How to Calculate Square Foot for Sod

Determine the limits of the area to be sodded. Mark these limits with the ground-marking paint.

Sketch the area to be sodded on the graph paper. Accuracy in this sketch is not essential, but be as close as possible. The more accurate the The drawing on the graph paper, the easier it is to understand. The best way to draw on the graph paper is to create a scale, or make each square equal to a certain amount of length. For example, one square on the graph paper could equal 6 inches of actual measurement.

Measure each side of the area to be covered with sod. Transfer each measurement to the corresponding line on the drawing. If an engineer's tape is not used, then round the measurements to the nearest 6 inches. This will make determining the area easier.

Break the drawing down into basic shapes, i.e., circles, squares, triangles. This can be done by drawing lines on the graph paper to create the shapes.

Determine the area of each basic shape. Formulas to determine the areas of shapes are: square and rectangle---length X width; circle---radius X radius X 3.14; triangle---base X height / 2. These are the easiest shapes to break the yard into.

Add the areas of all the basic shapes together to get the total area. Add 10 percent to this total for waste and other unexpected problems.