How much does a yard of sod weigh

How much does a sod pallet weigh?  You need to know that information if you’re going to pick up your grass at our office and you need to know if you can load a pallet into the bed of your truck or on your trailer.  This Michael’s guidance on the weight of a sod pallet and what kind of truck or trailer you need to transport sod.  Call us at 281-431-7441 for more information.

Summary of the How Much Does a Sod Pallet Weigh Video

A question that we are asked a lot is, “how much does a sod pallet weigh”.  A lot of people want to come here to our office and pick up the grass themselves, or they’re trying to decide whether to pay the delivery cost for the 18 wheeler to bring it to them.

Grass is incredibly heavy!  We harvest a lot of dirt on the bottom of our blocks of grass so that it gives the grass a great chance to get started, it gets started faster, and grows taller faster.  Our blocks hold together better because of the extra dirt, so that our blocks don’t fall apart on you, but that also comes with a lot of weight.

A typical sod pallet probably weighs about 2500 to 3000 pounds. One pallet contains 450 square feet of sod. So a three-quarter ton pickup would be the minimum size pickup that you could use to get a full pallet of grass.  However we’d recommend that you use a full one-ton pickup.

Picked up a half pallet of St. Augustine – ordered it the day before and it was waiting for me when I arrived. The staff is currently taking safe precautions but I was in an out in less than 15 minutes. The grass looks wonderful. I definitely would recommend this to anyone….

Jimmy Jones

Google Review

With a typical half-ton pickup, you could probably get a half pallet of sod.  We sell only the Raleigh St. Augustine sod by the partial pallet, so you could come get a half pallet of Raleigh St. Augustine with a half-ton or larger pickup.  We’d split the pallet with the forklift for you, and we set it on the back of your truck.

If you want to pick up more than a pallet of grass, you absolutely must have a trailer. 

Michael Romine

If you want to pick up more than a pallet of grass, you absolutely must have a trailer.  If you want two pallets, you need a tandem-axle trailer meaning it has to the two axles and four tires minimum and it has to be fairly heavy duty to handle two pallets of grass. To get to three pallets of grass you’re talking about a gooseneck trailer with two six to seven thousand pound axles, to be able to hold that kind of weight, and the trailer should also have trailer brakes.  A sod pallet is just very heavy.

Call Houston Grass at 281-431-7441 for Advice

If you have any questions about what kind of truck and trailer you need to bring to pick up your grass, please give us a call at 281-431-7441.  We’re just off Highway 6 in Arcola, TX, a few miles east of Sienna Plantation on McKeever Road.

Our grass sod comes from our family farm in Bay City and we’ve been growing quality grass there since 1981.  Check the reviews and testimonials we’ve received from our customers.

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Sod, or turf, is used to grow grass and complete our landscapes, giving your yard that fresh, natural, and well-kept feel. If you need to create or improve your yard, sod will usually be the first place to start. Bringing grass into your garden can take a lot of work, and requires careful planning. Transporting a 3,000 lb sod pallet can be one of the most significant difficulties.

Generally, sod is sold and transported on pallets for easy loading, hauling, and unloading. Understanding the sod pallet’s weight is vital before scheduling a grass pick-up. Only then can you be sure that your vehicle can handle transportation without damage. That way, you can check your truck’s payload/tow-load or schedule a heavy-duty truck and trailer rental, if need be.

You also need to consider various other factors affecting the sod pallet’s weight. 

What Affects a Sod Pallet’s Weight?

The pallet’s weight will depend on both the type of sod itself and the pallet used. The wooden pallet’s weight can vary depending on how it is made. The pallets used by The Grass Outlet will always be made of wood, but the type of wood and the size of the pallet will change how much it weighs.

Full pallets for sod tend to come in two sizes: one that can hold 450 sq ft of sod or one that can carry 500 sq ft. If you get a pallet that can hold 500 sq ft of grass, the pallet will be significantly heavier. On top of this, the sod itself can vary. Although our harvesting tractors are set to cut 1″ of soil with the grass, sometimes the cutters will get a little more or less when harvesting in a lower or higher spot in the fields. Further, some cultivars will hold on to the soil better than others when handled during the stacking & unstacking processes. 

Having more soil will mean that the pallet will be heavier, affecting transportation requirements. The weight of the sod will also depend on whether it is wet or dry (such as after a significant weather event). An increase in the moisture content of the soil will add weight to the sod pallet.

What Will the Final Weight Be?

The weight of any one pallet of sod will depend on the manufacturer and various environmental factors. So it is always a good idea to check with the vendor before arranging transportation. Generally, one pallet’s weight will be around 2,800 – 3,000 lbs. There are plenty of varieties of sod that will be substantially heavier too.

Checking with the professionals at The Grass Outlet will help you understand what you need. As long as you have a vehicle that can transport up to 3,000 pounds, you can assume you will be able to transport a single pallet of sod purchased from The Grass Outlet in a single trip.

Contact Us Today to Discuss Delivery Options for Your Location

Here at The Grass Outlet, we cover everything grass from location, type, and how to get it to you. We’ll help you determine approximately how many pallets your space needs if you provide us with your square footage. Get started today!