Sod installation cost in Sioux City, IA
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (1,500 sq ft)
- $1,450 – $3,150
- Per sq ft
- $0.95 – $1.95
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −4%
- US $2,400
- Rank of 300 metros
- #161
- 1 = most expensive
Local price for a new sod lawn in the Sioux City area: $1,450 to $3,150 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 runs 4% lower than the US figure. Building materials run about 6% below the US average here (BEA goods price index 94.0).
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Estimated cost for 1,500 sq ft in Sioux City, IA, standard level
$1,950 to $2,650
About $1.25 to $1.65 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 49% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $920 | $1,200 |
| Labor | $970 | $1,250 |
| Permits and fees | $80 | $180 |
| Total | $1,950 | $2,650 |
Cost breakdown for 1,500 sq ft in Sioux City, IA
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $710 | $1,050 | $1,400 | 46% |
| Labor | $750 | $1,100 | $1,500 | 49% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $130 | $260 | 6% |
| Total | $1,450 | $2,300 | $3,150 | 100% |
Where the Sioux City price comes from
Labor is 49% 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 Sioux City the blended ratio comes out at 1.00.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Sioux City is at 94.0 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 86.5: $0 to $260.
Sod installation: what moves the price in Sioux City
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.
The best months for sod lawn in Sioux City
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Sioux City Gateway 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 Sioux City 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 154 days a year with a low at or below 32°F at this station.
Sioux City gets about 29 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 36 inches of snow. The wettest months are May, June and August (4.3 inches in June). Inside the workable window, September and October are the driest, at 2.8 and 2.2 inches. The station averages about 25 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 | 30 | 10 | 0.7 | Cold |
| Feb | 34 | 15 | 0.9 | Cold |
| Mar | 48 | 26 | 1.8 | Cold |
| Apr | 61 | 37 | 3.1 | Workable |
| May | 72 | 49 | 3.9 | Workable |
| Jun | 82 | 59 | 4.3 | Workable |
| Jul | 85 | 63 | 3.4 | Workable |
| Aug | 83 | 61 | 3.9 | Workable |
| Sep | 77 | 51 | 2.8 | Workable |
| Oct | 63 | 38 | 2.2 | Workable |
| Nov | 47 | 25 | 1.3 | Cold |
| Dec | 33 | 15 | 1.0 | Cold |
Who does the work: Sioux City 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 Sioux City the blend is 1.00.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers (37-3011), 80% of the weighting: a median of $18.66 an hour, in line with the US median of $18.82. The middle half of them earn between $15.91 and $21.94 an hour. About 400 work in the metro. That is 53.3 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 $23.38 an hour, which is 3% above the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $21.71 and $28.72 an hour. BLS counts 560 of them working in the area, 74.7 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is about average.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (landscaping and groundskeeping workers) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $160 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $130. That is a swing of roughly 5.7% to 6.8% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Sioux City has 75,010 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 247th 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% | $15.91 | $18.66 | $21.94 | $18.82 | 0.99 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 20% | $21.71 | $23.38 | $28.72 | $22.66 | 1.03 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.00 | |||||
Planning more than one job in Sioux City?
Jobs that often go together with sod lawn are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Sioux City wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, retaining wall comes out highest (level) 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 – $2,100 | −1% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $3,850 – $9,650 | −3% |
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $7,150 – $13,300 | level |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,450 – $9,900 | −3% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $35,600 – $111,000 | −1% |
Pick a size, pick a tier: sod installation pricing in Sioux City
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Sioux City. 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
$1,450 to $2,150
Basic grass on cleared, level ground
Standard
$1,950 to $2,650
Better grass type with some grading
Premium
$2,500 to $3,150
Premium sod, soil work, difficult slopes
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small yard (1,000 sq ft) | $970 – $1,450 | $1,350 – $1,850 | $1,700 – $2,200 |
| average yard (1,500 sq ft) | $1,450 – $2,150 | $1,950 – $2,650 | $2,500 – $3,150 |
| large yard (4,000 sq ft) | $3,900 – $5,550 | $5,100 – $6,800 | $6,350 – $8,000 |
Sioux City against nearby metros and the rest of Iowa
Same job, same size (1,500 sq ft), priced for the nearest metros. Omaha is the priciest of the group at $2,500. Lincoln is the cheapest at $2,300.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sioux City, IAthis page | $1,450 – $3,150 | $2,300 | |
| Sioux Falls, SD75 miles | $1,450 – $3,150 | $2,300 | −1% |
| Omaha, NE85 miles | $1,550 – $3,400 | $2,500 | +7% |
| Lincoln, NE120 miles | $1,450 – $3,150 | $2,300 | −1% |
| Des Moines, IA145 miles | $1,550 – $3,400 | $2,450 | +7% |
| Waterloo, IA195 miles | $1,450 – $3,150 | $2,300 | level |
| Iowa (statewide) | $1,450 – $3,150 | $2,300 | level |
| United States | $1,500 – $3,300 | $2,400 | +4% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Sioux City ranks #161 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Sioux City is 0% below the Iowa figure.
Elsewhere in Iowa
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines, IA | 404,130 jobs | $1,550 – $3,400 | $2,450 | +7% |
| Davenport, IA | 180,450 jobs | $1,450 – $3,200 | $2,350 | +1% |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | 139,260 jobs | $1,450 – $3,200 | $2,350 | +1% |
| Iowa City, IA | 93,760 jobs | $1,450 – $3,200 | $2,350 | +1% |
| Waterloo, IA | 84,260 jobs | $1,450 – $3,150 | $2,300 | level |
| Dubuque, IA | 58,470 jobs | $1,500 – $3,250 | $2,350 | +3% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Sioux City against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abilene, TX | 75,070 jobs | $1,350 – $3,000 | $2,150 | −6% |
| Blacksburg, VA | 74,070 jobs | $1,400 – $3,050 | $2,250 | −3% |
| Kenosha, WI | 75,450 jobs | $1,650 – $3,600 | $2,650 | +14% |
| Rapid City, SD | 73,820 jobs | $1,400 – $3,050 | $2,250 | −4% |
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Sod installation in Sioux City: your questions
+How much does it cost to lay sod in Sioux City?
For 1,500 sq ft, expect $1,450 to $3,150 in the Sioux City area. A standard-spec job lands at $1,950 to $2,650. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for sod lawn in Sioux City?
About $0.95 to $1.95 per sq ft for materials and labor, plus $0 to $260 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $1 to $2.
+Is sod lawn cheaper in Sioux City or Sioux Falls?
Sioux Falls is 75 miles away. The midpoint for 1,500 sq ft there is $2,300, which is 1% less than Sioux City ($2,300). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Sioux City?
About 49% at the midpoint, or $1,100 out of $2,300. Materials are 46% and permits 6%. Nationally, labor is 47%.
+What would average yard (1,500 sq ft) cost in Sioux City?
$1,450 to $3,150. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does sod lawn need a permit in Sioux City?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $0 to $260 for fees in the Sioux City area (our national range of $0 to $300 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Sioux City expensive for sod lawn compared with the rest of Iowa?
Sioux City is 0% below 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 Sioux City?
The BLS median is $18.66 an hour in the Sioux City area, compared with $18.82 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $15.91 to $21.94.
+What do basic and premium sod lawn work cost in Sioux City?
For 1,500 sq ft, basic work runs $1,450 to $2,150 and premium work $2,500 to $3,150. 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 Sioux City?
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 Sioux City
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.