Sod is pre-grown grass harvested with a thin layer of soil held together by its dense root system, allowing for immediate installation of a mature lawn. This turf is typically sold in standardized dimensions to simplify the logistics of shipping, handling, and laying the pieces. Understanding these common sizes is necessary for accurately calculating the amount needed for any landscaping project.
The Standard Retail Sod Roll Dimensions
Sod rolls sold to the average consumer are designed for manual handling and installation. The most common standard roll size is two feet wide by five feet long, which provides 10 square feet of coverage per roll. However, some regional suppliers also offer rolls that are 1.5 feet wide by six feet long, covering nine square feet, or two feet wide by 4.5 feet long, also covering nine square feet.
These widths, generally between 18 and 24 inches, ensure that the rolls can be comfortably unrolled by a single person without specialized machinery. The weight of these rolls, typically between 15 and 40 pounds depending on the moisture content and soil type, is a factor in maintaining these manageable dimensions.
Commercial and Specialty Sod Dimensions
For large-scale projects like athletic fields, golf courses, or extensive commercial properties, much larger formats known as “Big Rolls” or “Jumbo Rolls” are used. Common dimensions for these commercial rolls include widths of 42 inches (3.5 feet) or 48 inches (4 feet). The length of these specialized rolls can be substantial, often ranging from 65 feet to over 90 feet long. A single Big Roll can cover an area from 225 to over 315 square feet, leading to fewer seams and a faster installation time for large spaces. Installation of these large rolls requires specialized equipment, such as a skid-steer loader with a roll-laying attachment, which is a primary differentiator from retail sod.
Slab, Patch, and Pallet Configurations
Sod is frequently available in pre-cut, flat slabs, particularly in southern regions of the United States. These slabs are often sized at 16 inches by 24 inches, which covers approximately 2.66 square feet per piece. This slab format is useful for small patch jobs, filling in irregular spaces, or for homeowners who prefer handling smaller, flat sections.
Whether in rolls or slabs, sod is almost always shipped stacked on wooden pallets. The total coverage of a standard pallet varies, but it commonly ranges from 400 to 500 square feet, though some suppliers offer up to 700 square feet. The individual dimensions of the sod pieces determine the quantity stacked on the pallet, with smaller pieces resulting in a higher piece count but the same overall square footage.
Calculating Coverage and Installation Planning
Accurate measurement of the project area is the first step in determining the required amount of sod. This involves measuring the total square footage of the space to be covered, typically by multiplying the length by the width for simple rectangular areas. Irregular or curved sections should be broken down into smaller, measurable shapes, such as squares, rectangles, and triangles, and then totaled.
Once the total square footage is determined, this figure is divided by the square footage of the chosen sod unit, such as 10 square feet per retail roll, to find the minimum quantity needed. A safety margin must then be added to this minimum quantity to account for trimming and waste created when cutting pieces to fit edges, curves, and obstacles. A common recommendation is to order an extra 5 to 10 percent of the total area to ensure complete coverage. Calculating the amount needed using the sod’s dimensions and including a waste factor ensures a smooth, uninterrupted installation. For large orders, the total square footage is often converted into the number of pallets by dividing the area by the pallet’s total coverage capacity.