Sod Installation Cost | Average Costs to Lay Grass & Lawn Sod. Based on over 4,0. This will vary depending on where you live and what quality sod you order. The average cost of having sod installed on a 2,0. Economy Grade: $1,8. Midgrade: $2,9. 40. High Grade: $4,0. The costs above assume a fairly flat, rectangular yard and include sod, labor, materials, and equipment. There are other factors that can affect this figure. Area to Cover. The largest single factor in the cost of installing sod is the size of the area you need to cover. The larger the square footage, the more sod you will need and the more labor will be involved in laying it. Most sod installers will charge by the square foot. If your yard is of an irregular shape, the installer should measure the area before giving you an estimate. Curves, small hills, and other such terrain features can affect the measurements of the area. An installer may charge more for installing sod in a backyard if there is limited access. Limited access can include things such as: Less than 7’ wide passage from front to back. How far back the backyard is set (often a problem on large houses)How easy it is to get to the backyard (long driveway, stairs, etc.)Lay of the Land. If your property is on a steep slope, if there are a number of rocks and trees, or if the soil is highly compacted and needs to be roto- tilled prior to sod installation, there may be additional costs in the installation. Steep Slopes. Steep slopes require different techniques for prepping and for laying the sod. A lot of gas- powered equipment relies on gravity to feed fuel into the system, and if the equipment is at an odd angle, fuel may not be able to get to the system. This means the task will have to be done by hand, which will take quite a bit longer. Also, the sod rolls will have to be staked in place to keep them from slipping. Landscaping Obstacles. Tree roots are the bane of rototillers. Roots can run close to the surface where a rototiller could cut them. This can kill a young tree. A large tree could have roots so thick that the roto- tiller can’t cut through them. Large, decorative rocks are another obstacle to a tiller. They have to be moved, if possible, or the ground around them has to be tilled by hand if the sod is to go right up to them. But if you have rocky soil with numerous smaller, yet problematic, rocks just below the upper layers, they can hamper the installer’s ability to smooth the ground to receive the sod. Return to Top. Price of Sod. Sod is priced by the square foot and is most often sold in rolls. However, all sod is not created equal. . in 2014 the cost of sod for homeowner installation ranges between 8 and 30 cents per square foot. How much does grass sod cost per square foot? A. Sod Installation Costs & Prices. Sod Installation $3.50 per square foot installed by the Sq Ft Reported by: Timothy Funk, American Lawn & Landscape Care LLC. How Much Does It Cost to Lay Sod? DIY costs of installing sod. Usually the cost per square foot is lower for a large. You will pay more per square foot for higher quality sod. The average cost of sod bought from a home improvement store depends on the grade. The grade is the overall health and strength of the root system. Low grade sod might take a little extra care on the homeowner’s part, and it might be a little more prone to common diseases than higher grade sods. The overall average cost per square foot is: Economy Grade: $0. Midgrade: $ 0. 5. High Grade: $0. 8. The four most common species of grass used for sod are Zoysia, Bermuda, St. Augustine, and Fescue. How much each type costs depends on where you live. The species you want may not be too common where you live and will cost more to transport if it’s available at all. Cost to Install Sod. Many landscapers will charge you a price per square foot that. Here is a list of what you’ll need if you plan to install the sod. Usually the cost per square foot is lower for a large, flat area that can be installed mechanically. How much would it cost to install sod. For a basic 1000 square feet project, the cost to Install Sod. Use this calculator to get the total cost and average cost per square feet to install sod in.Zoysia. A native of the Far East, Zoysia does well in climates that replicate places like Japan and the Philippines. Zoysia is slow- growing, which means you won’t have to mow it as often. However, this also means it will be slow to bounce back from damage. The average cost per square foot is: Economy Grade: $0. Midgrade: $0. 4. 6High Grade: $0. Bermuda. Bermuda grass comes from the Mideast. Some people see it as a weed while others love it as a lawn. Whether it’s a weed or a lawn depends on whether or not you want it growing. It is a fast- growing and very invasive grass. Its root system is about 6 feet deep, so it will be very hard to get rid of if you change your mind, but this deep root system makes it very drought tolerant. The average cost per square foot is: Economy Grade: $0. Midgrade: $0. 6. 0High Grade: $0. St. Augustine. St. Augustine is drought and salt tolerant and handles heat quite well. It’s a fast- growing grass that will need frequent mowing, but it can suffer if it’s cut too low. It doesn’t handle foot traffic well. It grows best in warm, coastal areas and can handle shade, but it doesn’t do well where temperatures get below 1. Fahrenheit. It has a rich, green color that makes it very popular in spite of its shortcomings, though. The average cost per square foot is: Economy Grade: $0. Midgrade: $0. 5. 2High Grade: $0. Fescue. Fescue is one of the most popular grass species. It has about 5. 00 subspecies, the most famous of which is Kentucky 3. Dust Bowl. Fescue is found all around the world and although the shorter varieties don’t handle heavy foot traffic well, taller varieties do and they can stay green all year round with proper maintenance. Fescue is considered low maintenance and clippings can be left on the grass to serve as nutrients. The average cost per square foot is: Economy Grade: $0. Midgrade: $0. 4. 7High Grade: $0. Sod is most often sold by the pallet. One pallet normally covers square 4. Return to Top. Shopping for Sod. It is possible to buy your own sod and have someone else install it. This may affect any guarantees the installer might offer, so be sure to discuss it. It is beneficial to you, however, because you have direct control over what kind of sod and what quality will be installed. Your yard may have an unusual or complex layout. If you’re buying the sod but are going to have a professional install it, the professional will often be the one to do the measuring. They will normally add a little extra to account for difficulties, around 5% to 1. Return to Top. Professional Installation. Many landscapers will charge you a price per square foot that includes both installation and sod. The biggest advantage of hiring a professional is the end result. A professional team can hide seams, make the ground properly level, work with extreme slopes and handle things like curvy lawn borders and irregularly- shaped lawns. Other advantages include: Equipment: A team will already have the necessary equipment. A DIY sod replacement will require you to purchase or rent equipment. Time: It takes one day to prep the yard - - removing the old lawn, weeding, leveling, grading - - and then another lugging rolls of sod around to where they need to be - - cutting, watering, correcting, filling in imperfections. It can be done in a weekend, but if you have to go to work on Monday, you will probably still be quite sore and exhausted. Design: What kind of lawn do you want? What species of grass should you buy? How much shade does your yard get? A professional will know what sort of sod does well in what climates and under what conditions. Return to Top. Is DIY Less Expensive? You may decide that laying sod is simple enough that you will save money by doing it yourself. But keep in mind that to do a great job laying sod you should have a rototiller and a lawn roller to help prepare the soil and lay the sod evenly and flatly. If you need to rent this equipment you may have saved money or broken even by hiring a pro. In addition, if you do not know how to use the equipment, you may regret that you decided to do it yourself after all! Here is a list of what you’ll need if you plan to install the sod yourself: A spade or shovel for sod removal in small areas. A sod cutter for larger areas. Rent: $8. 0/day plus avg. A roto- tiller. Purchase: $1. A home soil test kit will help determine what kind of compost to get. Compost/fertilizer. About $1. 0 per 1,0. Fertilizer spreader. About $5. 0A hand tamper. About $3. 5The sod itself. Remember to include 5% to 1. A sod- cutting knife. This can be any sturdy, smooth- edged blade. Do not use a serrated edge! Over seed (optional) $5. Lawn roller to smooth out the sod and eliminate air pockets. The sod must touch the ground to establish the roots! The total cost, not including your time, is around roughly $2,0. Return to Top. Advantages of Professional Installation. Installing your own sod also has its drawbacks. Unless you are a professional installer yourself, you increase your chance for making costly mistakes. It can take a lot longer to do it yourself as opposed to having an experienced crew, and if anything goes wrong, you are responsible for it. Labor – While you may save money, you are taking on a lot of hard labor. A 2x. 5 foot roll of sod weighs about 3. Lifting and carrying that much weight might not seem so bad the first couple of rolls, but it will begin to wear on you quickly. Experience – Not all sod suppliers are alike. Some are known for providing good sod while others have a reputation for not taking care of the sod in their inventory or of selling sod that contains weeds. A good contractor usually knows where to get the best sod for the best price. They also know what sod does well in certain areas and conditions. For example, you may have your heart set on a short Fescue, but a contractor may notice that you have very active children and a playful dog, so he may recommend a Bermuda instead for its ability to bounce back from traffic damage. Responsibility – If you install your sod improperly and it doesn’t take, or if seams are painfully visible, you have no recourse other than to buy more sod and try again. This is also true if you’ve bought a sod that just doesn’t do well in your area. Laying out the rolls correctly, especially on a steep slope, is critical to keep them from slipping or separating from one another. Liability – A good contractor will have insurance in case someone gets hurt on the job. Since some power equipment is normally used, the chance for injuries increases. If you’re doing the job yourself and get hurt, or if one of your helpful friends or neighbors gets hurt, you are responsible for any and all medical bills.
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