How much sod to order
Sod gives you an instant lawn. It is sold by the square foot and usually delivered on pallets, so you need to know your lawn area and how the farm packages its sod.
- Sod to order = lawn area × (1 + waste allowance)
- Pieces = sod to order ÷ area of one piece
- Pallets = sod to order ÷ square feet per pallet, rounded up
Worked example
Your new lawn covers 1,500 sq ft. You add 5% for cuts along edges and curves. The farm sells 16 × 24 in slabs on pallets of 450 sq ft, at $0.50 per square foot.
- Sod to order: 1,500 × 1.05 = 1,575 sq ft.
- Pieces: 1,575 ÷ 2.67 = 591 slabs.
- Pallets: 1,575 ÷ 450 = 3.5, so 4 pallets.
- Cost: 1,575 × $0.50 = $788, before delivery and installation.
- Weight: about 7,900 lb, so plan for a delivery truck with a forklift.
Common sod sizes
| Format | Size | Area |
|---|---|---|
| Small slab | 16 × 24 in | 2.67 sq ft |
| Slab | 18 × 24 in | 3 sq ft |
| Roll | 2 × 5 ft | 10 sq ft |
| Big roll | 4 × 100 ft and larger | 400 sq ft and more, laid by machine |
Preparing the ground
- Remove old grass and weeds, then loosen the soil 4 to 6 inches deep.
- Add topsoil or compost if the soil is poor, and test the pH if you can.
- Grade the surface so water drains away from the house, and keep the soil about 1 inch below walkways so the sod sits flush.
- Roll and moisten the soil lightly the day before.
Laying and watering
- Lay sod the day it arrives. Start along a straight edge, stagger the joints like bricks and push the edges tightly together without overlapping.
- Cut with a sharp knife around curves, trees and sprinkler heads.
- Roll the finished lawn to press roots against the soil.
- Water within 30 minutes until the soil under the sod is wet, then daily for about two weeks. Lift a corner to check: the soil below should stay moist.
- Stay off it for about two weeks, and mow when roots resist a gentle tug.
Lay sod in spring or early fall for cool-season grasses, and in late spring or summer for warm-season grasses such as bermuda, zoysia and St. Augustine.