How to Calculate Area for Sod

Laying sod allows homeowners to achieve a lush, green yard in the span of an afternoon. Many people opt to have sod installed by a professional landscaping company, but the high cost of sod leads some people to attempt planting the grass themselves to avoid installation costs. No matter who is doing the labor, homeowners need to calculate a rough estimate of the total square footage of the area being sodded to avoid having too much or too little sod on installation day.

Paper
Pencil
Measuring tape
Calculator

Instructions

- 1
  Sketch out a rough drawing of the yard. Include the house itself and any objects or areas not receiving sod, such as trees, pathways or garden beds.
- 2
  Measure the square footage of the entire yard. Jot down the length and width of the yard, then multiply them together to determine the total square footage for the area. Measure any odd offshoots or jutting areas of lawn separately and add their square footage to the yard's total.
- 3
  Take the square footage measurements for all the objects and areas not being laid with sod, such as the house, any garden beds and walkways. Write down the square footage for each object.
- 4
  Add together the square footage of all the objects and areas not receiving sod to determine the total square footage of the no-sod areas.
- 5
  Subtract the square footage of the areas not being sodded from the total square footage of the yard. The result is the rough total square footage for the portion of the yard being sodded.
- 6
  Divide the square footage of the area being sodded by nine. Sod is sold in square yards, and dividing the total square feet by nine lets you know how many square yards of sod to order.
  
  For a simple example, a homeowner sodding 1,800 square feet will need to order 200 square yards of sod (1,800 divided by 9 equals 200).

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