When undertaking a landscaping project, covering large areas quickly often involves purchasing grass in palletized form, commonly known as sod. Sod is pre-grown turf, including the grass, roots, and a layer of soil, which is harvested in strips and rolled up for transport. Understanding the coverage provided by this material is the first step in accurately planning and budgeting a turf installation project. This article clarifies the standard coverage area of a typical pallet of grass and provides actionable steps for calculating specific project needs.
Standard Pallet Coverage
A standard full pallet of grass is engineered to cover a specific surface area, though the exact measurement varies slightly based on the supplier and geographic region. Generally, a full pallet is designed to cover between 400 and 500 square feet of area. This range accounts for differences in how the sod is cut and stacked to manage total weight for transportation.
The sod is typically cut into uniform strips before being stacked. A common dimension for an individual sod roll is 2 feet wide by 5 feet long, resulting in 10 square feet of coverage per roll. The typical thickness of the harvested sod, including the soil and root system, ranges between 0.5 to 1.5 inches.
A pallet covering 450 square feet would contain 45 individual rolls of sod, while a 500 square foot pallet holds 50 rolls. This packaging structure allows for efficient handling and installation across large spaces. The total square footage is determined by multiplying the length and width of the individual pieces and aggregating the total number of pieces placed on the pallet.
Why Pallet Sizes Change
The slight variation in coverage often stems from the intrinsic characteristics of the grass variety being harvested. Different turf species possess varying moisture retention and root density, which directly impacts the total weight of the harvested sod. Varieties like Zoysia or thick-bladed Fescue, known for their dense root structures, may be significantly heavier than a standard Bermuda grass.
To maintain a manageable and safe weight limit for forklifts and transport vehicles, growers may slightly reduce the total square footage on a pallet when dealing with these heavier, denser turf types. A pallet of a particularly dense grass might be capped at 400 square feet, while a lighter species could reach 500 square feet. This adjustment ensures the structural integrity of the pallet and the safety of the delivery process.
Regional supplier standards also play a role in defining the pallet size. Some local turf farms establish a standard of 450 square feet per pallet, while others may consistently package to 500 square feet. This localized difference necessitates confirming the exact coverage with the supplier before placing an order.
Measuring Your Area and Ordering
Accurately calculating the area requiring sod is necessary for minimizing waste and ensuring complete coverage. For simple square or rectangular areas, measure the length and width of the space and multiply them together to determine the total square footage. Irregularly shaped areas should be broken down into multiple smaller squares, rectangles, or triangles to make the measurement process more accurate.
Once the base square footage is calculated, incorporate a waste factor to account for cutting and shaping around garden beds, pathways, and irregular borders. Industry practice recommends adding a buffer of 5% to 10% to the total calculated area. This addition ensures enough material is available to make precise cuts and account for any minor damage that might occur during installation.
The final step involves dividing the total adjusted square footage needed by the specific coverage of the pallet offered by your supplier. For example, if 1,000 square feet are required and the supplier’s pallet covers 450 square feet, the calculation (1000 / 450) yields 2.22 pallets. Since turf is typically sold in full pallet increments, this result must be rounded up, meaning three full pallets would be necessary to complete the project.