then book the delivery.
- Skipping the waste allowance. The last strip along a curved edge is always cut from full pieces. Without the allowance you finish one row short.
- Guessing the area. Lawns are larger than they look. Measure it in rectangles and triangles and add them up, or you will be a pallet out.
- Using the new-lawn rate for overseeding. Putting the full rate on top of existing turf wastes seed and crowds the seedlings.
- Treating all seed as equal. A pound of bluegrass and a pound of fescue are very different numbers of seeds. Use the rate for your grass, not a general figure.
- Buying by coverage claims on the front of the bag. The large number on the front is often the overseeding coverage. The new-lawn coverage, in smaller print, is about half.
Printable shopping list
Print shopping list gives you the order on one page: rolls and pallets for sod, or weight and bags for seed, with your area and settings. For sod, phone the supplier with the area figure and ask them to confirm the pallet size, the delivery day and where the truck can set the pallets down. For seed, check the label rate against the range on your printout before you load the spreader.
Questions people ask
- How many square feet does a pallet of sod cover?
- Most pallets hold between 400 and 500 square feet, and 450 is a common figure. It varies by farm and by grass type, so ask your supplier and enter their number in the calculator.
- How many rolls of sod do I need for 1,000 square feet?
- With standard 2 foot by 5 foot rolls, each covering 10 square feet, a 1,000 square foot lawn needs 100 rolls before waste. With 5% added for trimming, order 105.
- How much grass seed do I need per 1,000 square feet?
- It depends on the grass. Typical rates for a new lawn are 2 to 3 pounds for Kentucky bluegrass, 6 to 8 pounds for tall fescue or perennial ryegrass, 4 to 5 pounds for fine fescue, and 1 to 2 pounds for bermudagrass. Overseeding an existing lawn takes about half as much.
- Why does bluegrass need so much less seed than fescue?
- The seeds are much smaller, so there are far more of them in a pound, and bluegrass spreads sideways by underground stems once it is growing. Tall fescue has large seeds and grows in clumps, so it has to be sown more thickly to make a dense lawn.
- Can I sow extra seed to get a thicker lawn?
- Sowing much more than the recommended rate usually backfires. Seedlings crowd each other, stay thin and weak, and are more prone to disease. A lawn thickens through good watering, feeding and mowing, not through extra seed.
- How much waste should I allow for sod?
- Five percent is enough for a simple rectangle. Allow ten percent if the lawn has curved edges, beds to cut around, or many corners, because every cut leaves an offcut that is hard to use.
Built and reviewed by Bertha
Last updated · How we work out our numbers