Once you've decided to use sod for your lawn, figuring out just how much can be a daunting task. We've provided the following tips, pulled from Turf Producers International to help you in the process. If you still need some help we'd be glad to work it out with you. The first step to take is to break down the area into shapes you can work with, then move on to the sections below to figure out how much turf you need. We'll do our best to not make this feel too much like geometry class all over again. We've included the formulas for your information, but all you really need to do is put your numbers into the forms below. The forms will do all of the calculations for each shape for you.
Square and Rectangular Areas
The easiest shapes to work with are square or rectangular areas. If your lawn can be made into several rectangles
you'll have the easiest time calculating the area. Just measure the width of your rectangle, then its length and
multiply those two numbers. So the formula is:
Area = Width x Height
For circular areas you only need one measurement, the distance across the circle, or diameter (as shown in the
image at the right). The formula then is:
Area = (Diameter / 2)2 x 3.14
Oval areas need measurements similar to a rectangle. Simply take the length from one end to the other,
and the width at the widest point. The formula you need then is:
Area = 0.8 x Width x Length
Triangles are another fairly simple shape. As illustrated at the right it's simply a matter of taking the
height at the tallest point and the width at the base of the triangle and then multiplying those by half. So in this
case the formula you need is:
Area = 0.5 x Width x Height
There may be some situations where you can't make these shapes work for you. The vast majority of the time, though, this information will get you just the answer you need. When you do order your sod, keep in mind that you'll need to order at least a small amount of sod extra to account for trimming and shaping to fit your lawn. If you've got quite a few shapes and corners in your lawn, make sure to figure in that much more sod to account for all of the trimming needed.
