Sod installation cost in Kahului, HI
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (1,500 sq ft)
- $1,850 – $4,000
- Per sq ft
- $1.20 – $2.45
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +22%
- US $2,400
- Rank of 300 metros
- #1
- 1 = most expensive
A new sod lawn in Kahului, HI usually costs $1,850 to $4,000 for 1,500 sq ft. That works out to about $1.20 to $2.45 per sq ft before permits. Compared with the national midpoint that is $520 more. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn a median of $23.35 an hour in the Kahului area, 24% above the US median of $18.82.
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Estimated cost for 1,500 sq ft in Kahului, HI, standard level
$2,500 to $3,350
About $1.60 to $2.10 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 51% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,100 | $1,400 |
| Labor | $1,300 | $1,700 |
| Permits and fees | $100 | $230 |
| Total | $2,500 | $3,350 |
Cost breakdown for 1,500 sq ft in Kahului, HI
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $840 | $1,250 | $1,650 | 43% |
| Labor | $1,000 | $1,500 | $2,000 | 51% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $160 | $330 | 6% |
| Total | $1,850 | $2,900 | $4,000 | 100% |
Where the Kahului price comes from
The wage side of the estimate leans on landscaping and groundskeeping workers, who do 80% of the hours on a typical job. Their local median is $23.35 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Kahului is 1.33 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 51% of the total.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Kahului is at 111.6 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $1,150 nationally becomes $1,250 here (midpoint, 1,500 sq ft). Permits follow the all-items index of 109.4: $0 to $330.
How Kahului compares
Of the five closest metros, all are cheaper than Kahului. Santa Cruz is the lowest at about $2,700 (midpoint, 1,500 sq ft), 2350 miles away.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kahului, HIthis page | $1,850 – $4,000 | $2,900 | |
| Honolulu, HI110 miles | $1,750 – $3,850 | $2,800 | −3% |
| Santa Rosa, CA2340 miles | $1,700 – $3,700 | $2,700 | −7% |
| Santa Cruz, CA2350 miles | $1,700 – $3,700 | $2,700 | −8% |
| San Francisco, CA2355 miles | $1,800 – $3,900 | $2,850 | −2% |
| Napa, CA2370 miles | $1,700 – $3,800 | $2,750 | −6% |
| Hawaii (statewide) | $1,800 – $3,900 | $2,850 | −2% |
| United States | $1,500 – $3,300 | $2,400 | −18% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Kahului ranks #1 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Kahului is 3% above the Hawaii figure.
Elsewhere in Hawaii
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu, HI | 446,380 jobs | $1,750 – $3,850 | $2,800 | −3% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Kahului against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid City, SD | 73,820 jobs | $1,400 – $3,050 | $2,250 | −24% |
| Bloomington, IN | 73,240 jobs | $1,450 – $3,200 | $2,300 | −21% |
| Blacksburg, VA | 74,070 jobs | $1,400 – $3,050 | $2,250 | −23% |
| Auburn, AL | 72,710 jobs | $1,350 – $3,000 | $2,200 | −25% |
Sod installation: what moves the price in Kahului
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.
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).
Cost by quality level and size in Kahului
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Kahului. 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
$1,850 to $2,700
Basic grass on cleared, level ground
Standard
$2,500 to $3,350
Better grass type with some grading
Premium
$3,150 to $4,000
Premium sod, soil work, difficult slopes
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small yard (1,000 sq ft) | $1,200 – $1,850 | $1,700 – $2,300 | $2,150 – $2,750 |
| average yard (1,500 sq ft) | $1,850 – $2,700 | $2,500 – $3,350 | $3,150 – $4,000 |
| large yard (4,000 sq ft) | $4,900 – $7,000 | $6,450 – $8,550 | $8,050 – $10,100 |
What local crews earn in Kahului
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 Kahului the blend is 1.33.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers (37-3011), 80% of the weighting: a median of $23.35 an hour, 24% above the US median of $18.82. The middle half of them earn between $19.74 and $24.83 an hour. About 1,310 work in the metro. That is 177.6 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 $38.35 an hour, which is 69% above the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $28.72 and $47.03 an hour. BLS counts 630 of them working in the area, 85.4 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is deeper 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 $170. That is a swing of roughly 5.9% to 2.4% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Kahului-Wailuku has 73,750 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 250th 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% | $19.74 | $23.35 | $24.83 | $18.82 | 1.24 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 20% | $28.72 | $38.35 | $47.03 | $22.66 | 1.69 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.33 | |||||
Planning more than one job in Kahului?
Jobs that often go together with sod lawn are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Kahului wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, gravel driveway comes out highest (+50%) and retaining wall lowest (+32%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $840 – $2,950 | +41% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $5,450 – $13,600 | +36% |
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $9,750 – $17,300 | +32% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $3,800 – $15,200 | +50% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $50,900 – $159,000 | +41% |
Kahului 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, Kahului 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 Kahului are October through July: 10 of 12. Outside them, August and September have an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
Kahului gets about 16 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are January, March and December (2.8 inches in December). Inside the workable window, June and July are the driest, at 0.2 and 0.5 inches. The station averages about 39 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 | 82 | 64 | 2.4 | Workable |
| Feb | 82 | 64 | 2.0 | Workable |
| Mar | 83 | 65 | 2.6 | Workable |
| Apr | 85 | 67 | 1.3 | Workable |
| May | 87 | 68 | 0.7 | Workable |
| Jun | 88 | 70 | 0.2 | Workable |
| Jul | 89 | 72 | 0.5 | Workable |
| Aug | 90 | 72 | 0.5 | Hot |
| Sep | 90 | 71 | 0.5 | Hot |
| Oct | 89 | 70 | 0.8 | Workable |
| Nov | 86 | 68 | 1.8 | Workable |
| Dec | 83 | 66 | 2.8 | Workable |
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Multi-page report for Kahului, HI: low, typical and high cost, a line-item breakdown of materials and labor by trade, permit notes, the best months to schedule, a quote comparison sheet, red flags, questions for contractors, checklists and every source. 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 Kahului: your questions
+How much does it cost to lay sod in Kahului?
For 1,500 sq ft, expect $1,850 to $4,000 in the Kahului area. A standard-spec job lands at $2,500 to $3,350. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for sod lawn in Kahului?
About $1.20 to $2.45 per sq ft for materials and labor, plus $0 to $330 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $1 to $2.
+Is sod lawn cheaper in Kahului or Honolulu?
Honolulu is 110 miles away. The midpoint for 1,500 sq ft there is $2,800, which is 3% less than Kahului ($2,900). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Kahului?
About 51% at the midpoint, or $1,500 out of $2,900. Materials are 43% and permits 6%. Nationally, labor is 47%.
+What would average yard (1,500 sq ft) cost in Kahului?
$1,850 to $4,000. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does sod lawn need a permit in Kahului?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $0 to $330 for fees in the Kahului area (our national range of $0 to $300 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Kahului expensive for sod lawn compared with the rest of Hawaii?
Kahului is 3% above the Hawaii statewide estimate ($2,850 at the midpoint). We cover 2 metros in Hawaii; see the state page to compare them.
+What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Kahului?
The BLS median is $23.35 an hour in the Kahului area, compared with $18.82 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $19.74 to $24.83.
+What do basic and premium sod lawn work cost in Kahului?
For 1,500 sq ft, basic work runs $1,850 to $2,700 and premium work $3,150 to $4,000. 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 Kahului?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are October through July. June and July 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 Kahului
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.