help on sod install price

[bama26]

I need help pricing install and removal of old grass of 14 palletts of sod.

[RonB]

What kind of sod and how must is it costing you?

I'd double that.

How/what are you going to remove the old with?

If your renting something, that cost plus your hourly fee.

[bama26]

cent. I will have to rent a sod cutter for 2 days at for 190.00, the sod will cost me around 1540.00

[Duekster]

You can install around 300 to 500 sf per hour acording to book ( which depends upon you) . Plus you really need to prep the soil first.

[bama26]

I was planning to but I wasn't sure on how to price it because I have never done it for the public

[RonB]

You have $1730, less starter fert .. say total of $1800 in material and rental.

Using Duekster's number of 300, that's 21 hrs to lay 6300 sq ft. (450 sq ft pallets?). Add the 16 hrs for the sod removal (2 day rental you figured) and say maybe a day for the prep, run-around, you're looking at 45 hrs total.

Double the price I mentioned, $1800 divided by 45 hrs, you'll get around $40 hr, (that's you doing it by yourself!), less all the usual overhead expenses. Bill the customer $3600. Pay a buddy $400 and finish in say 30 hrs, you'll be around $47 hr. Don't forget to return the pallets, here it's $5 per.

This is just a very general range. Alot depends on prep needed, travel times, pallet placement, etc. I'm not far from you, last year a guy I know had 18 pallets installed on a new building site - paid $3500 total.

good luck

[bama26]

thanks ron I app. your help I'll let you know how it goes

[cpel2004]

i would suggest that you are charging to little. think about it 3500 for 14 pallets of sod when one pallet is 110. so your saying your going to rent the machine, drive all over town getting misc material, have the sod delivered and placed properly for 140 per pallet and this doesn't include disposal of the material. i get 110 to 150 per pallet just to lay it. If your doing sod u must charge for it. Oh dont think you going to do 14 pallets by yourself. You would be out of your mind. Your Price should be 400 to 500 per pallet laid. Remember you will have to clean and grade the area, plus the time it takes to spray round up etc. 400 to 500 is fair. If someone else wants to do for 250 to 300 let them. Dont get fooled into thinking this is a big huge job and your going to make some money off it charging 250 per pallet. When u dig it up the way your doing you must charge for it. Why dont you get a bob cat to dig it up and grade it, sixty to sixty five dollars an hour?

[paponte]

WOW, am I hearing this all correctly???? Are we talking about the same pallets????????? 600sqft per pallet X's 14 = 8400sqft???? Rip out old and install new??? OMG. :dizzy: :hammerhead: :hammerhead: :dizzy: :hammerhead:

[Lawnworks]

He will not need starter fertilizer w/ it being dormant and also being southern turf. I would guess if you are bidding against other companies $3500 will be on the high end. It is a days worth of work for 3 guys(30 man hours). I would harley rake it and go to town laying the sod. That would be $65 a man hour. You could bid it lower and still make money.

[supercuts]

i doulble my charge the cost of materials for the cost labor on sod, plus the removal on top of that. depending on how cheap you got the sod you can mark it up a bit too

[mcclureandson]

The main problem I see is the sod-cutter...you will end up with alot of debris that will need to be hauled. You would be better off tilling it under or harley raking with a tractor. Southern pallets are normally 500sq/ft for centipede and 450sq/ft for zoysia, st. augustine and others...

[jbailey52]

wow my cost for just the sod install would be 5390... and that doesnt include removing the old sod... and thats what I charge and never have a problem.. we do approx.. 75-100 sod jobs a season

[Turfdude]

We'd charge anywhere between $1.25 to $1.50 per sq.ft to do the aforementioned. Sod strip 7000 sq.ft via our small 18"ryan sod cutter in 3 hrs. Skid steer to load & haul debris 3 trips max w/ f-350 or isuzu 12' stake dump. 2 guys 1 day max for install. 14 pallets here + 7000 sq.ft. If fairly open, etc.... $8500-$10,500 for the entire job. If real easy could be done as low as $7000 and still make decent $. Sod would be approx $1300 delivered, machine for day another $300, disposal (15 yds max) $150. I love doing these smaller jobs.

[cpel2004]

TurfDude, I dont know how guys could possibly even think about doing this job for 3500. In my humble opinion i think that would not be worth my time. Digging it up, grading some parts of the soil, and replacing sod is a labor intense job. When I first got into this business I under estimate two sod jobs never again, my friend, I think I installed 6 pallets for 1700 bucks, no thank you.

Figure one day and a half. 400 to 500 per pallet. No cheaper. You guys that could do for less, please explain.

[cpel2004]

Turfdude how much do you pay for 450 sq ft of sod with and without delivery.

[Turfdude]

Turfdude how much do you pay for 450 sq ft of sod with and without delivery.
I would never get anything under 1500sq ft delivered. Sod costs about $.15/sqft here for fescue, blue about $.14/sqft

[landscape guy]

:canadaflag: We charge $1.00 per sq. ft.to install sod with preparation unless there is any extra work that changes the per. sq. ft. price.

[Lawnworks]

TurfDude, I dont know how guys could possibly even think about doing this job for 3500. In my humble opinion i think that would not be worth my time. Digging it up, grading some parts of the soil, and replacing sod is a labor intense job. When I first got into this business I under estimate two sod jobs never again, my friend, I think I installed 6 pallets for 1700 bucks, no thank you.

Figure one day and a half. 400 to 500 per pallet. No cheaper. You guys that could do for less, please explain.

I could do it for $3500 and make a good profit. Screw the sod cutter... my dingo w/ a harley rake would have it prepped in 3 hours(6 man hours). 17 pallets of sod can be laid in 35 man hours or less. All could be done in one day. I would make $46 per man hour... after I paid my guys after taxes($12) take home would be $1400 for one days work. That is all my market could bare... anything more and I would be underbid and not working. Granted comparing costs on the internet is stupid, b/c cost of living is very different everywhere and where I am is one of lowest in the country where I live.

[awillardandrews]

Here in Orlando we simply charge by the sq'. On any thing over 3000 sq' we would charge 65 cents per sq' for cut , remove & install. Call around and find out what others in your area are charging, you know your customer will, you might as well have this info before you present your bid. We truck our own sod in Orlando, but an hour away at the beach we sub it to another company. They will actually deliver and install it for less than they will deliver it with out installation. It makes no sense to me either. The point is, work your phone, find out what the market is. Then try to figure out how to squeeze the most profit out of the job.

At the beach I pay 30 cents per sq' to a sub and charge 65 cents. In Orlando I pay 25 cents per sq' for sod + I have to send a truck to get it + I have to pay my crew to install it. No two markets are the same. But be warned putting down 14 pallets of sod is too much work for 1 man. I would send 4 men, with a sod cutter, dump truck and a forklift. Then it becomes a one day job. Good luck.

[causalitist]

for Only the sod install 14 pallets (9800 sqft)-- $3920

then estimate $50-60 per manhour for the removal... dont forget to see how the soil is.. some lawns are sooo easy to cut out.. some are 25 times harder.