How to Measure the Square Feet of Sod Installation

Break the area you want to cover with sod into regular shapes if the shape of the yard is irregular. For example, if you have a rectangular yard in the back but also a rectangular strip that you want to sod around the side of the house you want to sod, break the yard up into two rectangles.

Measure the dimensions of the area you want to cover with sod in feet. For ovals, measure the length and width, meaning the longest distance through the center and the shortest distance through the center. For rectangles, measure the length and width. For circles, measure the diameter -- the distance through the center of the circle -- and divide by 2 to find the radius.

Calculate the area of each section of your yard using the appropriate area formula. If you did not break your yard up into sections, just calculate the area of the yard. For oval yards, multiply the length times the width times 0.8. For rectangular yards, multiply the length times the width. For circular yards, multiply 3.14 by the square of the radius. For example, if you have a rectangular section measuring 19 ft. by 10 ft., the area equals 190 sq. ft.

Add the area of each section of your yard together to find the total square footage of sod you need to install. For example, if one section equals 190 sq. ft. and another equals 50 sq. ft., add 190 and 50 to get 240 sq. ft.