How Much Does It Cost to Install Sod?

If you want an instantly green, lush lawn without the struggle of growing grass from seed, sod can make a great addition to your property. Sod is grass that has been grown for 18 months in a controlled environment. It is cut into strips and shipped to your home so that you can lay it down and create an instant, living carpet. After a few months, it will begin to take deep root in your lawn, giving you a perfect, green yard.

Sod material and installation cost considerably more than hand-seeding or hydroseeding. The national average for a 1,500-square-foot sod lawn ranges from $2,000 - $5,000, with most people paying around $3,000 for the job.

Sod Prices

Sod Prices Per Square Foot

Most sod is sold by the pallet and priced by the square foot. Different sods have varying costs and climates where they do best:

Bahia Sod Cost ($0.25/sq.ft.)

Bahia is a warm-weather grass that can handle drought and lack of rainfall very well. It likes direct sunlight and does not tolerate shade very well, so a hot climate with lots of sun is the place for this grass. It also does not require many nutrients or fertilizers, so it is a low-maintenance lawn.

​

Fine Fescue Sod ($0.47/sq.ft.)

Fine fescue ¹ is another low-maintenance grass. It grows well in any climate and does not require much water or fertilizer. It is also drought-tolerant. It prefers shade, however, so it is good for areas with lots of nearby trees. It stays green year-round.

Tall Fescue Price ($0.54/sq.ft.)

Tall fescue ¹ is similar to fine fescue ¹ in many regards. It also does well in all climates and prefers shade. It may be faster-growing than fine fescue ¹ and can put down roots very quickly, so if you want your lawn to establish fast, this is a good choice.

Kentucky Bluegrass Cost ($0.57/sq.ft.)

This is a cool-season lawn, meaning that it grows the fastest during the cooler months of the year. It is perennial, meaning it returns year after year without needing to reseed. It handles the cold better than most other grasses.

Bentgrass Sod Prices ($0.60/sq.ft.)

Bentgrass produces a rich, dense, lush lawn with a shallow root system. It does best in cold climates, growing rapidly during the cooler months of the year. It does not do well in very hot direct sun or droughts.

St. Augustine Sod Cost ($0.67/sq.ft)

St. Augustine is a compact, blue/green grass that is salt-tolerant. It is mostly used for hot, tropical areas with a lot of humidity, heat, sun, and rain. It is slow-growing and stiff in texture, rather than soft.

​

Bermuda Sod Cost ($0.77/sq.ft.)

Bermuda grass ² does best in warm climates. It likes full, direct sunlight with little shade and is drought-tolerant. It has fairly shallow roots, about six inches down, and grows all summer long.

​

Centipede Sod Cost ($0.84/sq.ft.)

Centipede is a yellow-green grass that is slow-growing and low-maintenance. It does not require a lot of mowing, fertilizing, or watering to grow. It does best in warm climates but can handle some cooler temperatures.

Perennial Ryegrass Prices ($0.84/sq.ft.)

Perennial ryegrass returns year after year with little need to reseed. It is a cool-season grass that grows best in the spring and fall, going more dormant in the summer. It does best in northern climates.

Zoysia Sod Cost ($0.85/sq.ft.)

Zoysia takes longer to fully establish itself in a lawn. This is because it is an incredibly thick, dense grass that grows an intricate root system. It is so thick that it can help prevent weeds from growing in your yard. It does well in nearly every climate.

Sod Costs by Grade

When you purchase sod, costs may vary because of its grade ³ or the overall health and strength of its root system. Sods with less-established root systems are known as economy-grade and have starting costs of around $0.20 - $0.30 a square foot. Sods with more established root systems are known as mid-grade and have starting costs of about $0.50 - $0.60 a square foot. Sod that has a very well-established root system is known as high-grade or premium-grade and has starting costs of around $0.70 - $0.80 a square foot.

How Many Square Feet Does a Pallet of Sod Cover?

The size of a pallet of sod varies, depending on who sells it. Pallets may cover anywhere from 450 to 650 square feet with 500 square feet being common.

It is better to have too much sod than not enough. When calculating how many pallets you need to complete your job, round up to the nearest full pallet, rather than down.

Labor Costs to Install Sod Per Sq. Ft.

Labor costs to install sod vary depending on several factors, including the slope or grade ³ of your landscaping, soil condition, and shape and layout of your yard. Expect labor costs to start at around $0.80 a square foot, with most companies charging about $1.00 a square foot. For a 1,500-square-foot lawn, this makes labor costs between $1,200 and $1,500 out of the $3,000 total.

Cost Factors to Lay Sod

Many things in addition to the size of the project and sod type impact the cost of sod installation. The first is location. Sod must be delivered, and most places only guarantee their sod on the day it arrives. Sods that must travel longer distances cost significantly more in delivery fees than those that come from nearby.

Your yard’s current condition also impacts the project cost. If you have old grass that must be removed, your soil must be aerated and turned, or your lawn must be graded ³ before the sod can be rolled. These factors may increase the total price. In addition, if your lawn is oddly shaped, has obstacles like trees or rocks, or needs a lot of edging, these also impact the installation cost.

Average Lawn Grading Cost

If your lawn is not already flat or has more than gentle slopes, you may need it graded ³ or resloped prior to laying sod. This involves adding more soil to the low areas and grading ³ the entire lawn. Not every lawn requires this before sod installation, but some may do better if this is done first. On average, it costs around $1 a square foot to reslope a lawn.

If your lawn requires grading ³, expect an additional $1,500 for a 1,500-square-foot lawn. Keep in mind that it is possible to reslope or grade ³ just sections of a lawn, if the majority is flat and only needs a few areas touched up.

Prepping Your Lawn for Sod

Unless you recently had other land clearing done, you will likely need to have your yard prepared for the sod. You may choose to do this yourself to keep costs down or hire a landscaper to take care of this. Expect this to add another $0.50 per square foot to your installation costs.

Any old grass or sod should be removed. If it is dead or shallowly rooted, it can be pulled or scraped aside easily. Otherwise, it should be tilled. Tilling involves using a machine to cut the existing grass into the soil, preparing it for the new sod. The edges should also be squared and prepared to handle the new sod, and the entire area should be fertilized to make sure that it has the nutrients needed for the new grass to take root. Once completed, you can schedule your sod installation.

Best Time to Lay Sod

In most climates, the best time to lay sod is in the spring, when the weather begins to warm up but before it gets too hot. Most grasses grow best and establish their roots during the cooler months of the year, so by laying your sod in the spring, you give it a chance to settle before the high temperatures of summer set in.

If you live in an area that does not see very hot summers, you can lay your sod during the summer months as well.

Sod Delivery Fees

Sod has a range of delivery fees, depending on the traveling distance and how much sod you ordered. It is common for delivery fees to range from $50 to $100, but if your sod comes from a far distance, expect to pay as much as $200 - $250 in delivery fees.

For some large projects, it is common for the delivery fees to be waived if you purchase significant quantities of sod.

Cost to Resod a Lawn

If you had a previous sod lawn that did not take well and want to resod your lawn, you will have additional costs beyond the material and installation fees. Removal of the old sod has an average price of around $0.25 a square foot, plus preparation costs to make sure that the new sod will take. To resod a 1,500-square-foot lawn, expect the average price to be about $4,000.

Sod vs Artificial Grass

Sod provides an instant lawn, but it is not the only way to get that look. Artificial grass also gives the appearance of a fresh green lawn instantly. While sod is living grass that needs to become established, watered, and cut, artificial lawns are much lower in maintenance. They do not grow, so they do not require cutting, fertilization, and water.

Artificial grass is much more expensive to install, however, with average costs around $19,500 for a 1,500-square-foot lawn. Sod costs around $3,000 for the same area.

Enhancements and Improvement Costs

Irrigation System

Laying a new lawn is a great time to install a sprinkler system. Sod needs a lot of water in the first two weeks, and a sprinkler system ⁴ helps you achieve this more easily. Adding a sprinkler system ⁴ costs around $2,500 - $3,500.

Sod Removal

If you need to have sod removed from your lawn, starting costs are about $0.25/sq.ft. for dead sod and closer to $0.75/sq.ft. for sod with well-established roots.

Additional Considerations and Costs

Remodeling Terms Cheat Sheet

¹ Fescue: A coarse, resilient grass that stays green all year. Fescue is considered a cool-season grass, so it does well in cooler temperatures but can turn brown quickly in the heat. This means that it must be watered frequently in the summer

² Bermuda grass: A type of grass available in various versions that offer a deep-green color, drought-tolerance, dense foliage, and are great in warmer climates. Sod is carpet-like squares of grass with a layer of roots and soil that can be laid down to create a lawn much quicker than using seed

⁴ Sprinkler system: Set of equipment used to irrigate lawns