How many square feet will a pallet of sod cover

For a large landscaping project where grass doesn’t have the time to grow from seed, you may be looking at big orders of sod. Part of the project planning is figuring out coverage and costs, so knowing exactly how much you’re getting in a pallet of sod is an important piece of information.

While the average square footage of sod in a pallet is about 450, this will range by vendor. You’ll have to do some shopping around to compare how they cut their sod and how many pieces they include in a pallet to be sure of how much they are charging for the total amount of sod.

In This Article

• How Much Sod Comes In A Pallet?
• Types Of Sod
• How Much Does A Pallet Of Sod Cover?
• Know How Much Sod To Buy
• How Much Does A Pallet Of Sod Weigh?
• Make Plans For Transporting Pallets

How Much Sod Comes In A Pallet?

Sod producers cut their pieces in different dimensions depending on grass type and their production process. Some may be square, others rectangular, but most will be around 16×24 inches. Depending on the size and the way the sod is stacked, the number of sod pieces per pallet can vary.

Types Of Sod

Sod pieces will also vary in the way they’re stacked and packed in pallets. They generally come in three ways:

• Slab – Slabs of sod are flat, unrolled sod pieces that tend to be of an average size of 16×24 inches (or one and one third feet by two feet, being 2 and two thirds sq feet). A pallet of sod slabs will have the most per pallet, usually between 150 and 200 pieces (399 to 532 sq feet).
• Mini-roll – A mini-roll is a rolled-up piece of sod that is usually much longer than a slab of sod, usually around 40×18 inches (or 3 and one third feet by one and a half feet, about 5 square feet). These are packaged on pallets at about half the rate of slabs, between 75 and 100 per pallet (375 to 500 sq feet).
• Roll – A roll, or large roll, of sod is even longer than a mini-roll and a bit wider: these measure up to 60×24 inches (five by two feet, or ten square feet. These usually come in pallets of about 50 to 75 pieces (500 to 750 sq feet), and they frequently need special equipment to move around the yard.

How Much Does A Pallet Of Sod Cover?

A pallet of slabs of sod usually covers between 400 and 500 square feet. Mini-rolls cover about the same amount, while large rolls cover between 400 and 700 square feet.

Know How Much Sod To Buy

Once you’ve taken a look at the sod sellers near you and you know how much sod a pallet contains and costs, you can refer to your yard size. It’s recommended to purchase a little more than you think is necessary, since it’s better to have a little extra than not enough. Rounding your total square footage up a few percentage points (multiplied by, say, 1.03 or 1.05) will ensure sufficient coverage.

To calculate your total area, you multiply the length of the property divided by the width. Usually, the lawn will have to be divided into square sections for accurate measurements. Once you have the total area of the lawn, you will know just how much sod is necessary to purchase.

Pallets may be sold in square feet or square yards, so if your measurement is in square feet, multiply that number by 9 for the total square yardage. To get to square feet from yards, divide the number of square yards by 9. You can also find an area calculator online that will help you with the math or conversions.

How Much Does A Pallet Of Sod Weigh?

The weight of the sod is considered when producers choose the amount of sod per pallet since it has to be transportable and can’t be too heavy. It can’t be too light either, since bulk packaging with lots of pieces is more efficient for large projects.

A pallet of sod usually weighs about 1.5 tons (1,500 lbs) to 3 tons (3,000 lbs). The total weight can fluctuate based on the number of sod pieces, their size, their moisture content, and the amount of soil in the turf.

Taking note of the weight up front also helps you know whether you’re able to move the pallets with your own truck or if you’ll need to have the sod delivered.

Make Plans For Transporting Pallets

When you’re planning to buy pallets of sod, you should consider the logistics following the purchase. The pallets will have to be driven by you, or you’ll have to have them delivered, which may have a fee associated with it.

In either case, you’ll also have to know where you’re going to set down the pallets once they arrive at your location. Be sure not to deposit them too far from the site where you’re planning to install them.