USA Sod prices installation per pallet, as a separate line from the sod and from the flat $200 delivery. In most markets professional installation runs about $300 to $650 per pallet, and a few high-cost metro markets run well above that, from roughly $750 per pallet up. The rate often steps down as the pallet count rises. It covers light removal, standard prep, laying and cutting the sod, and the first watering. Enter your ZIP code, add installation to the quote, and you get the exact figure for your market.
You know what the sod costs. You know delivery is $200. The question that follows is what it costs to have someone else put it down.
The short answer
Installation is priced per pallet, and in most markets it runs about $300 to $650 per pallet. A few high-cost metro markets run well above that, from roughly $750 per pallet up. It is its own line on the quote, separate from the sod and from delivery.
Prices change by market and season, so treat the ranges here as a guide and the quote as the number.
Why the rate depends on where you live
Installation is done by a crew in your area, and what that crew costs to hire is a local number. Labor in one metro is not the same as labor two states over, so the install rate follows the market.
That is why there is no single national price on this page. The sod price depends on the farm nearest your ZIP code, the install price on the crew nearest it, and both show up once your ZIP is in.
The crews are local, vetted independent landscapers we have worked with repeatedly.
The rate steps down with more pallets
A crew that shows up for one pallet spends much of the day driving, unloading and setting up. Spread that across ten pallets and the per-pallet number drops. A 10-pallet job is often 10 to 40 percent less per pallet than a 1-pallet job, so if you are on the fence about the side yard, do it in the same visit.
What the install rate includes
When you add installation to a quote, the rate covers:
- Light removal and standard site preparation
- Laying the sod
- Cutting it to fit around edges, walkways and sprinkler heads
- The initial watering
What it does not include. Some yards need more than standard prep, and that work is reviewed and quoted separately, case by case:
- Extensive grading
- Heavy debris removal
- Root removal
- Drainage work
- Difficult access
- Other significant site modifications
If your yard has one of these, say so when you order. It is easier to price up front than on the day. To see what standard prep looks like, read how to remove old grass before laying sod.
A worked example
This is an example, not a quote. Say you have a yard of about 1,350 square feet. At 450 square feet per pallet, that is three pallets.
- Sod: the per-pallet price shown for your ZIP code
- Delivery: a flat $200, on any sod order
- Installation: about $300 to $650 per pallet in a typical market, so roughly $900 to $1,950 for three pallets
In a high-cost metro it would be more. The quote gives the real figure, and the sod price comes from the ZIP check, not this page.
Not sure how many pallets you need? Start with how many pallets of sod do I need, or use the Online Sod Calculator.
Installation is not in every market yet. Installation through USA Sod is not available in every market yet. Where installation is not available, the ZIP check shows sod and delivery only.
That does not stop the project. The sod can still be installed by any local landscaper, or by you, and it is the same sod either way.
Doing it yourself instead
Installing the sod yourself saves the whole install line. The sod and the delivery cost exactly the same whether a crew lays it or you do.
For a small yard with easy access and a free weekend, that is a real saving. For a large yard, a hot week, or a yard that needs more than light prep, the crew is usually worth it, and remember the sod has to go down the day it arrives.
The full case for each side is in do you install sod or just deliver it.
How to get the exact number
Three ways, none of them guessing from a range.
- Get a quote online. Enter your ZIP code, choose the variety, set the pallet count, and add installation. The quote shows the install line for your market.
- Have the yard measured first. On-site measurement is $99 in most markets, higher or lower in a few, and not offered everywhere. The fee is credited toward the sod order, so it is not money lost if you go ahead.
- Call. If the yard is unusual or you are not sure what counts as standard prep, a two-minute conversation settles it.
The bottom line
Installation is a per-pallet line that depends on your market. Most markets run $300 to $650 per pallet, higher in a few big metros, and the rate drops as the pallet count rises. It covers light prep, laying, cutting and the first watering. Anything heavier is quoted on its own. The quote is the number; this page is the guide.
Check your ZIP code to see sod, delivery and installation pricing for your area, see our delivery areas, or call 1-866-886-2763 and we will walk through your yard with you.
