Sod-Install Video
How Much Does it Cost to Have Sod Installed?
The planning, purchase, and installation of sod lawn can be quite an ordeal. While you can install it yourself, the selection of a contractor that has done it long enough to be able to:
- Plan efficiency into the job,
- Purchase the right sod with your geographic and spot considerations and
- Install with the greatest amount of success in producing a beautiful end-product is worth considering.
The right contractor shouldn’t be afraid to spent time with you on the fine details of what you want the end product to look like. Do you want to use the same grass found in other places of your lawn? Do you want to change things up and use a grass that has different properties (i.e. it remains green longer throughout the winters in the south or stays greener longer in drought conditions) than other grass at your home or business? Does the job require the removal of an existing lawn? When do you need the project completed? Realize that while you may want it tomorrow, the availability of the contractors is important. Also, not all contractors are good with their time. Some will take longer than others for the same job. A contractors with a track-record of being on-time, starting on-time, and finishing on-time are gold when you come across them! Remember too that sod is not available year-round. When you are ready for sod, it may not be ready for you. Finally, what is your price range? Sure, you can install sod yourself. We know that. But realize that using a reputable contractor can mean the difference between you spending weeks to get your lawn or 1-2 days to complete.
The cost of installing sod is the result of a large number of factors. Remember that every job a contractor performs not only has to cover the cost of what they do for you, but needs to cover the cost of the product they are installing too. The cost to get your job done quickly comes down to having enough workers and equipment on the job site when needed. These also have to be factored into the price of your job since quality workers shouldn’t be asked to work for free. .Liability insurance (so that you don’t pay if their equipment backs up unto your garden gnome) is another cost and is something that you definitely want your contractor to have paid for!
When installing a sod lawn, the ground must be ready when the sod is delivered. Leaving sod out in the sun is a sure-fire way to kill your new grass. So, find a contractor who is organized enough to be able to efficiently plan for all of the steps in their particular order.
When the soil is ready, it’s laid in a way that assures the edges are firmly placed and any low spots are filled with dirt and covered with a section of sod. Air pockets between the sod and soil will mean dead grass is soon to come!
In a matrix design, turn over the grass utilizing a garden roller, which can be leased. Breaking point traffic on the turf however much as could reasonably be expected for the following a little while.
The outer edges of the sod may have to butt up to buildings or fixtures or merge into existing lawns. There are different ways these transitions are made and a good contractor will discuss this with you.
Water… water… water.
After your sod lawn is installed, it will be up to you to see that it gets enough water during those initial, critical first-weeks when the roots need to move down into the soil. Without water, your grass will die. Your contractor should discuss with you the water needs of your new sod lawn.
Knowing when the lawn is safe to mow is question we get asked often. Usually give it at least 2 weeks, though 3 is better, before you mow it the first time. Not sure if the lawn is ready? You can determine this by pulling out and feeling a section of the sod for any signs of resistance. If there is, then it’s time to bring out the mower.
The price of a contractor-installed sod lawn is usually about $0.60 to $1.00 per SF of sod being laid. The actual price comes down to what the contractor needs to charge for all of the things mentioned in the third paragraph above.
When you hire a company like B&C Irrigation, you are hiring a company to provide you with a finished lawn. Do your homework by asking the company for references of others who had a new lawn installed by them.
Looking to get a new lawn? Give us a call at 256-851-2776 today for your free sod-lawn quote!
