Originally posted by DPM
a contractor?
Ahhhhhh, the key word here, CONTRACTOR.
First off, we wouldn't even do it, contractors can blow me for all I'm concerned. The amount of money a contractor want's to allocate for a lawn is next to nothing. Therefore, butchers and scabs do them for next to nothing, and then when it's all said and done, the customer got exactly what the contractor dictated for lawn expenditure, NOTHING. The homeowner will spend the next five years trying to establish a stand of turf that doesn't have a fighting chance in the two inches of topsoil and half pound of seed per 1000K. Then they'll sell their home and build a new one and do it right this time, that's where we come in. A customer willing to spend money on their lawn install. Of course, that's about one out of a thousand therefore we only do a couple lawns per year. Of course, "billy butcher" lawn guru is now out of business and someone else has replaced him.
Dang, that was kind of a rant, huh? Oh well, it's the truth. Lawn installs are last on my list of work to pursue.
So, to answer your question, probably about 8 cents per square foot. That will include topsoil, prep work, seeding, starter fert, and then whatever ground cover you use.