Sod is sold by the pallet, and the first surprise for most Monmouth homeowners is how quickly the pallets add up — and how heavy they are. Here's the math we walk customers through every week.
What one pallet actually covers
A standard pallet of tall fescue holds roughly 450–500 square feet of grass. Measure your lawn area (length × width for each section, then add them up) and divide by 450 to be safe:
| Lawn size | Pallets needed |
|---|---|
| 900 sq ft (small front yard) | 2 |
| 2,250 sq ft (typical front + side) | 5 |
| 4,500 sq ft (full property) | 10 |
| 9,000 sq ft (large corner lot) | 20 |
Always round up. Running one roll short at 4 PM on install day is the most expensive 40 square feet you'll ever buy.
The part nobody mentions: weight
A fresh-cut pallet weighs 1,500–3,000 pounds depending on how much rain the farm had that week. It arrives by truck, gets set on your driveway, and does not move again without machinery. If your lawn wraps behind the house, every roll travels by wheelbarrow — plan your delivery spot accordingly.
Fresh sod is also perishable. In a Monmouth County summer, a stacked pallet starts cooking itself within 24 hours. Whatever you order has to be laid the same day it lands.
DIY pallet math vs. installed math
By the time you price pallets, delivery, topsoil, lime, starter fertilizer, a roller rental, and a weekend of labor, most people find the gap to professional installation smaller than expected. Our installed price is $2.85 per square foot, everything included — tear-out of the old lawn, composted topsoil, amendments, farm-fresh tall fescue, rolling, and 30 days of aftercare guidance. Run your own number in ten seconds with the pricing calculator.
The honest rule of thumb: under ~800 square feet and you enjoy the work, DIY can make sense. Beyond that, the pallets win the argument for us.
Ordering in Monmouth County
We install from Freehold to Middletown to Wall Township, usually finishing in a single day. Text 848-276-6620 with your address and a rough square footage and Jessica will send back a real number — pallets, prep, and all.