Des Moines, IA Sod Cost Guide

When it comes to sodding your new lawn in Des Moines, Iowa, there are two options to consider. Each offers its unique set of advantages and disadvantages:

Hiring a Landscaping Company

Going with a landscaping company means a comprehensive, hands-free solution. They have teams that manage everything from sourcing quality sod to preparing the ground, taking care of sod delivery to your property, and installing the turf grass for you.

Cost: This is when you want the white glove "do it all for me" approach. You're not just paying for the product but also for professional labor, project management, and often, a service warranty. Expect to pay $300 or more per pallet of sod and double that figure for installation.

Purchasing Directly from Sod Farms

Want to save a little cash? Sod farms are the way to go. This DIY approach comes with its own set of challenges, but the cost-saving potential for homeowners is significant.

Cost: Prices can drop to as low as $150 per pallet when buying in bulk from sod farms near Des Moines, offering you substantial savings. You'll sometimes need to go pick up the sod yourself as well.

DIY: The trade-off here is the manual labor involved in self-installation. Additionally, many sod farms operate on a minimum purchase policy, commonly starting at multiple pallets, which typically covers at least 1000 square feet.

Poor Online Support: Don't expect a sophisticated online browsing experience. Most sod farms have basic websites, so you'll likely need to make a phone call or fire off an email conversation to get ahold of availability and pricing.

Sod Supplier & Distance Traveled

Because there aren't any large metropolitan cities near Des Moines you'll need to find a local sod supplier. Usually this means you'll have fewer options to choose from, but you can get a good deal as the cost of living (and thus services) is likely lower than big cities.

Preparation Work

The following factors can make a huge difference in the cost and either save you or cost you big time:

• Regrading: Need to flatten your yard? This can vary pricing wise but expect to pay roughly $0.55 per square foot extra on average.
• Soil needs: If it's new construction or you have poor soil, you may need to add topsoil. Expect to pay somewhere in the ballpark of $0.25 per square foot for this.
• Removal of existing sod: If you have existing grass that needs to go, this can cost an additional $0.45 per square foot.
• Removal of other debris: Let's just say you have lot's of pebbles and rocks in your soil. It's going to cost extra to remove those.

Installation Labor Costs

The next thing to consider pricing wise is the cost of labor. Here are some of the factors that can influence labor costs:

• Ease of access to your yard: Is it in a back yard that's hard to access? Up on a hill that laborers have to walk up? This will add to your cost.
• Random objects: Best case scenario: it's wide open grass. If there are lots of trees, irrigation systems, or other objects this can add to labor cost.
• Time of year: Since it's a seasonal business, and there's less demand for sod in Des Moines in the winter, you can sometimes get deals in the off-season.