How to measure Your Yard for sod grass
How do you know how much sod grass you will need?
Option 1) Guessing: We know landscapers that after 30 years of installing sod STILL don't guess right and they end up needing a pallet or two extra! If you are a risk taker this is the option for you! But your chances of getting the right amount of sod for your yard are not optimal. This is not the method you want to choose for best success!
Option 2) Measuring by walking it off. Your neighbors will think you are practicing for sobriety testing but this is a bit better than just guessing. If you have a fair idea of what the length of your stride covers you can get a semi-accurate estimate of the amount of sod you need using this method. Feet Long x Feet Wide = square feet.
An easy calculator found here:
http://www.calculator.net/square-footage-calculator.html
Option 3) The best and preferred method: Use a measuring tape and do the math. This method is more accurate than walking off the distance. But most spaces in a yard that need sod are not nice squares. In the space you're wanting to cover, you might have circles, oblongs, rectangles, and hourglass shapes.
Here are some down loadable documents for measuring different shapes that you can use to get a more accurate figure.
Measuring for sod (squares and circles)
Measuring for sod (oval and oddball)
Measuring for sod (triangle, trapezoid, and 'its complicated' )
Typically, sod comes on pallets that are either 504 square feet or 450 square feet. Most Bermuda sod, the most commonly used sod, comes 504 square feet per pallet. Most Zoysia and other sods come 450 square feet per pallet. Once you calculate your square footage, divide the number you come up with by the size of the pallets your sod comes on, either 504 or 450. You will need to determine what size pallets you are getting by choosing the appropriate grass for you lawn.
UPDATE: We have noticed a trend (2020) of pallets coming with only 400 sq ft to them. Be sure to ask if you are pricing around as to how many square feet are on the pallets they are selling. We are currently selling ALL of our pallets with 504 sq ft each.
You will most likely not get a number that matches exactly to the square footage on a pallet. There are several ways you can opt to handle this as shown on our blog 'How to order sod grass'.
If you get stuck or are not 100% comfortable you are measuring correctly or have any questions related to your sod install, please feel free to contact us for help. We are always happy to help, even if you decide to buy your sod somewhere else.
Option 1) Guessing: We know landscapers that after 30 years of installing sod STILL don't guess right and they end up needing a pallet or two extra! If you are a risk taker this is the option for you! But your chances of getting the right amount of sod for your yard are not optimal. This is not the method you want to choose for best success!
Option 2) Measuring by walking it off. Your neighbors will think you are practicing for sobriety testing but this is a bit better than just guessing. If you have a fair idea of what the length of your stride covers you can get a semi-accurate estimate of the amount of sod you need using this method. Feet Long x Feet Wide = square feet.
An easy calculator found here:
http://www.calculator.net/square-footage-calculator.html
Option 3) The best and preferred method: Use a measuring tape and do the math. This method is more accurate than walking off the distance. But most spaces in a yard that need sod are not nice squares. In the space you're wanting to cover, you might have circles, oblongs, rectangles, and hourglass shapes.
Here are some down loadable documents for measuring different shapes that you can use to get a more accurate figure.
Measuring for sod (squares and circles)
Measuring for sod (oval and oddball)
Measuring for sod (triangle, trapezoid, and 'its complicated' )
Typically, sod comes on pallets that are either 504 square feet or 450 square feet. Most Bermuda sod, the most commonly used sod, comes 504 square feet per pallet. Most Zoysia and other sods come 450 square feet per pallet. Once you calculate your square footage, divide the number you come up with by the size of the pallets your sod comes on, either 504 or 450. You will need to determine what size pallets you are getting by choosing the appropriate grass for you lawn.
UPDATE: We have noticed a trend (2020) of pallets coming with only 400 sq ft to them. Be sure to ask if you are pricing around as to how many square feet are on the pallets they are selling. We are currently selling ALL of our pallets with 504 sq ft each.
You will most likely not get a number that matches exactly to the square footage on a pallet. There are several ways you can opt to handle this as shown on our blog 'How to order sod grass'.
If you get stuck or are not 100% comfortable you are measuring correctly or have any questions related to your sod install, please feel free to contact us for help. We are always happy to help, even if you decide to buy your sod somewhere else.
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