Sod is pre-grown grass harvested from a farm as a dense layer of mature turf, held together by a thin layer of soil and its root system. This material provides an almost instant lawn for residential and commercial landscaping projects. Measuring correctly is a foundational step in the purchasing process to ensure a successful installation. Precise calculations prevent costly over-ordering of perishable sod or under-ordering, which leads to delays and mismatched grass patches.
The Standard Unit of Sod
The primary unit of measure for sod is surface area, universally expressed in square feet. While there is no single industry standard, individual pieces are designed to be manageable for manual installation. A common slab size, particularly in the southern United States, is 16 inches by 24 inches, covering approximately 2.67 square feet per piece. Other popular sizes include small rolls measuring 2 feet wide by 5 feet long, which provide exactly 10 square feet of coverage.
Sod pieces are typically cut to a thickness of about 0.5 to 1 inch, including the grass, root system, and a shallow layer of soil. This thickness ensures roots remain intact while keeping the product light enough for handling. The weight of an individual piece can range from 15 to 30 pounds, fluctuating significantly based on the soil’s moisture content at harvest. Suppliers’ exact dimensions must be confirmed before calculating the final order, as piece size determines the total number of items needed.
Calculating Required Area
Determining the total area of the installation site begins with accurate linear measurements. For simple square or rectangular areas, the calculation is straightforward: multiply the length by the width to yield the total square footage required for coverage.
For areas that are irregularly shaped, such as L-shaped lawns or those with curved borders, the most effective method is to divide the space into smaller, distinct geometric sections. These complex shapes can be broken down into measurable squares, rectangles, and triangles. Once the square footage of each smaller section has been determined, all the individual areas are added together to find the total coverage area.
After establishing the total square footage of the site, the final step is converting that area into the number of sod pieces required for the purchase. The total calculated area is divided by the square footage of the standard unit of sod. For example, a 1,000 square foot area would require 100 individual pieces if the supplier’s standard roll covers 10 square feet.
Bulk Ordering and Waste Factor
While sod is installed piece by piece, it is almost always sold and delivered in bulk quantities stacked on wooden pallets. Commercial sod farms typically standardize their pallet loads to cover a specific area, with common measurements ranging from 400 to 500 square feet per pallet. Knowing the pallet’s square footage coverage is necessary for determining the number of pallets needed, especially since a single pallet can weigh between 1,500 and 3,000 pounds when freshly cut and moist.
For very large installations, such as athletic fields or expansive commercial properties, sod may be harvested and delivered in “big rolls.” These rolls are significantly wider and longer than residential pieces, designed to be installed using specialized equipment, and can cover hundreds of square feet per roll. This method reduces the number of seams and speeds up the installation process considerably.
A crucial part of the final calculation is incorporating a contingency, or waste factor, into the total square footage. This buffer accounts for the necessary trimming and cutting of sod required to fit around garden beds, sidewalks, and other obstacles. Industry guidance suggests adding an extra 5% to 10% to the total calculated area. This ensures there is enough material to complete the job efficiently without running short.