Last updated: 2026-06-21

Sod Pallet Count

A sod pallet count calculator tells you how many pallets of sod, also called turf, to order to cover a lawn. Enter the area you want to lay, the area one pallet covers, and a waste allowance for offcuts, and it returns the number of pallets and the total area of sod to buy. It is built for anyone installing a new lawn, repairing a large patch, or pricing a turfing job.

How the pallet count is calculated

Sod is sold by the pallet, and each pallet covers a fixed area. You order enough to cover the lawn plus a margin for the pieces cut off around curves and edges, then round up to whole pallets:

where $A$ is the lawn area, $f$ the waste allowance as a fraction, $A_w$ the sod area to buy, $c$ the coverage per pallet, and $N$ the number of pallets. The ceiling rounds up because a turf farm sells whole pallets — a fraction of a pallet still has to be ordered in full.

Worked example

For a 200 m² lawn with a 5 percent waste allowance, using pallets that cover 45 m² each:

You would order five pallets to cover 210 m² of sod. The fifth pallet leaves a little spare, which is normal and useful for patching any pieces that do not knit in.

Coverage and waste

Pallet coverage is not standard — it depends on the supplier and on whether the pallet holds slabs or rolls — so confirm the figure with your turf farm and enter their number. The waste allowance is small for square lawns with straight edges, around 5 percent, and larger for lawns with curves, beds, paths, and tight corners, where 10 percent or more avoids a shortfall. Sod dries out on the pallet, so order to match what you can lay within a day or two. To prepare the bed first, see Soil Amendment Calculator, and Lawn Mowing Time Calculator once the lawn is established.