Sod installation costs a national average of $2,077, with most homeowners paying between $1,080 and $3,073, based on 9,489 verified Angi projects.1 HomeAdvisor publishes the same average and range — the two are corporate siblings, and matching figures alone don’t establish independent corroboration.2 Per square foot, HomeGuide prices a new lawn at $1 to $2 installed and resodding an existing yard at $1.50 to $4, LawnStarter averages $1.65 installed, and Angi and HomeAdvisor quote $1 to $6 all-in.1,2,3,4 Bob Vila’s sod figures date from 2023 and are attributed to HomeAdvisor.5 Figures below are the latest published national figures* from each source.
*National figures, not local quotes. Angi was updated September 8, 2026; HomeAdvisor was updated June 19, 2026; HomeGuide was updated October 31, 2025; LawnStarter was updated October 5, 2026; Bob Vila was updated June 4, 2023. Your price depends on yard size, grass type, soil prep, and local labor.
$2,077
national average (Angi, 2026)
$1,080 – $3,073
typical range (Angi, HomeAdvisor)
$1 – $2
per sq. ft. installed, new lawn (HomeGuide)
$0.60
per sq. ft. materials average (LawnStarter)
What sources say
| Source | Figure | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Angi | $2,077 average; $1,080 – $3,073 typical; $1 – $6 per sq. ft. all-in; 1,000 sq. ft. new lawn $1,000 – $2,500 | Sod installation guide (2026 data, updated September 8, 2026) |
| HomeAdvisor | $2,077 average; $1,080 – $3,073 normal range; new lawn $1 – $2.50 per sq. ft.; resod $2 – $4.50 per sq. ft. | Sod installation guide (updated June 19, 2026) |
| HomeGuide | New lawn $1 – $2 per sq. ft. installed; resod $1.50 – $4 per sq. ft.; 1,000 – 1,500 sq. ft. average $1,000 – $3,000 | Sod installation guide (updated October 31, 2025) |
| LawnStarter | Sod materials average $0.60 per sq. ft.; $1.65 per sq. ft. installed; 2,000 sq. ft. about $3,300 installed | Sod pricing guide (updated October 5, 2026) |
| Bob Vila | Pallet $150 – $450, average $300, attributed to HomeAdvisor; materials $0.35 – $0.85 per sq. ft. | Sod prices guide (updated June 4, 2023) |
Angi and HomeAdvisor are corporate siblings and publish the same average, range, and grass-type table — matching figures alone don’t establish independent corroboration.1,2 Bob Vila’s pallet range is the HomeAdvisor figure as of Bob Vila’s 2023 update; LawnStarter publishes the same $150 to $450 pallet range in its 2026 guide.4,5
Cost per square foot
Installed pricing depends on whether the ground is bare or an old lawn has to come out first. HomeGuide puts a new lawn at $1 to $2 per square foot installed and resodding at $1.50 to $4, with old grass removal adding $0.50 to $2.3 HomeAdvisor splits it the same way at $1 to $2.50 for a new lawn and $2 to $4.50 for resodding.2 LawnStarter’s $1.65-per-square-foot installed average bundles the sod, delivery, basic ground prep, and installation.4 Angi and HomeAdvisor quote $1 to $6 per square foot all-in; Angi’s own cost-calculation table prices the base installation at $1 to $2 per square foot and $3 to $8 with optional work such as old-sod removal and leveling — the page publishes both figures.1,2
Cost by lawn size
| Lawn size | Angi / HomeAdvisor (new lawn) | Angi / HomeAdvisor (resod) | HomeGuide (new lawn installed) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500 sq. ft. | $500 – $1,300 | $1,000 – $2,300 | $500 – $1,000 |
| 1,000 sq. ft. | $1,000 – $2,500 | $2,000 – $4,500 | $1,000 – $2,000 |
| 1,500 sq. ft. | $1,500 – $3,800 | $3,000 – $6,800 | $1,500 – $3,000 |
| 2,000 sq. ft. | $2,000 – $5,000 | $4,000 – $9,000 | $2,000 – $4,000 |
| 5,000 sq. ft. | $5,000 – $12,500 | $10,000 – $22,500 | $5,000 – $10,000 |
| 1/4 acre | $10,900 – $27,300 | $21,800 – $49,000 | $11,000 – $22,000 |
Angi notes a 500-square-foot yard can cost as low as $450 and a 2,000-square-foot yard more than $5,650.1 LawnStarter’s worked examples put 2,000 square feet at about $3,300 installed (about $1,200 for materials alone) and a 1/5-acre yard at about $5,227 for the sod itself or about $14,375 with professional installation and basic prep.4 Bob Vila’s 2023 guide priced purchasing sod for a 1/5-acre yard at $3,025 to $8,025 — an older figure than LawnStarter’s, and the sources do not establish the reason for the gap.4,5
Cost by grass type
| Grass (per sq. ft.) | HomeGuide materials | LawnStarter materials | LawnStarter installed | Angi / HomeAdvisor installed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bahia | $0.20 – $0.40 | $0.20 – $0.33 | $0.77 – $1.26 | $1.20 – $2.40 |
| Bermuda | $0.30 – $0.85 | $0.44 – $0.83 | $1.01 – $1.76 | $1.35 – $2.85 |
| Centipede | $0.35 – $0.90 | $0.78 – $0.85 | $1.35 – $1.78 | $1.75 – $2.85 |
| Fescue | $0.35 – $0.70 | $0.32 – $0.67 | $0.89 – $1.60 | $1.35 – $2.65 |
| Kentucky bluegrass | $0.30 – $0.55 | $0.29 – $0.43 | $0.86 – $1.36 | $1.35 – $2.40 |
| Ryegrass | $0.40 – $0.85 | $0.28 – $0.58 | $0.85 – $1.51 | $1.35 – $2.65 |
| St. Augustine | $0.30 – $0.80 | $0.41 – $0.86 | $0.98 – $1.79 | $1.35 – $2.75 |
| Zoysia | $0.28 – $0.80 | $0.47 – $0.72 | $1.04 – $1.65 | $1.40 – $2.85 |
Installed figures include different bundles by source: LawnStarter’s installed column covers sod, delivery, basic prep, and labor, while Angi’s table is labeled labor and materials and HomeAdvisor labels its column all-in.1,2,4 Bob Vila adds a grade dimension its 2023 guide prices at $0.20 to $0.30 per square foot for economy-grade sod, $0.50 to $0.65 for mid-grade, and $0.70 to $0.80 for high-grade.5
Materials: pallets, rolls, and delivery
| Item | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sod materials per sq. ft. | $0.35 – $0.85 | HomeAdvisor; Bob Vila (2023, attributed to HomeAdvisor) |
| Sod materials per sq. ft. | average $0.60 | LawnStarter |
| Per pallet | HomeGuide $130 – $360; LawnStarter $150 – $450; Bob Vila $150 – $450 (average $300, attributed) | HomeGuide, LawnStarter, Bob Vila |
| Pallet coverage | 400 – 500 sq. ft. (HomeGuide); about 450 sq. ft. (Angi, HomeAdvisor); 450 – 500 sq. ft. (LawnStarter) | HomeGuide, Angi, HomeAdvisor, LawnStarter |
| Per roll | $3 – $8 (HomeGuide, Bob Vila); $4 – $7.50 (LawnStarter) | HomeGuide, Bob Vila, LawnStarter |
| Delivery | $65 – $230 per truckload (Angi, LawnStarter); $50 – $250 per load (HomeGuide); $90 – $350 (Bob Vila, 2023) | Angi, LawnStarter, HomeGuide, Bob Vila |
| Installed per pallet | $400 – $1,000, 4 to 5 hours of work, excluding old grass removal | HomeGuide |
HomeAdvisor’s own page lists delivery two ways: its cost-overview box says $150 to $230 per truckload while its delivery section says $65 to $230 — the page publishes both.2 Rolls cover about 10 square feet, though Bob Vila notes roll sizes vary across retailers.5 HomeGuide recommends ordering 5% to 10% extra sod for cutting waste, and LawnStarter notes bulk orders can drop the per-square-foot price by 15% to 40%.3,4
Labor cost to lay sod
HomeGuide puts installation labor at $0.50 to $1 per square foot or $35 to $80 per hour.3 LawnStarter publishes $0.55 to $1 per square foot or $37.50 to $77.50 per hour, including placing the rolls and initial watering.4 Bob Vila’s 2023 labor figure of $0.15 to $0.60 per square foot reaches lower than either current band; its page attributes its cost data to HomeAdvisor, and the sources do not establish the reason for the gap.5 Angi prices labor for a 2,000-square-foot yard at $2,000 to $4,000, with landscapers charging $50 to $150 per hour, or $35 to $75 per hour for labor-only work when the homeowner buys materials separately.1
Prep work and add-ons
| Item | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Old grass removal | $0.50 – $2 per sq. ft. (HomeGuide, Bob Vila); $1 – $2 per sq. ft. (Angi); $0.88 – $1.84 per sq. ft. incl. disposal (LawnStarter) | HomeGuide, Bob Vila, Angi, LawnStarter |
| Grading / leveling | $1 – $3 per sq. ft. (Angi, HomeAdvisor); $0.40 – $2 per sq. ft. (HomeGuide); tilling and grading $0.90 – $2 per sq. ft. (LawnStarter) | Angi, HomeAdvisor, HomeGuide, LawnStarter |
| Soil testing | $20 – $100, about $60 on average (Angi); $10 – $50 (HomeGuide); $12 – $30 for a basic kit (LawnStarter) | Angi, HomeGuide, LawnStarter |
| Topsoil per cubic yard | $12 – $55 (Angi, Bob Vila); $10 – $50 (HomeGuide); $12 – $50 (LawnStarter) | Angi, Bob Vila, HomeGuide, LawnStarter |
| Fertilizer | $0.02 – $0.08 per sq. ft. (Angi); $0.02 – $0.07 per sq. ft. (LawnStarter); $75 – $375 per treatment (HomeAdvisor) | Angi, LawnStarter, HomeAdvisor |
| Seeding (comparison) | $0.10 – $0.20 per sq. ft. (HomeAdvisor); $0.09 – $0.19 per sq. ft. (LawnStarter); overseeding $0.04 – $0.18 and hydroseeding $0.12 – $0.35 per sq. ft. (HomeGuide) | HomeAdvisor, LawnStarter, HomeGuide |
| Sprinkler system | $1,650 – $3,600 (Angi, HomeAdvisor); $3,000 – $10,000 (HomeGuide); $1,700 – $3,500 (Bob Vila, 2023); $0.29 – $0.48 per sq. ft. for a basic above-ground system (LawnStarter) | Angi, HomeAdvisor, HomeGuide, Bob Vila, LawnStarter |
| Artificial turf (comparison) | $10 – $25 per sq. ft. (HomeGuide); $15 – $19 per sq. ft. (LawnStarter) | HomeGuide, LawnStarter |
| Difficult access / obstacles | up to 10% more (Angi, HomeAdvisor); about 15% to 20% more (LawnStarter) | Angi, HomeAdvisor, LawnStarter |
| Hot-weather surcharge | labor up 10% to 15% above 95°F | HomeGuide |
| Sodding permit | $40 – $300 where required; HomeGuide notes not all cities require them | HomeGuide |
The sprinkler figures describe different scopes: LawnStarter’s per-square-foot rate is for a basic above-ground system, while the other figures are total-project prices for a new sprinkler system — HomeGuide’s band reaches higher than the Angi and HomeAdvisor band, and the sources do not establish why.1,2,3,4 On permits, HomeGuide reports the $40 to $300 cost and adds that not all cities require them, with permits most common for large projects or lawns next to a public road; confirm requirements with your local permitting office before starting.3
DIY versus hiring a pro
The guides price DIY on different scopes. LawnStarter itemizes a 1,000-square-foot DIY installation at $732 to $1,354 ($0.70 to $1.30 per square foot, including sod, materials, and tool rentals) versus $1,000 to $2,200 for a professional crew on the same size yard, excluding old grass removal.4 HomeGuide prices DIY tools and supplies at $250 to $850 plus $0.30 to $0.80 per square foot for the sod, and says doing the work yourself saves up to 50% of a professional installation.3 HomeAdvisor estimates equipment rentals, soil tests, and materials bring a DIY job to roughly $2,000, about what a professional charges.2 Angi suggests buying the materials separately and paying labor-only rates of $35 to $75 per hour.1 Bob Vila lists the small-ticket DIY items: fertilizer around $10 per 1,000 square feet, a sod roller rental at $15 to $25 per day, and a sod cutter at $70 to $100 per day.5 LawnStarter puts tool rental at $75 to $150 per day and a DIY install at one to three days of work.4
Related guides
Tree Planting Cost
Lawn Renovation Cost
Yard Grading Cost
Lawn Seeding Cost
Lawn Aeration Cost
Sprinkler System Cost
Hydroseeding Cost
All cost guides
Sources
1. Angi — How Much Does Sod Installation Cost? (2026 data, updated September 8, 2026)
2. HomeAdvisor — How Much Does It Cost to Install Sod? (updated June 19, 2026)
3. HomeGuide — How Much Does Sod Installation Cost? (updated October 31, 2025)
4. LawnStarter — How Much Does Sod Cost in 2026? (updated October 5, 2026)
5. Bob Vila — Sod Prices: How Much You Can Expect to Pay (updated June 4, 2023)