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Sod and Topsoil Calculator
Measure the lawn by hand, trace it on a satellite map, or trace it over your own site plan. Subtract the pool and the patio, enter the exact slope, and get one list: sod in square feet, pallets, and rolls; topsoil, fill, and compost in cubic yards; truckloads; what comes out if the old lawn is stripped; and the water the first two weeks will take.
Measure the lawn
Break the yard into simple shapes. Add every piece of lawn, then subtract the pool, the patio, and the beds.
Length x width.
Leave this on flat if you measured with a tape or a wheel lying on the ground: it already followed the hill. A map, a survey, or a plan sees a hill as if it were flat. A bank that shows 10 ft on a map at 30 degrees is really 11.5 ft of ground.
Adds 2,000 sq ft
Sod
Pallet, roll, weight, and ordering rules (set for the Northeast)
Ground prep and yardage
Water supply
To find your flow, time how long the hose takes to fill a 5-gallon bucket. Thirty seconds is 10 gallons a minute. On a well, this is the number that decides whether the lawn can be watered in one day.
How the calculator does the math
Every number on the list comes from a formula you can check with a pencil. The allowances, which are the numbers that depend on judgment, are inputs you can change, not constants hidden in the tool.
| What | How it is figured |
|---|---|
| Cubic yards of topsoil, fill, or compost | Square feet times depth in inches, divided by 324. One cubic yard covers 324 square feet 1 inch deep. |
| Settling and compaction | Added to the order as a percentage you set. Topsoil defaults to 15 percent. |
| Slope | Flat area times the square root of 1 plus the grade squared, where grade is rise divided by run. |
| Sod to order | Lawn area plus 5, 10, or 15 percent for cuts, rounded up to the next 100 square feet, with a 500 square foot minimum (1,200 on Long Island and the Hamptons). |
| Pallets and rolls | Up to 600 square feet rides on a CT Sod pallet, and a roll is 10 square feet. Both can be changed for other regions. |
| Sod weight | About 1,000 pounds per 500 square foot pallet, about 20 pounds per roll. |
| Water | One inch of water is 0.623 gallons per square foot. About 1 inch a day for the first two weeks, starting with a full soak on day one. Enter your water flow and the list shows the hours of watering a day. |
| A hole or an old pool | Surface area times average depth, divided by 27. A kidney shape is 0.45 times the sum of the two widths times the length. |
| Old lawn stripped out | Area times cut depth, divided by 324, in cubic yards. About 75 pounds per cubic foot, shown as a range because moisture moves it. Containers are counted at the weight limit you enter. |
| Truckloads | Total cubic yards divided by the truck size. A tri-axle carries about 20 cubic yards and a six-wheeler about 8. |
When slope matters, and when it does not
Take a bank that drops at 30 degrees. On a satellite map, a survey, or a site plan it shows as 10 feet, because those look straight down and see the hill as if it were flat. The ground itself is 11.5 feet, and that is what the sod has to cover. Lay a tape or roll a measuring wheel down that same bank and it reads 11.5, because it follows the ground. So a measurement taken along the ground already includes the slope and needs no correction, and a measurement taken from above does not and does. One catch: a tape pulled tight and held level, off the ground, measures like a map. Enter the slope for any area measured from above, as a percent, a ratio, rise and run in feet, or degrees. On most lawns the correction is smaller than the allowance for cuts. On a bank it decides whether you come up a pallet short.
| Grade | Ratio | Angle | Added to the flat area |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 percent | 20:1 | 2.9 degrees | 0.1 percent |
| 10 percent | 10:1 | 5.7 degrees | 0.5 percent |
| 20 percent | 5:1 | 11.3 degrees | 2.0 percent |
| 25 percent | 4:1 | 14.0 degrees | 3.1 percent |
| 33 percent | 3:1 | 18.4 degrees | 5.4 percent |
| 50 percent | 2:1 | 26.6 degrees | 11.8 percent |
At 3:1 and steeper, the turfgrass industry's guideline specification calls for sod laid across the slope with staggered joints and secured with pegs or staples. The calculator flags any area that steep. The method is in how to lay sod on a slope.
Topsoil by the numbers
Depth is the settled depth, the soil that is there after grading and the first rain. Four to 6 inches over a poor base and 2 over a good one is the working range, and the reasoning is in how deep topsoil should be for sod.
| Settled depth | Per 1,000 sq ft, in place | To order, with 15 percent |
|---|---|---|
| 2 inches | 6.2 cubic yards | 7.1 cubic yards |
| 3 inches | 9.3 cubic yards | 10.6 cubic yards |
| 4 inches | 12.3 cubic yards | 14.2 cubic yards |
| 6 inches | 18.5 cubic yards | 21.3 cubic yards |
Set the finished, firmed soil three quarters of an inch to 1 inch below walks, drives, patios, and sprinkler heads, so the sod finishes flush. That number is the thickness of the soil layer on the sod, covered in how thick sod is.
Three ways to measure, and how far to trust each
By hand. Break the yard into rectangles, triangles, circles, and trapezoids, measure each in feet, and add them. A tape follows the ground, so no slope correction is needed. This is the most accurate method for a small yard.
On the satellite map. Search the address, tap the corners of the lawn, and drag any corner to adjust it. Imagery can be a year or two old, and tree canopy hides edges. Subtract the pool, the patio, and the beds the same way. Enter the slope for any area that has one.
On your own picture. Open a site plan, a survey, a straight-down photo of one, or a screenshot of your lot from a map app's satellite view. Tap the corners of the lawn first. Then give the drawing one real length, and it becomes square feet: the tool offers the longest side of your outline, and you can pick another side, mark a different line such as a written dimension or the scale bar, or, for an original PDF, choose the scale printed on the plan. A picture has no size of its own, so one real length is the least any tool can ask for. Use the longest one you can, because a small slip on a short line changes the whole measurement. Every side of the outline then shows its length, so you can check one against a number you know. The picture stays on your device.
What this calculator does not do
It prices the sod and nothing else: topsoil, fill, prep, and installation are quoted for the job. The same price sheet runs the sod calculator. It does not replace a hauler's weight limit, a building department's rules on filling a pool, or a soil test. The tear-out weights are estimates, because a wet lawn weighs far more than a dry one. If the old lawn is coming out, the options are in can you lay sod over existing grass. After the sod is down, the schedule is in the first 14 days watering guide.
Planning more than the lawn? The landscape material calculator puts mulch, gravel, pavers, driveways, and concrete on the same list, with the trucks it takes to deliver them.
Sod and topsoil calculator questions
What do I need to order for a new sod lawn?
Sod, and usually topsoil under it. Measure the lawn, add 5 to 15 percent to the sod for cuts, and figure the topsoil at the settled depth you want: 4 to 6 inches over a poor base, 2 over a good one. A 2,000 square foot lawn at 4 inches is a 2,100 square foot sod order and about 29 cubic yards of topsoil, which is two tri-axle loads. This calculator puts all of it on one list. If all you need is the sod count and the delivered price, the sod calculator is quicker.
How many cubic yards of topsoil do I need?
Multiply the square feet by the depth in inches and divide by 324. One thousand square feet at a settled 4 inches is 12.3 cubic yards in place. Loose topsoil settles as it is graded and watered, so the order is larger than the math: with a 15 percent allowance that is about 14 cubic yards. A tri-axle dump truck carries about 20 cubic yards, and a six-wheeler about 8.
Does a slope change how much sod I need?
Only when the area was measured flat, on a satellite map, a survey, or a site plan. Sloped ground has more surface than its flat outline: multiply the flat area by the square root of 1 plus the grade squared, where grade is rise divided by run. A 10 percent grade adds half a percent. A 3:1 slope adds 5.4 percent, and a 2:1 slope adds 11.8 percent. If you measured along the ground with a tape or a wheel, the slope is already in your number and no correction is needed.
Can I measure my lawn from a satellite map, a site plan, or a screenshot?
Yes. On the satellite map, tap the corners of the lawn and the calculator returns the square footage. On your own picture, which can be a site plan, a survey, a photo of one, or a map screenshot, tap the corners of the lawn first and then give the drawing one real length: a side you measured with a tape, a dimension written on the plan, or the scale bar. A picture has no size of its own, so one real length is the least any tool can ask for, and the longer that length, the truer the result. Every side of your outline then shows its length, so you can check it. The picture never leaves your device.
How much does a pallet of sod weigh?
A 500 square foot pallet of cool-season sod typically weighs about 1,000 pounds, which is about 20 pounds per 2 foot by 5 foot roll. A pallet loaded to 600 square feet runs about 1,200. It runs lighter when the field is dry and heavier after rain. The forklift that places the pallets needs an opening about 8 feet wide to carry them into a back yard.
How much water does new sod need in the first two weeks?
About an inch a day. Start watering within a half hour of laying and soak the sod with at least 1 inch, which is the figure University of New Hampshire Extension gives for the first watering. After that, CT Sod's rule is about 1 inch a day for the first two weeks. One inch of water on 1,000 square feet is 623 gallons, so a 1,000 square foot lawn takes about 620 gallons a day and about 8,700 gallons over two weeks. Heat and wind need more, and rain counts. On a well, check that number against what the well can deliver before the sod arrives.
How much fill does it take to fill in a pool?
Multiply the surface area of the pool by its average depth and divide by 27 for cubic yards. A 16 by 32 foot pool that runs from 3.5 to 8 feet deep is 512 square feet at an average 5.75 feet, which is 109 cubic yards in place and about 125 with a 15 percent compaction allowance. A kidney-shaped pool is 0.45 times the sum of its two widths times its length. Check with the building department before filling in a pool, and place the fill in compacted layers.
How much area does a cubic yard of topsoil cover?
One cubic yard covers 324 square feet 1 inch deep. That is 162 square feet at 2 inches, 81 square feet at 4 inches, and 54 square feet at 6 inches.
How many cubic yards of topsoil fit in a dump truck?
At CT Sod a six-wheeler carries about 8 cubic yards of topsoil and a tri-axle about 20. The calculator turns your total into truckloads for either one, and tells you when a small job fits on a single six-wheeler.
How much fill do I need to raise a yard 6 inches?
Multiply the square feet by 6 and divide by 324. Raising 1,000 square feet by 6 inches takes 18.5 cubic yards in place. Fill packs down as it is compacted, so the calculator adds an allowance on top, which you can change.
Does this calculator show prices?
Yes, for the sod. Once you measure your own lawn, the list shows the delivered price from CT Sod's current price sheet: the sod, delivery, and the pallet charge, before sales tax, which is figured at checkout from the delivery address. It is the same price sheet the sod calculator uses. Topsoil, fill, prep, grading, and installation are quoted for the job, and the installation minimum is 1,200 square feet.
Put this calculator on your site
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<p>Sod and topsoil calculator by <a href="https://ctsod.com/sod-and-topsoil-calculator/">CT Sod</a></p>Sources
- University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension, Installing and Maintaining a Sod Lawn. At least 1 inch of water for the first soak. extension.unh.edu
- Guideline Specifications to Turfgrass Sodding. Sod on 3:1 or steeper slopes laid across the slope and secured. Specification guidelines (PDF)
- CT Sod field numbers: about an inch of water a day for the first two weeks, pallet weight, 20 cubic yards per tri-axle load and 8 per six-wheeler, and the 15 percent topsoil allowance.
Want it done for you? CT Sod preps, grades, and installs across CT, MA, NY, NJ, RI, NH, VT, and ME. Send the list from the calculator, or call (203) 806-4086. See sod installation.