Free tool · No sign-up
Grass seed calculator: pounds for your lawn
The short answer
Divide the lawn’s square feet by 1,000 and multiply by the rate on the bag. A 5,000 square foot lawn at 7 pounds per 1,000 square feet takes 35 pounds. Penn State Extension lists 6 to 8 pounds for turf-type tall fescue and 2 to 3 pounds for Kentucky bluegrass, so the type of grass matters a lot.
Enter the lawn’s size and the rate for your seed. You’ll get pounds and bags, and a price if you’re seeding a customer’s lawn.
Seed you need
35 pounds
5,000 square feet at 7 pounds per 1,000 square feet.
- Area in acres
- 0.11
- Pounds per acre at this rate
- 305
- 25 lb bags
- 2
Price for this job
- Materials (35 × $5.00)
- $175.00
- Labor
- $0.00
- Markup
- $35.00
- Price to quote
- $210.00
How it works
Pounds = square feet ÷ 1,000 × pounds per 1,000 square feet. The bag’s label is the best source for the rate.
| Grass | Rate |
|---|---|
| Kentucky bluegrass | 2 to 3 |
| Bluegrass and ryegrass blend | 3 to 4 |
| Perennial ryegrass | 4 to 5 |
| Fine fescues | 4 to 5 |
| Turf-type tall fescue | 6 to 8 |
These come from Penn State Extension (opens in a new tab). The page is an older one (1997), and rates vary by climate and seed, so check your own state’s extension service and the bag.
Common questions
How much grass seed do I need?
How much grass seed do I need per acre?
Does overseeding take less seed?
Is sod or seed cheaper?
More free tools
Sod calculator
Square feet, rolls and pallets of sod for a lawn.
Topsoil calculator
Cubic yards and tons of topsoil or dirt for any area.
Lawn care pricing calculator
What to charge per mow, from lawn size, speed and drive time.
The next job starts with a phone call
CoveDesk picks up when you’re loading the truck, takes the details and texts them to you.