Lawn Square Footage Calculator: Seed, Fertiliser, and Turf Coverage
Grass seed, fertiliser, pre-emergent, herbicide, and overseeding blends all list coverage in square feet. Too little seed leaves thin patches where weeds move in fast. Too much fertiliser per square foot burns turf and wastes money. Lawn square footage is the one number that sets every application rate.
Measure the lawn, not the whole lot. Take out the house footprint, driveways, sidewalks, planting beds, and any paved surface. What remains is turf square footage: the grass that actually gets seed, fertiliser, and treatments.
Measuring Your Lawn Area
On a rectangular lot with a rectangular house: (Total lot area) minus (house footprint) minus (driveway and walkways) minus (planting beds). On irregular lots, measure front yard, back yard, and side yards separately, then add the sections.
Walking measurement works for product rates. A typical adult stride is about 2.5 feet. 40 strides × 2.5 = 100 ft. Pace the boundaries for a rough estimate. Use a 100 ft tape when you need exact numbers for ordering.
Lawn Product Coverage Reference
- Grass seed (new lawn): 3-5 lbs per 1,000 sq ft depending on species (fescue 6-8 lbs, Bermuda 2-3 lbs)
- Grass seed (overseeding): 2-3 lbs per 1,000 sq ft
- Starter fertiliser (new lawn): varies; most bags cover 5,000 sq ft
- Granular fertiliser (maintenance): most bags cover 5,000-15,000 sq ft; always read the label
- Pre-emergent crabgrass preventer: most bags cover 5,000-10,000 sq ft
- Liquid weed killer (broadcast): typically 32 oz covers 5,000 sq ft at label dilution
- Lime (pelletised): 50 lb bag covers 1,000 sq ft for 1 pH point correction
- Peat moss (top dressing): 1 cu ft bale covers 30-50 sq ft at 1/4" depth
Sod Installation Square Footage
Sod is sold by the pallet or by the piece (roll). A standard sod piece is 16"×24" = 2.67 sq ft. One pallet covers approximately 450-500 sq ft depending on the supplier. Divide lawn square footage by 450 to estimate pallets. Add 5% waste for edging cuts around beds and curves. Sod cannot be returned after delivery. Measure carefully and confirm square footage with your supplier before ordering.
Artificial turf is ordered like carpet, by linear yard off a roll (typically 15 ft wide). Measure lawn area, add 10% waste for seams and edge cuts, and divide by roll width for linear yards.
Related tools: yard calculator · landscaping calculator · rectangle calculator · irregular shape
Lawn Renovation: Aeration and Overseeding
Core aeration pulls 2-3 inch plugs of soil every 3-4 inches across the lawn to cut compaction and let water, air, and nutrients reach roots. Walk-behind aerators typically cover 3,000-5,000 sq ft per hour. Knowing lawn square footage lets you estimate rental time and cost before you pick up the machine. Overseeding after aeration uses 2-3 lbs per 1,000 sq ft, about half the new-lawn rate because existing grass helps the seed establish. A 3,500 sq ft lawn needs 7-10.5 lbs of overseeding blend. Starter fertiliser (high in phosphorus) at overseeding: most 5,000 sq ft bags cover the whole lawn in one pass.