A new spread of sod is eye candy for a newly built home; it creates an instant makeover and can transform property. It’s especially effective when a home changes its shape with a room addition, because it brings the property and landscape together. While seeding is a less expensive choice, sod is the chosen alternative when the soil is less than hospitable to grass seed and when a fast facelift is the goal.
Laying sod is strenuous work, but it’s the easy part of this improvement because the real work is done before the sod is rolled onto the soil. The prep work can require long and hard work, digging out rocks and debris, and raking and grading the soil so it’s level and free of weeds. A lot depends on the condition of the soil.
A landscaper or sod farm will charge $1,850, which includes labor and material, to lay 500 square feet of sod. You can buy the sod for $900 and do the work, pocketing a 51 percent saving. Some landscapers and sod farms charge extra for delivery, so this cost will vary.
Scheduling is an important phase of this project because sod should be laid soon after it’s delivered so it doesn’t dry out. You'll need typical gardening tools like a shovel, lawn rake, hose and sprinkler, plus a wheelbarrow if there are heavy stones to remove. Plan to rent or borrow a lawn roller (adding about $30 a day to your cost) to use after the sod is laid, because it presses the sod into the soil, starts its growth process, and removes any air pockets below the sod.
A cool spell followed by a few days of soaking rain is ideal weather. A lawn of freshly laid sod requires high maintenance. Plan to water it frequently and ward off foot traffic until it’s taken root.
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Pro Cost — DIY Cost — Pro time — DIY Time — DIY Savings — Percent Saved
$1850 — $900 — 6.0 — 10 — $950 — 51 Percent
