Sod installation cost in Illinois
Statewide estimate from BLS wages and BEA prices. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Statewide range (1,500 sq ft)
- $1,650 – $3,600
- Per sq ft
- $1.10 – $2.20
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +9%
- US $2,400
- Metros covered
- 6
What does it cost to lay sod in Illinois? Plan on $1,650 to $3,600 for 1,500 sq ft. Wages (1.15x the US blend), materials (price index 103.8) and permit costs (100.0) put the state above the national midpoint by 9%.
Inside Illinois, the metros we cover range from $2,350 (Rockford) to $2,700 (Chicago) at the midpoint. Pick your closest city in the table for a tighter number.
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Estimated cost for 1,500 sq ft in Illinois (statewide), standard level
$2,250 to $3,000
About $1.40 to $1.85 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 50% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,000 | $1,300 |
| Labor | $1,100 | $1,450 |
| Permits and fees | $90 | $210 |
| Total | $2,250 | $3,000 |
Cost breakdown for 1,500 sq ft in Illinois
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $780 | $1,150 | $1,550 | 45% |
| Labor | $860 | $1,300 | $1,750 | 50% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $150 | $300 | 6% |
| Total | $1,650 | $2,600 | $3,600 | 100% |
Which Illinois city is cheapest for sod lawn?
1 of the 6 metros sit above the statewide midpoint of $2,600, and the top-to-bottom gap is 15%. Each row prices the default size with that metro's own BLS wages and BEA price levels, so the gap between rows is real local variation rather than a flat markup.
| Metro | Range (1,500 sq ft) | Midpoint | vs. state |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago, IL | $1,700 – $3,700 | $2,700 | +3% |
| Springfield, IL | $1,500 – $3,250 | $2,350 | −10% |
| Champaign, IL | $1,500 – $3,250 | $2,350 | −10% |
| Bloomington, IL | $1,500 – $3,250 | $2,350 | −10% |
| Peoria, IL | $1,450 – $3,200 | $2,350 | −10% |
| Rockford, IL | $1,450 – $3,200 | $2,350 | −11% |
Illinois against its neighbors
Illinois ranks 11 of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) for sod lawn, where 1 is the most expensive. The costliest is Hawaii at $2,850 and the cheapest Mississippi at $2,100, both for 1,500 sq ft at the midpoint. Illinois sits at $2,600. The five states closest by workforce center are listed below.
| State | Distance | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | 120 miles away | $1,500 – $3,300 | $2,400 | −8% |
| Indiana | 140 miles away | $1,450 – $3,200 | $2,350 | −11% |
| Michigan | 220 miles away | $1,450 – $3,200 | $2,350 | −11% |
| Iowa | 240 miles away | $1,450 – $3,150 | $2,300 | −12% |
| Kentucky | 280 miles away | $1,450 – $3,150 | $2,300 | −13% |
What landscaping and groundskeeping workers and the other trades earn in Illinois
Illinois's labor line is priced from 2 trades, each compared with its US median wage. After weighting by each trade's share of the work, the state comes out at 1.15 times the national level.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers (37-3011), 80% of the weighting: a median of $21.05 an hour, 12% above the US median of $18.82. The middle half of them earn between $17.60 and $22.58 an hour. About 34,780 work in the state. That is 57.0 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 61.3 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 20%) the local median is $29.18 an hour, which is 29% above the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $22.14 and $45.79 an hour. BLS counts 35,940 of them working in the state, 58.9 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is thinner than average.
A crew paid at the 75th percentile for landscaping and groundskeeping workers ($22.58 an hour) would add about $75 to the statewide midpoint; one at the 25th percentile ($17.60) would take off about $160. Use that as a rough guide to how far a bid can sit from our midpoint on wages alone.
BLS counts 6,098,130 jobs across Illinois (May 2025), which is 3.9% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers (37-3011) | 80% | $17.60 | $21.05 | $22.58 | $18.82 | 1.12 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 20% | $22.14 | $29.18 | $45.79 | $22.66 | 1.29 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 1.15 | |||||
When Illinois weather lets you lay
Weather decides when digging and ground work can happen, and Illinois is not uniform. The table uses NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals from the weather station nearest each metro we cover, and counts the months that are neither cold nor hot enough to complicate the job.
Chicago has the longest comfortable season of the metros we cover in Illinois at 8 months (April through November); Bloomington has the shortest at 7 (April through October). Rainfall runs from 34 inches a year in Chicago to 40 inches in Springfield.
We do not adjust prices by month, because we have no reliable published data on seasonal pricing. Timing is still worth raising when you collect bids.
| Metro | Jan avg low °F | Jul avg high °F | Precip (in/yr) | Comfortable months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | 19 | 85 | 34 | 8: April through November |
| Peoria | 18 | 86 | 38 | 8: April through November |
| Rockford | 15 | 84 | 37 | 7: April through October |
| Champaign | 18 | 85 | 37 | 7: April through October |
| Springfield | 19 | 86 | 40 | 8: April through November |
| Bloomington | 16 | 86 | 39 | 7: April through October |
Why two Illinois quotes can differ
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.
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.
Basic, standard or premium: Illinois prices
Bands overlap on purpose, since a good standard job can cost as much as a light premium one. Below are the three bands for the default size, then a grid from small yard (1,000 sq ft) to large yard (4,000 sq ft).
Basic
$1,650 to $2,400
Basic grass on cleared, level ground
Standard
$2,250 to $3,000
Better grass type with some grading
Premium
$2,800 to $3,600
Premium sod, soil work, difficult slopes
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small yard (1,000 sq ft) | $1,100 – $1,650 | $1,500 – $2,050 | $1,950 – $2,500 |
| average yard (1,500 sq ft) | $1,650 – $2,400 | $2,250 – $3,000 | $2,800 – $3,600 |
| large yard (4,000 sq ft) | $4,400 – $6,250 | $5,800 – $7,650 | $7,200 – $9,050 |
Other Illinois jobs that often go with sod lawn
Each project weights the trades differently, so Illinois's wage level does not push every price by the same amount. Compared with the US midpoint, sprinkler system is +26% and French drain +19%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $720 – $2,500 | +19% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $5,050 – $12,600 | +26% |
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $9,000 – $16,000 | +22% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $3,150 – $12,700 | +25% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $45,300 – $141,500 | +25% |
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Detailed sod installation report for Illinois, $9
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Sod installation in Illinois: your questions
+How much does it cost to lay sod in Illinois?
$1,650 to $3,600 for 1,500 sq ft, using statewide wages and prices. Metro areas inside Illinois can sit above or below that.
+Which city in Illinois is cheapest for sod lawn?
Rockford at about $2,350 (midpoint, 1,500 sq ft). The priciest is Chicago at $2,700.
+Is sod lawn cheaper in Illinois than the US average?
It is 9% more expensive: $2,600 against $2,400 for 1,500 sq ft at the midpoint.
+What share of the price is labor in Illinois?
About 50% ($1,300). Materials are 45%. Statewide labor for this job is weighted 1.15x the national wage level.
+What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Illinois?
The BLS statewide median is $21.05 an hour, against $18.82 for the US. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $17.60 to $22.58.
+Where does Illinois rank for sod lawn costs?
11th most expensive of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) at the midpoint, $2,600 for 1,500 sq ft. Rank 1 is the costliest.
+What do basic and premium sod lawn work cost in Illinois?
For 1,500 sq ft, basic work runs $1,650 to $2,400 and premium work $2,800 to $3,600. Basic means: basic grass on cleared, level ground. Premium means: premium sod, soil work, difficult slopes.
+Does the season matter for sod lawn in Illinois?
Yes where winters or summers are hard. Of the Illinois metros we cover, Chicago has the most comfortable months (8 of 12) based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals. Our prices do not change by month, so ask contractors whether they charge more or less in busy and slow seasons.
Sod installation by city in Illinois
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.