Sod Installation

[Yard]

I'm working on a bid for the spring that I need to price some sod installation.There is also an area that I have to remove some grass and prep it for a mounded island. Is it worth using a sod cutter to remove the existing grass and replant it along with the new sod?<br>What is the going rate per square foot for sod installation? The job is in central CT.<br>Thanks for any help!!

 

[GroundKprs]

In general, do not try to reuse sod cut from the site. The minor savings in cost is more than negated by the extra labor. While you can find some existing turf that is flat and will hold together when cut, this is a rarity. I'm in Indiana, so can't help you on pricing in your area.

 

[Yard]

Anyone else? I know it's winter(at least according to the calander!)but I need to bid this job soon. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[jeffclc]

Search in the old forum. I posted sevral posts on sod.<p>Give a man a fish, feed him for a day, Teach him how to fish, feed him for life...

 

[CGS]

Here In Northern California the going rate for sod installation is about $2 per sq.ft. not including materials and some companies do include the materials. Look at the area if you will be in contact with any roots or any time consuming tasks. Then you can add extra cost to that.<p>Average price of Materials<p>.31 sq.ft. of sod<br>$26 per cu.yd. of soil (if needed)<br>$15 per cu.yd. of Redwood Compost to mix with existing soil (if needed)<br>$20 +- Fertilizer<p>Hope it helps, don't know the going rate in your area.

 

[ashlandscaping]

Well in Chicago area I have seen bids as high as $ 13 a yard of sod. I like to be around $ 5 to 7 a yard that doesnot include any soil or earth work that just laying the sod. If its just remove and resod most times Iam around $ 7 a yard plus disposal cost and time for removing and get rid of waste. Dont know if this helps or not.

 

[jnjnlc]

I am not sure what everyone else in the Carolinas are charging. The first couple of jobs I did I charged about three times the cost of the sod. That includes the sod. I work alone so I do not have to pay employees. I now try to price it 5 to 6 times the cost of the sod. That depends on the site. I look at the ease of installation and how many object I need to cut around. That price is for the sod installation only. You have ot look at the whole picture though in your case. I have come to realize that the prices that are charged by the memebers of this forum varies greatly. I think if I charged 2.00 here I would most likly be cursed out. <p>Bottom line. If you are working by your self then think of the ware and tare on your body. Installing sod is hard on your back. Price it so you make money. And remeber you can not get every job you bid for. Even though that would be nice.<p><p>----------<br>Jeff<br>

 

[CGS]

I regularly charge $2 per sq.ft. including all labor and materials, only if I see that they are really interested and willing to start right away. Am I underbidding too much? Should I give breaks once in a while, I charge extra if I come in contact with roots. I have 3 employees.<p>

 

[DavidATL]

CGS, if I understand you right, you would charge $10K for a sod job of 5,000 square feet. How many installations have you done at that rate and have you gotten any resistence from your customers? That price seems a little high but, hey, if it works for you..great! I am seeing installations at .75 to 1.00 per suare foot installed and would love to charge double! I'd love to hear what others out there are charging for installs.

 

[CGS]

I did a bid last year for $31,212.50 to install an area of 11,350 sq.ft. at $2.75 a sq.ft.<p>The access was really bad, the house was built on a slope/hill.<p>So the front yard was a slope and the house level and the back yard was a slope as well. The only access to the the back yard was a stairway down on the side of the house. In order to wheel in soil and the sod was going down the front yard slope, stop and dump it in front of the stairs and shovel it to another wheelbarrow down below w/two guys doing this and another two guys rotortilling and grading/level by hand. With the help of another guy wheeling the soil to the area. <p>Just imagine bringing the sod. having the sod people delivering to a flat area and having us wheeling it down the front slope and carrying it down the stairs and placing as much sod as you can carry on the wheelbarrow, then wheeling it down the slope to the area in the back.<p>He got other bids he told me and they were not as detailed as I was and their bids were much higher than mine. The total bid was $72,500 with Labor and Materials (Sod installation, irrigation, retaining walls, stairs, brick pathways, and fruit trees) Till this day he has not had any installation, he is trying to do it all himself with some of his buddies. <p>Well you have to consider the Terrain and Access to the proposed area of installation.<p>I had only 5 installations last year at $2 per sq.ft. I attended college classes for Landscape Construction in early 1999 and the list of prices they gave me were average prices other contractors charged in the area in 1997. With the cost of living here rising, these contractors must be charging over $2 sq.ft. regardless of size of installation in 1999. Later this year who knows.<p>If I missed something I appologize I think I'm rambaling to much.<p>Talk to you guys later.<br>