Sod installation cost in Fort Collins, CO
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (1,500 sq ft)
- $1,550 – $3,400
- Per sq ft
- $1.05 – $2.05
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +3%
- US $2,400
- Rank of 300 metros
- #77
- 1 = most expensive
A new sod lawn in Fort Collins, CO usually costs $1,550 to $3,400 for 1,500 sq ft. That works out to about $1.05 to $2.05 per sq ft before permits. Compared with the national midpoint that is $80 more. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn a median of $21.33 an hour in the Fort Collins area, 13% above the US median of $18.82.
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Estimated cost for 1,500 sq ft in Fort Collins, CO, standard level
$2,100 to $2,850
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 | $1,100 | $1,400 |
| Permits and fees | $90 | $210 |
| Total | $2,100 | $2,850 |
Cost breakdown for 1,500 sq ft in Fort Collins, CO
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $720 | $1,100 | $1,450 | 44% |
| Labor | $830 | $1,250 | $1,650 | 50% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $150 | $300 | 6% |
| Total | $1,550 | $2,500 | $3,400 | 100% |
What is behind the Fort Collins number
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 Fort Collins the blended ratio comes out at 1.11.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Fort Collins 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 101.1: $0 to $300.
What local crews earn in Fort Collins
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 Fort Collins the blend is 1.11.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers (37-3011), 80% of the weighting: a median of $21.33 an hour, 13% above the US median of $18.82. The middle half of them earn between $18.59 and $22.63 an hour. About 1,610 work in the metro. That is 95.0 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 $22.86 an hour, which is in line with the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $20.83 and $27.15 an hour. BLS counts 930 of them working in the area, 54.9 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 $60 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $130. That is a swing of roughly 5.3% to 2.5% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Fort Collins-Loveland has 169,430 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 138th 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% | $18.59 | $21.33 | $22.63 | $18.82 | 1.13 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 20% | $20.83 | $22.86 | $27.15 | $22.66 | 1.01 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.11 | |||||
Fort Collins weather and the sod installation calendar
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Ft Collins (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 Fort Collins 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 150 days a year with a low at or below 32°F at this station.
Fort Collins gets about 16 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 51 inches of snow. The wettest months are April, May and June (2.7 inches in May). Inside the workable window, September and October are the driest, at 1.4 and 1.3 inches. The station averages about 29 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 | 18 | 0.4 | Cold |
| Feb | 47 | 21 | 0.5 | Cold |
| Mar | 56 | 29 | 1.3 | Cold |
| Apr | 63 | 35 | 2.1 | Workable |
| May | 71 | 44 | 2.7 | Workable |
| Jun | 82 | 53 | 1.9 | Workable |
| Jul | 87 | 59 | 1.6 | Workable |
| Aug | 85 | 57 | 1.4 | Workable |
| Sep | 77 | 48 | 1.4 | Workable |
| Oct | 64 | 36 | 1.3 | Workable |
| Nov | 53 | 26 | 0.7 | Cold |
| Dec | 44 | 18 | 0.5 | Cold |
Fort Collins: what basic, standard and premium work costs
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Fort Collins. 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 $2,300
Basic grass on cleared, level ground
Standard
$2,100 to $2,850
Better grass type with some grading
Premium
$2,650 to $3,400
Premium sod, soil work, difficult slopes
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small yard (1,000 sq ft) | $1,050 – $1,550 | $1,450 – $1,950 | $1,850 – $2,350 |
| average yard (1,500 sq ft) | $1,550 – $2,300 | $2,100 – $2,850 | $2,650 – $3,400 |
| large yard (4,000 sq ft) | $4,150 – $5,900 | $5,450 – $7,250 | $6,800 – $8,600 |
Specs and site conditions that change a Fort Collins bid
Permit
Sodding permits cost $40-$300 where required, mostly for large lawns or those next to a public road.
Old grass removal
Removing an old lawn first adds $0.50-$2.00 per sq ft, and a full remove-and-resod runs $1.50-$4.00 per sq ft (HomeGuide).
Sod type
Sod alone costs $0.30-$0.80 per sq ft, or $130-$360 per pallet; delivery is $50-$250 per load.
What nearby projects cost in Fort Collins
Jobs that often go together with sod lawn are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Fort Collins wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, French drain comes out highest (+2%) and sprinkler system lowest (−2%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $610 – $2,150 | +2% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $3,900 – $9,800 | −2% |
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $7,200 – $13,500 | +1% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,500 – $10,200 | level |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $36,200 – $113,000 | level |
Fort Collins against nearby metros and the rest of Colorado
Of the five closest metros, 3 are cheaper than Fort Collins. Cheyenne is the lowest at about $2,300 (midpoint, 1,500 sq ft), 60 miles away.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Collins, COthis page | $1,550 – $3,400 | $2,500 | |
| Boulder, CO40 miles | $1,600 – $3,500 | $2,550 | +3% |
| Greeley, CO60 miles | $1,550 – $3,350 | $2,450 | −1% |
| Cheyenne, WY60 miles | $1,450 – $3,150 | $2,300 | −7% |
| Denver, CO90 miles | $1,600 – $3,550 | $2,600 | +5% |
| Colorado Springs, CO135 miles | $1,550 – $3,350 | $2,450 | −1% |
| Colorado (statewide) | $1,600 – $3,500 | $2,550 | +3% |
| United States | $1,500 – $3,300 | $2,400 | −3% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Fort Collins ranks #77 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Fort Collins is 3% 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 | +5% |
| Colorado Springs, CO | 316,060 jobs | $1,550 – $3,350 | $2,450 | −1% |
| Boulder, CO | 192,390 jobs | $1,600 – $3,500 | $2,550 | +3% |
| Greeley, CO | 119,540 jobs | $1,550 – $3,350 | $2,450 | −1% |
| Grand Junction, CO | 67,170 jobs | $1,500 – $3,250 | $2,350 | −5% |
| Pueblo, CO | 61,780 jobs | $1,450 – $3,200 | $2,350 | −6% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Fort Collins against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port St. Lucie, FL | 170,820 jobs | $1,400 – $3,150 | $2,300 | −8% |
| Atlantic City, NJ | 168,700 jobs | $1,500 – $3,300 | $2,400 | −2% |
| Visalia, CA | 171,140 jobs | $1,600 – $3,550 | $2,600 | +4% |
| Lubbock, TX | 166,780 jobs | $1,350 – $2,950 | $2,150 | −13% |
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Detailed sod installation report for Fort Collins, CO, $9
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Sod installation in Fort Collins: your questions
+How much does it cost to lay sod in Fort Collins?
For 1,500 sq ft, expect $1,550 to $3,400 in the Fort Collins area. A standard-spec job lands at $2,100 to $2,850. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for sod lawn in Fort Collins?
About $1.05 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 Fort Collins or Boulder?
Boulder is 40 miles away. The midpoint for 1,500 sq ft there is $2,550, which is 3% more than Fort Collins ($2,500). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Fort Collins?
About 50% at the midpoint, or $1,250 out of $2,500. Materials are 44% and permits 6%. Nationally, labor is 47%.
+What would average yard (1,500 sq ft) cost in Fort Collins?
$1,550 to $3,400. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does sod lawn need a permit in Fort Collins?
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 Fort Collins area (our national range of $0 to $300 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Fort Collins expensive for sod lawn compared with the rest of Colorado?
Fort Collins is 3% 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 Fort Collins?
The BLS median is $21.33 an hour in the Fort Collins area, compared with $18.82 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $18.59 to $22.63.
+What do basic and premium sod lawn work cost in Fort Collins?
For 1,500 sq ft, basic work runs $1,550 to $2,300 and premium work $2,650 to $3,400. 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 Fort Collins?
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 Fort Collins
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.