Lawn Square Footage Calculator
Calculate the area of your lawn or yard in square feet, square meters, and acres — plus get grass seed and sod roll estimates for new installations or overseeding.
Results
Seed: 4 lbs per 1,000 sq ft is typical for cool-season blends; 6 lbs for high-traffic areas. Warm-season grasses (Bermuda, Zoysia) use roughly half as much seed. Sod is sold as 10 sq ft rolls or 50 sq ft pallets — order 10% extra for cuts.
Lawn Area Formulas
Most yards are made up of basic shapes — rectangles, triangles, and the occasional circle. The trick to accurate measurement is breaking irregular shapes into these primitives.
Seed vs Sod: Which Is Right for You?
Grass Seed (DIY-friendly)
- $30–60 per 1,000 sq ft of seed
- 4–6 weeks to germinate and fill in
- Best for flat areas without erosion risk
- Requires consistent watering — 2× daily for first 2 weeks
- Cool-season planting: early fall ideal, spring secondary
Sod (instant results)
- $0.70–1.50 per sq ft installed
- Walkable in 2–3 weeks, full use in 4–6 weeks
- Best for slopes and erosion control
- Heavy watering daily for first week
- Can be installed any time during growing season
Irrigation Planning by Area
Your lawn area determines how much water and fertilizer you need. Use the estimates below as a rough guide, then adjust for your local climate, soil type, and grass variety.
💧 Weekly Water Needs
Most lawns need 1–1.5 inches of water per week during growing season (including rainfall).
Gallons per week ≈ Area (sq ft) × 0.62 × desired inches
1,000 sq ft × 1 inch = ~620 gallons/week
5,000 sq ft × 1 inch = ~3,100 gallons/week
10,000 sq ft × 1 inch = ~6,200 gallons/week
🧪 Fertilizer Application Rates
Apply 1 lb of nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft per application, 2–4 times per growing season.
Fertilizer needed (lbs) = (Area ÷ 1,000) × N-rate ÷ N-ratio
For a 5,000 sq ft lawn using 20-5-10 (20% N):
1 lb N/1k × 5 = 5 lbs N needed
5 ÷ 0.20 = 25 lbs of 20-5-10 fertilizer
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Calculators
Planning the entire outdoor project? These calculators cover the rest.
Square Feet Calculator
Calculate the square footage of any rectangular space using feet or meters.
Room Square Footage Calculator
Measure room dimensions and get instant area for floors, paint, and HVAC.
Flooring Calculator
Estimate flooring material needed with industry-standard waste percentages.
Paint Coverage Calculator
Calculate how many gallons of paint you need based on wall area and coats.
Tile Calculator
Compute total tiles, boxes, and waste for floor or wall tile projects.
Carpet Calculator
Calculate carpet square footage and yards including seam and pile allowance.
Sources
The figures on this page are based on data from these authoritative industry sources.
- The Home Depot Buyer’s Guides — Retail price ranges for flooring, paint, and finishing materials.