Sod installation cost in Des Moines, IA
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
- #83
- 1 = most expensive
Local price for a new sod lawn in the Des Moines area: $1,550 to $3,400 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 $21.72 an hour in the Des Moines area, 15% above the US median of $18.82.
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Estimated cost for 1,500 sq ft in Des Moines, IA, standard level
$2,100 to $2,850
About $1.35 to $1.75 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 52% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $910 | $1,200 |
| Labor | $1,100 | $1,450 |
| Permits and fees | $85 | $190 |
| Total | $2,100 | $2,850 |
Cost breakdown for 1,500 sq ft in Des Moines, IA
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $700 | $1,050 | $1,400 | 43% |
| Labor | $850 | $1,300 | $1,700 | 52% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $140 | $280 | 6% |
| Total | $1,550 | $2,450 | $3,400 | 100% |
What is behind the Des Moines number
We price the labor side from BLS wage data for 2 trades: landscaping and groundskeeping workers at 80%, construction laborers at 20%. Weighted together, Des Moines wages are 1.14 times the national level. Labor makes up about 52% of the midpoint estimate (47% at national prices).
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Des Moines is at 93.7 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $1,150 nationally becomes $1,050 here (midpoint, 1,500 sq ft). Permits follow the all-items index of 91.7: $0 to $280.
The best months for sod lawn in Des Moines
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Des Moines Intl 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 Des Moines 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 128 days a year with a low at or below 32°F at this station.
Des Moines gets about 37 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 37 inches of snow. The wettest months are May, June and August (5.3 inches in June). Inside the workable window, September and October are the driest, at 3.2 and 2.8 inches. The station averages about 22 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 | 31 | 14 | 1.1 | Cold |
| Feb | 36 | 18 | 1.3 | Cold |
| Mar | 49 | 30 | 2.2 | Cold |
| Apr | 62 | 41 | 4.0 | Workable |
| May | 72 | 52 | 5.2 | Workable |
| Jun | 82 | 62 | 5.3 | Workable |
| Jul | 86 | 66 | 3.8 | Workable |
| Aug | 84 | 64 | 4.2 | Workable |
| Sep | 77 | 55 | 3.2 | Workable |
| Oct | 63 | 43 | 2.8 | Workable |
| Nov | 48 | 30 | 1.9 | Cold |
| Dec | 36 | 20 | 1.6 | Cold |
Sod installation: what moves the price in Des Moines
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.
Who does the work: Des Moines 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 Des Moines the blend is 1.14.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers (37-3011), 80% of the weighting: a median of $21.72 an hour, 15% above the US median of $18.82. The middle half of them earn between $17.33 and $22.93 an hour. About 2,230 work in the metro. That is 55.2 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 $24.03 an hour, which is 6% above the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $22.67 and $28.91 an hour. BLS counts 3,510 of them working in the area, 86.9 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 $60 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $210. That is a swing of roughly 8.5% to 2.3% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Des Moines-West Des Moines has 404,130 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 64th 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% | $17.33 | $21.72 | $22.93 | $18.82 | 1.15 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 20% | $22.67 | $24.03 | $28.91 | $22.66 | 1.06 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.14 | |||||
How Des Moines compares
Of the five closest metros, 4 are cheaper than Des Moines. Sioux City is the lowest at about $2,300 (midpoint, 1,500 sq ft), 145 miles away.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines, IAthis page | $1,550 – $3,400 | $2,450 | |
| Waterloo, IA95 miles | $1,450 – $3,150 | $2,300 | −6% |
| Iowa City, IA110 miles | $1,450 – $3,200 | $2,350 | −6% |
| Cedar Rapids, IA115 miles | $1,450 – $3,200 | $2,350 | −5% |
| Omaha, NE120 miles | $1,550 – $3,400 | $2,500 | +1% |
| Sioux City, IA145 miles | $1,450 – $3,150 | $2,300 | −6% |
| Iowa (statewide) | $1,450 – $3,150 | $2,300 | −6% |
| United States | $1,500 – $3,300 | $2,400 | −3% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Des Moines ranks #83 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Des Moines is 7% above the Iowa figure.
Elsewhere in Iowa
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Davenport, IA | 180,450 jobs | $1,450 – $3,200 | $2,350 | −6% |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | 139,260 jobs | $1,450 – $3,200 | $2,350 | −5% |
| Iowa City, IA | 93,760 jobs | $1,450 – $3,200 | $2,350 | −6% |
| Waterloo, IA | 84,260 jobs | $1,450 – $3,150 | $2,300 | −6% |
| Sioux City, IA | 75,010 jobs | $1,450 – $3,150 | $2,300 | −6% |
| Dubuque, IA | 58,470 jobs | $1,500 – $3,250 | $2,350 | −4% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Des Moines against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgeport, CT | 404,180 jobs | $1,650 – $3,600 | $2,600 | +5% |
| Columbia, SC | 394,200 jobs | $1,400 – $3,100 | $2,250 | −8% |
| Albuquerque, NM | 404,700 jobs | $1,450 – $3,150 | $2,300 | −7% |
| Charleston, SC | 394,170 jobs | $1,450 – $3,200 | $2,300 | −6% |
Des Moines: what basic, standard and premium work costs
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Des Moines. 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 | $1,800 – $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 – $8,550 |
Related projects, priced for Des Moines
Jobs that often go together with sod lawn are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Des Moines wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, retaining wall comes out highest (+3%) and gravel driveway lowest (−1%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $600 – $2,100 | level |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $4,100 – $10,200 | +2% |
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $7,450 – $13,600 | +3% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,500 – $10,100 | −1% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $36,900 – $115,000 | +2% |
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Sod installation in Des Moines: your questions
+How much does it cost to lay sod in Des Moines?
For 1,500 sq ft, expect $1,550 to $3,400 in the Des Moines 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 Des Moines?
About $1.05 to $2.05 per sq ft for materials and labor, plus $0 to $280 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $1 to $2.
+Is sod lawn cheaper in Des Moines or Waterloo?
Waterloo is 95 miles away. The midpoint for 1,500 sq ft there is $2,300, which is 6% less than Des Moines ($2,450). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Des Moines?
About 52% at the midpoint, or $1,300 out of $2,450. Materials are 43% and permits 6%. Nationally, labor is 47%.
+What would average yard (1,500 sq ft) cost in Des Moines?
$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 Des Moines?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $0 to $280 for fees in the Des Moines area (our national range of $0 to $300 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Des Moines expensive for sod lawn compared with the rest of Iowa?
Des Moines is 7% above the Iowa statewide estimate ($2,300 at the midpoint). We cover 7 metros in Iowa; see the state page to compare them.
+What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Des Moines?
The BLS median is $21.72 an hour in the Des Moines area, compared with $18.82 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $17.33 to $22.93.
+What do basic and premium sod lawn work cost in Des Moines?
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 Des Moines?
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 Des Moines
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.