Everyone wants a luxurious and lively lawn. Sometimes, you can’t get that planting grass seed. When you are looking for certain qualities, sod might be the only option.
But how much they cost or where to buy sod?
Well, before you go there, you need to get some factors right to avoid disappointments.
Because choosing the right sod is important. If you are not sure about the grass type of your lawn, bring a small piece to the sod provider.
They will tell you what the species is and will guide you through the entire process.
Online Vs. Local Sod Farm: Where To Buy Sod To Get Best Result?
There are plenty of box stores and garden centers near you no matter in which state you live (at least that’s what I believe!). However, do not expect to have sod in stock there. You will have to contact them first.
They have some wide relationships with local farmers and professional gardeners. Once everything is set with you, they will get yours from them and deliver them to your address.
Now, let’s talk about the delivery because it is important. Sods need to be installed right away and it should sit more than 2 days on the pallet.
Talk to your local sod farm first and agree on a predetermined date. Make sure to have the delivery on your door and get their commitment to the exact time they will deliver.
The same is true even if you order online (which is still a good choice if you don’t have any local sod farms). Read their reviews and make sure of the exact location and timing of the delivery.
Get your online quote before you go to the local garden center. That way you can avoid being over-charged. Also, that will help you to have a good bargain!
How Much Is Sod?
When you need a beautiful lawn within a short time, you need to pay some extra. And if you are wondering how much does it cost for a pallet of sod, the answer is around $120 to $470.
Here is the general pricing of sod (subject to vary depending on your location):
| Unit | Price Range | Explanation |
| Roll | $3 to $8 | 1 roll covers around 10 sq. ft. |
| Pallet | $120 to $470 | 1 pallet covers about 450 sq. ft. |
| Per square foot | $0.40 to $0.90 | Most common. |
| Per Square yard | $3.20 to $7.90 | Multiply square foot price by 9 |
| Per Acre | $15K to $45K | 1 acre = 43,650 sq. ft. |
| ½ Acre | $7.5K to $21K | ½ acre = 21,780 sq. ft. |
| ¼ Acre | $4K to $10K | ¼ acre = 10,890 sq. ft. |
| Avg. 1/5 Acre Yard | $3K to $8.5K | 1/5 acre = 8,712 sq. ft. |
Sod Installation Cost
It’s a delicate task and requires experienced people for a successful installation. To give you an idea of how much if you hire a professional, look at the following table:
| National average cost | $600 |
| Low-end cost range | $30-$60 |
| Typical cost range | $250-$1,250 |
| High-end cost range | $1,800-$3,000 |
How To Install Sod Grass?
Sod must be installed ASAP. So, you need to prepare your lawn in advance. That means, there should not be any large rocks, and cut the grass from your lawn at the lowest setting of the mower (if there is already grass).
Also, don’t forget to prepare the soil. When you are done doing all that, watch the video tutorial to install your recently bought sod:
Buying Sod: The Ultimate Checklist
If it’s early fall or early spring there, that’s the best time to lay down sod
Unless you check and cross-check some crucial factors, there is a huge chance you will be disappointed. To avoid that, try to meet the below-mentioned checklist first:
- Take note of the climate you are living in. Is it cool or warm? You need to choose the right species that will be compatible with the climate.
- Does your lawn get enough sunlight? Some grass types grow well in sun and some other types grow well in shade.
- Is your lawn a new construction? If there is no grass on your lawn, you can choose any species of grass you like. But again, it has to be compatible with your local climate.
- Do you have a working irrigation system?
- What’s the type of soil you got? Is it sandy or clay? Or somewhere in between?
- Does your pet or child play on the lawn a lot?
Let’s see why meeting this checklist is important.
There are plenty of sods from various species of grasses like St. Augustine, Bermuda, centipede, fescue, or zoysia. Of course, all of them are wonderful but not all wonderful-looking grasses can withstand the heavy traffic from kids and pets.
If the soil of your lot is clay type, the grass you choose will have to be disease resistant. And they must grow well on wet soil. But if it is more like sandy, you need to choose such grasses with deep roots that are drought resistant.
Understanding your own lawn along with the climate of your region will help you to get a lush green lawn quickly.
Sod Vs. Seed: Which One Is Right For You?
When planting grass on your lawn, you should really ask yourself whether sod or seed will be a good choice for you. It’s not a problem for experienced lawn owners.
But if you don’t understand which one will be best for you, compare the following factors:
- Huge Cost Difference
Perhaps, the cost is the most significant determining factor for people whether to go forward with seed or sod. Sod is costly! In fact, if you pick seeding, you can cover almost 5 times your lawn space for a fraction cost of sod.
- Quick Result
If you want a green lawn in a very short period of time, you can have so using sod. You can have such a lively lawn within a day or two days of work. It’s true even if your lawn is completely new or you need to fix some spots only. That’s why it’s so popular and better than hydroseeding.
But seeding takes time, a lot of time! Usually from one week to one month after seeding, you will notice the growth. And it needs regular irrigation throughout the entire process.
- Maintenance Work
Having a sod lawn is a delicate task and requires a lot of work. From preparation to the right installation, it needs impeccable watering too. Again, all the works are very delicate and a single mistake will ruin all of your work.
Of course, a lawn with seeding requires lots of laborers too. But tiny mistakes won’t completely ruin your work. You can easily redo your mistakes.
- Erosion Resistant
There is a problem with seeding when it comes to erosion. Heavy rainfall is common during the spring which is also the ideal time to plant grass seeds. But the heavy rainfall may wash away such lightweight seeds. As a result, your lawn will look irregular and patchy.
You can solve this problem by using sod in such a case. Because of the thick layer of sod grass, erosion is less likely to happen. So, this is the ideal for the hillside lawn.
Conclusion
There is a lot to think about before only asking yourself where to buy sod in your area. Just buying them from online or from your local farm won’t get you a beautiful lawn. You need to learn a lot more about it.
Follow the information provided above and you will be good to go!
References:
- https://www.homeadvisor.com/cost/landscape/sod-prices/
- https://www.thumbtack.com/p/sod-installation-cost
About Author
