How Much Does Sod Installation Cost?

This article was updated using automation technology and thoroughly reviewed for accuracy by HomeAdvisor Editor Ryan Noonan.

If you're looking for an instant lush lawn, costing an average of $2,047, with typical costs ranging from $1,072 to $3,023, or $1 to $6 per square foot. Factors like your location, yard size, and sod quality will affect the cost. Proper budgeting and hiring a professional can ensure your new lawn lasts for years without frequent resodding.

Sod Installation Cost Factors

For a typical yard of one-fifth of an acre, or 8,712 square feet, you can expect to pay $8,712 to $26,136. This wide price range is based on your location, the sod type, accessibility, size and shape of the lawn, site preparation, and more.

Sod Type

The type of sod you choose has a significant impact on the price you'll pay to resod your lawn.

Sod prices range from $0.35 to $0.85 per square foot. All in, that's $1 to $6 per square foot. The type of sod you need depends on the climate where you live, how much traffic it needs to withstand, the conditions in your soil, and whether the new sod needs to be resistant to a particular disease, fungus, or pest.

Delivery Fees

Sod delivery costs between $65 and $230 per truckload. Your pro may already have included this cost in the total project price. However, some landscaping companies may charge it as a separate fee.

Similarly, if you're planning to do the work yourself, you'll have to pay the delivery cost unless you have a large vehicle capable of carrying a significant amount of weight, as sod is very heavy.

Size and Shape of the Area

The size and shape of your lawn will significantly impact your cost. If you have a larger lawn, you'll need more sod, which increases material costs. Irregular shapes, slopes, hills, or other challenging features can add up to 20% more to your total in materials and labor.

If you have an irregularly-shaped lawn, the installer should measure the area before giving you an estimate. Curves, small hills, and other unique terrain features can affect the measurements of the area.

Access to the Area

If your yard is hard to access, your installer might charge up to 20% more in labor costs. Challenges like a narrow passageway (less than 7 feet), a long distance from the parking area to your lawn, or other obstacles can make the job more time-consuming.

Site Preparation and Obstacles

Preparing your yard is crucial and can significantly affect your project's price. Features in your yard, like tree roots, large decorative rocks, or lots of debris, can act as obstacles during installation. If you have tree roots near the surface, the installer might need to take extra care to avoid damaging your trees. Consider moving large rocks if possible, or discuss with your pro how to work around them. Regrading may be necessary if your lawn is uneven or sloped, which can add $1 to $3 per square foot.

Having hardscaping in the lawn area adds to your cost in terms of labor, because it takes more time to work around these features. If a lawn has a lot of hardscape features, it can add an extra 10% to your project price. Hardscape features and permanent objects that may impact resodding cost include:

• Stepping stones

• Walkways

• Decorative rocks

• Firepit

• Raised bed

• Trees

Hire a local sod installer today to transform your lawn quickly and efficiently.

New vs. Replacement

If you're installing sod on a new construction lawn, you can expect to pay $1 to $2.50 per square foot. This is more budget-friendly since there's no old lawn to remove, and prep work is minimal. You'll just need to add nutrient-rich topsoil and lightly tamp it down. If you're resodding an existing lawn, costs start at $1 to $6 per square foot, plus an extra $1 to $3 per square foot to remove and dispose of the old grass. Regrading may also add $1 to $3 per square foot. Don't forget to factor in the cost of lawn fertilizer, which ranges from $80 to $400 per treatment.

Sod Installation Add-On Costs

To maintain a healthy lawn so you don't have to resod every few years, you may need to invest in a sprinkler system. And, to get a lush, green lawn or to repair brown patches in your sod, you may need to seed it, too. These types of add-ons can quickly increase the total price of laying sod in your backyard.

Sprinkler System

Installing a sprinkler system costs between $1,650 and $3,600.

If you have the sprinkler system installed at the same time as the sod goes down, you'll pay closer to the bottom end of the budget because installing them together is the least labor-intensive and, therefore, the most cost-effective option.

Seeding

Seeding a lawn costs between $0.09 and $0.18 per square foot, or $90 to $180 per 1,000 square feet. You may want to seed or overseed areas of the existing lawn that you haven't resodded. And, if the sod has brown patches or develops dead areas that just don't root properly, you can seed the area with minimal cost and effort to repair the damage.

DIY vs. Hiring a Sod Installer

While laying sod yourself might seem like a great way to save money, keep in mind that it requires significant time and effort. By the time you've rented equipment, performed soil tests, and purchased all the materials, you're looking at an average cost of $2,000, which is about the same as hiring a pro. A local sod installer can handle all the heavy lifting and ensure you get the right type of sod for your yard. They'll take care of everything from sod delivery to regrading and installing sprinkler systems, making the process smooth and stress-free.

How HomeAdvisor Gets Its Cost Data

No place is more important than your home, which is why HomeAdvisor connects homeowners with local pros to transform their houses into homes they love. To help homeowners prepare for their next project, HomeAdvisor provides readers with accurate cost data and follows strict editorial guidelines. We surveyed thousands of real customers about their project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We pair this data with research from reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects.