How much sod do I need for 500 square feet?
For 500 square feet of lawn, order 525 square feet of sod to allow 5 percent for trimming around curves and edges. That is 1.5 pallets at the common 450 square feet per pallet, or 53 rolls of 2 × 5 ft sod, and it weighs about 0.7 tons. Farms that ship 500 square foot pallets will send 1.5.
Pallets of sod for 500 square feet
| Pallet coverage | Pallets, exact | Pallets to order | Approx. pallet weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 400 sq ft | 1.31 | 1.5 | 0.5 tons |
| 450 sq ft | 1.17 | 1.5 | 0.6 tons |
| 500 sq ft | 1.05 | 1.5 | 0.6 tons |
| 600 sq ft | 0.88 | 1.0 | 0.8 tons |
All rows assume 525 square feet ordered, which is 500 square feet plus 5 percent for trimming. Pallet sizes vary by farm; confirm yours before ordering.
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Delivery and handling for 500 square feet
0.7 tons of sod is about what a trailer or a few pickup loads can handle, but delivery is usually worth the fee. Sod is cut the morning it ships and starts to cook inside the pallet, so it must be laid the same day, especially in summer. At roughly 100 square feet laid per person per hour, 500 square feet is 5.0 person-hours: a morning for two people. Have the soil graded, raked, and lightly watered before the truck arrives, and the sprinkler ready to run as each section goes down.
What 500 square feet of sod costs
Sod runs 35 to 85 cents per square foot depending on grass type and region, so 525 square feet is about $184 to $446 for the sod itself, or $225 to $675 by the pallet. Delivery adds $50 to $150 per trip. Professional installation including soil prep usually lands at $1 to $2 per square foot, or $500 to $1,000 for this lawn. Seeding the same area costs a small fraction of that; compare with the grass seed calculator.
Common questions
How many pallets of sod for 500 square feet?
1.5 pallets at 450 square feet per pallet, 1.5 at 400, or 1.5 at 500, including 5 percent extra for trimming. Ask your sod farm how many square feet are on their pallet.
How many rolls of sod for 500 square feet?
53 rolls of the standard 2 × 5 ft (10 square foot) size, or 197 of the 16 × 24 in slabs common in the South, to cover 525 square feet with trimming allowance.
How much does 500 square feet of sod weigh?
About 0.7 tons, or 1,312 pounds, at roughly 2.5 pounds per square foot. Wet sod after rain can weigh 30 percent more. Plan on delivery rather than hauling it.