Sod vs Grass Seed: Cost, Timing and Which to Choose

Sod gives you a lawn in a day. Seed gives you a lawn in a season, for a fraction of the cost. Neither is "better": the right choice depends on your budget, your patience, the season, and how steep and shady the site is. This guide compares them, and shows how much of each to buy.

At a glance

How much sod do you need?

Sod is bought by the square foot (or by the roll or pallet), so the calculation is the area of the lawn plus 5 to 10% for cuts. A standard roll covers 10 ft² (2 × 5 ft), and a pallet is roughly 450 ft², although it varies by grower. A 1,000 ft² lawn needs about 1,050 ft² with 5% waste, which is 105 rolls, or just over two pallets. The sod calculator works it out for any shape and shows the cost.

How much grass seed do you need?

Seed is spread at a rate per 1,000 ft², and the rate varies a lot with the species, since seed sizes differ. For a new lawn of 1,000 ft², typical amounts are:

These are typical figures. Coated seed and blends may specify different rates, so follow the bag when it differs. The grass seed calculator uses these rates.

When to plant

• Cool-season grasses (bluegrass, fescue, ryegrass) are best seeded from late summer to early fall. The soil is warm, the air is cooler, there is less weed competition, and rain is more reliable. Early spring is a second choice.
• Warm-season grasses (bermuda, zoysia, St. Augustine) are best planted in late spring to early summer, when the soil is warm.
• Sod can go down most of the year, avoiding mid-summer heat and when the ground is frozen. It needs a lot of water in hot weather.

Preparing the ground

The preparation matters as much as the grass. For either method:

1. Clear debris, rocks and old weeds, and kill existing turf if you are replacing it.
2. Loosen the top 4 to 6 inches of soil, and mix in compost or topsoil if the soil is poor or compacted. Use the topsoil calculator to work out how much.
3. Grade so water drains away from buildings, and rake it smooth.
4. For sod, set the soil level an inch below sidewalks and driveways to allow for the sod's thickness.
5. Consider a soil test to see whether the pH or nutrients need correcting.

Aftercare

Sod: water it right after laying and keep it moist (not soggy) for the first two weeks, until it has rooted. Avoid walking on it for the first couple of weeks. Do the first mowing when the roots have taken hold, usually after about two weeks.

Seed: keep the seedbed consistently damp until germination, which may mean light watering two to three times a day. Then water less often but more deeply as the grass grows. Wait until it is about 3 to 4 inches tall for the first mow, and never remove more than a third of the blade at a time.

Which should you choose?

• Choose sod if you need an instant lawn, have a slope or erosion problem, want to avoid weeds and mud, or are selling the house.
• Choose seed if you have a large area, a limited budget, can wait a season, and plant at the right time of year. Seed also lets you choose a variety suited to shade, drought or heavy traffic.
• Combine them: sod the visible front lawn and seed the back, or use seed and straw on slopes with erosion-control blankets.