St. Augustine grass is a popular, warm-season turfgrass known for its wide, flat blades, thriving particularly well in the humid conditions of the southern United States. Understanding the exact quantity of material delivered is necessary for accurate budgeting and project execution. This article details the typical coverage of a standard pallet of St. Augustine sod and the variables that can cause the total square footage to fluctuate.
The Standard Square Footage of a St. Augustine Pallet
A standard full pallet of St. Augustine sod generally covers an area ranging from 400 to 500 square feet. The common industry standard often settles at approximately 450 square feet of coverage. This size is typical for sod sold in the southern U.S. and is usually packaged as slabs rather than rolls.
Pallets contain individual pieces of sod cut to manageable dimensions for harvesting and installation. A common slab size is 16 inches by 24 inches, meaning each piece covers about 2.66 square feet. This results in roughly 165 to 170 pieces of sod stacked on a pallet to achieve the 450 square feet total. Some suppliers may offer a guaranteed minimum of 400 square feet, especially for varieties like Floratam St. Augustine.
Factors That Influence Pallet Coverage
The 400 to 500 square foot range is due to several logistical and physical variables managed by the sod farm and distributor. One factor is the slight variation in the individual slab dimensions used by different farms, which directly impacts the number of pieces needed to fill a pallet. Some farms may use slightly different cutting equipment, resulting in a minor change to the overall square footage delivered.
Transportation weight limits also play a role in determining the maximum square footage that can be safely loaded onto a pallet for delivery. Sod is heavy, with a single pallet often weighing between 2,800 and 3,000 pounds. Exceeding vehicle payload capacity limits the total area of grass that can be shipped.
The moisture content of the sod is another factor that influences the total square footage per pallet because it directly affects the weight. Sod harvested shortly after a heavy rain will have saturated soil, making it significantly heavier than sod cut during a dry period. To stay within safe transportation weight limits, a farm may be required to place fewer square feet of wet sod on a pallet compared to dry sod.
Calculating Your Project Needs
Accurately calculating the number of pallets required begins with determining the total square footage of the area to be sodded. For rectangular or square spaces, multiply the length by the width to find the area in square feet. For irregularly shaped areas, break the space down into smaller, measurable geometric sections and sum the results.
It is necessary to account for material waste that occurs during installation. Waste is inevitable when cutting sod to fit around curved edges, obstacles, or when shaping pieces to fill in small gaps. Add a buffer of 5% to 10% to the total measured square footage to ensure there is enough material to complete the project without delays.
Once the total required square footage is determined, divide that number by the guaranteed square footage of the pallet to find the number of pallets needed. For example, a project requiring 990 square feet of sod, including the waste percentage, would require just over two standard 450-square-foot pallets. Since sod is sold by the full pallet, always round the final number up to the next whole pallet to prevent a shortage. Confirm the exact square footage per pallet with the specific local supplier.