Sod installation cost in Colorado Springs, CO
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (1,500 sq ft)
- $1,550 – $3,350
- Per sq ft
- $1 – $2.05
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +2%
- US $2,400
- Rank of 300 metros
- #87
- 1 = most expensive
Local price for a new sod lawn in the Colorado Springs area: $1,550 to $3,350 for 1,500 sq ft. The low end is a basic job on easy ground; the high end is a premium spec with harder access. The midpoint lands close to the US figure. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn a median of $20.90 an hour in the Colorado Springs area, 11% above the US median of $18.82.
Estimate your sod installation cost
Pick a size, a quality level and where you live. Prices update as you type.
Estimated cost for 1,500 sq ft in Colorado Springs, CO, standard level
$2,100 to $2,800
About $1.35 to $1.75 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 50% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $940 | $1,200 |
| Labor | $1,050 | $1,400 |
| Permits and fees | $90 | $210 |
| Total | $2,100 | $2,800 |
Cost breakdown for 1,500 sq ft in Colorado Springs, CO
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $720 | $1,100 | $1,450 | 44% |
| Labor | $810 | $1,200 | $1,650 | 50% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $150 | $300 | 6% |
| Total | $1,550 | $2,450 | $3,350 | 100% |
Why Colorado Springs prices look the way they do
Labor is 50% of the midpoint bill here, against 47% nationally. The mix of trades behind this job is landscaping and groundskeeping workers (80%), construction laborers (20%). We weight each trade's local median wage by that share and compare it with the national median. In Colorado Springs the blended ratio comes out at 1.09.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Colorado Springs is at 96.1 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $1,150 nationally becomes $1,100 here (midpoint, 1,500 sq ft). Permits follow the all-items index of 100.7: $0 to $300.
The best months for sod lawn in Colorado Springs
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Colorado Springs Muni Ap (5 miles from the city center). They are 30-year averages, so any one year can run hotter, colder or wetter.
For digging, grading and setting material in the ground, the comfortable months in Colorado Springs are April through October: 7 of 12. Outside them, January, February, March, November and December have an average overnight low at or below freezing (32°F).
In January, February, March, November and December the average low is at or below freezing, which means frozen ground and slower digging, compaction and sod or stone placement. NOAA counts about 160 days a year with a low at or below 32°F at this station.
Colorado Springs gets about 16 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 33 inches of snow. The wettest months are June, July and August (3.1 inches in July). Inside the workable window, September and October are the driest, at 1.4 and 0.8 inches. The station averages about 23 days a year at 90°F or above.
We do not adjust the estimate by month, because we have no reliable published data on seasonal pricing. It is still worth asking contractors whether an off-peak start date changes their bid.
| Month | Avg high °F | Avg low °F | Precip (in) | For this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45 | 19 | 0.3 | Cold |
| Feb | 47 | 20 | 0.3 | Cold |
| Mar | 55 | 27 | 0.8 | Cold |
| Apr | 61 | 34 | 1.4 | Workable |
| May | 71 | 44 | 2.0 | Workable |
| Jun | 82 | 53 | 2.3 | Workable |
| Jul | 87 | 58 | 3.1 | Workable |
| Aug | 84 | 57 | 3.0 | Workable |
| Sep | 77 | 49 | 1.4 | Workable |
| Oct | 65 | 37 | 0.8 | Workable |
| Nov | 53 | 26 | 0.4 | Cold |
| Dec | 45 | 19 | 0.2 | Cold |
Sod installation: what moves the price in Colorado Springs
Sod type
Sod alone costs $0.30-$0.80 per sq ft, or $130-$360 per pallet; delivery is $50-$250 per load.
Site prep
The cost listed here assumes leveled, cleared ground. Grading and soil amendments are extra.
Permit
Sodding permits cost $40-$300 where required, mostly for large lawns or those next to a public road.
Related projects, priced for Colorado Springs
Jobs that often go together with sod lawn are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Colorado Springs wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, retaining wall comes out highest (−1%) and sprinkler system lowest (−3%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $590 – $2,050 | −2% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $3,900 – $9,700 | −3% |
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $7,050 – $13,300 | −1% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,450 – $10,000 | −2% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $35,600 – $111,000 | −1% |
Who does the work: Colorado Springs trade wages
The labor line is built from BLS wage data, one trade at a time. This job draws on 2 trades. We compare each trade's local median with the US median, weight the ratios by how much of the job each trade does, and apply the blend to the national labor cost. For Colorado Springs the blend is 1.09.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers (37-3011), 80% of the weighting: a median of $20.90 an hour, 11% above the US median of $18.82. The middle half of them earn between $18.73 and $22.38 an hour. About 2,410 work in the metro. That is 76.3 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 61.3 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 20%) the local median is $22.28 an hour, which is in line with the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $19.17 and $24.62 an hour. BLS counts 1,790 of them working in the area, 56.6 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is thinner than average.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (landscaping and groundskeeping workers) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $70 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $100. That is a swing of roughly 4.2% to 2.9% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Colorado Springs has 316,060 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 81st by size among the 300 metros on this site.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers (37-3011) | 80% | $18.73 | $20.90 | $22.38 | $18.82 | 1.11 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 20% | $19.17 | $22.28 | $24.62 | $22.66 | 0.98 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.09 | |||||
Pick a size, pick a tier: sod installation pricing in Colorado Springs
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Colorado Springs. Bands overlap, because plenty of standard jobs cost as much as a light premium one. Sizes run from small yard (1,000 sq ft) to large yard (4,000 sq ft).
Basic
$1,550 to $2,250
Basic grass on cleared, level ground
Standard
$2,100 to $2,800
Better grass type with some grading
Premium
$2,650 to $3,350
Premium sod, soil work, difficult slopes
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small yard (1,000 sq ft) | $1,000 – $1,550 | $1,400 – $1,950 | $1,800 – $2,350 |
| average yard (1,500 sq ft) | $1,550 – $2,250 | $2,100 – $2,800 | $2,650 – $3,350 |
| large yard (4,000 sq ft) | $4,100 – $5,850 | $5,400 – $7,150 | $6,750 – $8,500 |
Colorado Springs against nearby metros and the rest of Colorado
Same job, same size (1,500 sq ft), priced for the nearest metros. Denver is the priciest of the group at $2,600. Pueblo is the cheapest at $2,350.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado Springs, COthis page | $1,550 – $3,350 | $2,450 | |
| Denver, CO45 miles | $1,600 – $3,550 | $2,600 | +6% |
| Pueblo, CO50 miles | $1,450 – $3,200 | $2,350 | −5% |
| Boulder, CO95 miles | $1,600 – $3,500 | $2,550 | +4% |
| Greeley, CO120 miles | $1,550 – $3,350 | $2,450 | level |
| Fort Collins, CO135 miles | $1,550 – $3,400 | $2,500 | +1% |
| Colorado (statewide) | $1,600 – $3,500 | $2,550 | +4% |
| United States | $1,500 – $3,300 | $2,400 | −2% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Colorado Springs ranks #87 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Colorado Springs is 4% below the Colorado figure.
Elsewhere in Colorado
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver, CO | 1,609,350 jobs | $1,600 – $3,550 | $2,600 | +6% |
| Boulder, CO | 192,390 jobs | $1,600 – $3,500 | $2,550 | +4% |
| Fort Collins, CO | 169,430 jobs | $1,550 – $3,400 | $2,500 | +1% |
| Greeley, CO | 119,540 jobs | $1,550 – $3,350 | $2,450 | level |
| Grand Junction, CO | 67,170 jobs | $1,500 – $3,250 | $2,350 | −4% |
| Pueblo, CO | 61,780 jobs | $1,450 – $3,200 | $2,350 | −5% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Colorado Springs against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akron, OH | 319,560 jobs | $1,450 – $3,200 | $2,350 | −5% |
| Wichita, KS | 308,570 jobs | $1,400 – $3,100 | $2,250 | −8% |
| Oxnard, CA | 323,890 jobs | $1,650 – $3,650 | $2,650 | +8% |
| Cape Coral, FL | 304,790 jobs | $1,400 – $3,150 | $2,300 | −7% |
Get 3 local quotes
Tell us about the job and we will try to connect you with up to three local contractors for written quotes. It is free and you are under no obligation to hire. Your estimate of $2,100 to $2,800 for Colorado Springs, CO is attached.
Take this estimate with you: PDF report, $9
The report lays out the sod installation numbers for Colorado Springs, CO line by line, with the local wage and price inputs, permit and timing notes, a quote comparison sheet and the full method. Save your estimate above, preview page 1 free, and unlock the full report for $9 one-time, or get every report with CostLocal Pro.
Sod installation in Colorado Springs: your questions
+How much does it cost to lay sod in Colorado Springs?
For 1,500 sq ft, expect $1,550 to $3,350 in the Colorado Springs area. A standard-spec job lands at $2,100 to $2,800. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for sod lawn in Colorado Springs?
About $1 to $2.05 per sq ft for materials and labor, plus $0 to $300 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $1 to $2.
+Is sod lawn cheaper in Colorado Springs or Denver?
Denver is 45 miles away. The midpoint for 1,500 sq ft there is $2,600, which is 6% more than Colorado Springs ($2,450). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Colorado Springs?
About 50% at the midpoint, or $1,200 out of $2,450. Materials are 44% and permits 6%. Nationally, labor is 47%.
+What would average yard (1,500 sq ft) cost in Colorado Springs?
$1,550 to $3,350. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does sod lawn need a permit in Colorado Springs?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $0 to $300 for fees in the Colorado Springs area (our national range of $0 to $300 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Colorado Springs expensive for sod lawn compared with the rest of Colorado?
Colorado Springs is 4% below the Colorado statewide estimate ($2,550 at the midpoint). We cover 7 metros in Colorado; see the state page to compare them.
+What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Colorado Springs?
The BLS median is $20.90 an hour in the Colorado Springs area, compared with $18.82 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $18.73 to $22.38.
+What do basic and premium sod lawn work cost in Colorado Springs?
For 1,500 sq ft, basic work runs $1,550 to $2,250 and premium work $2,650 to $3,350. Basic means: basic grass on cleared, level ground. Premium means: premium sod, soil work, difficult slopes.
+When is the best time to lay sod in Colorado Springs?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are April through October. September and October are typically the driest of those months. Local contractors' schedules matter as much as the weather, so book early for the busy months.
Sod installation near Colorado Springs
Where these numbers come from
Base prices are national ranges from the sources below. We scale labor by local BLS wages, materials by BEA goods prices and permits by the BEA all-items price level. Full method on the methodology page.