Sod installation cost in Lafayette, LA
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (1,500 sq ft)
- $1,300 – $2,850
- Per sq ft
- $0.85 – $1.70
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −14%
- US $2,400
- Rank of 300 metros
- #294
- 1 = most expensive
A new sod lawn in Lafayette, LA usually costs $1,300 to $2,850 for 1,500 sq ft. That works out to about $0.85 to $1.70 per sq ft before permits. Compared with the national midpoint that is $330 less. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn a median of $14.68 an hour in the Lafayette area, 22% below the US median of $18.82.
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Estimated cost for 1,500 sq ft in Lafayette, LA, standard level
$1,750 to $2,400
About $1.10 to $1.45 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 43% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $910 | $1,200 |
| Labor | $770 | $1,000 |
| Permits and fees | $80 | $180 |
| Total | $1,750 | $2,400 |
Cost breakdown for 1,500 sq ft in Lafayette, LA
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $700 | $1,050 | $1,400 | 51% |
| Labor | $590 | $890 | $1,200 | 43% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $130 | $260 | 6% |
| Total | $1,300 | $2,050 | $2,850 | 100% |
Why Lafayette prices look the way they do
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 $14.68 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Lafayette is 0.79 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 43% of the total.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Lafayette 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 87.2: $0 to $260.
Lafayette: what basic, standard and premium work costs
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Lafayette. 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
$1,300 to $1,900
Basic grass on cleared, level ground
Standard
$1,750 to $2,400
Better grass type with some grading
Premium
$2,250 to $2,850
Premium sod, soil work, difficult slopes
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small yard (1,000 sq ft) | $860 – $1,300 | $1,200 – $1,650 | $1,550 – $2,000 |
| average yard (1,500 sq ft) | $1,300 – $1,900 | $1,750 – $2,400 | $2,250 – $2,850 |
| large yard (4,000 sq ft) | $3,450 – $4,950 | $4,550 – $6,050 | $5,700 – $7,150 |
Is Lafayette cheap or dear? The local comparison
Same job, same size (1,500 sq ft), priced for the nearest metros. Baton Rouge is the priciest of the group at $2,200.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lafayette, LAthis page | $1,300 – $2,850 | $2,050 | |
| Lake Charles, LA65 miles | $1,350 – $3,000 | $2,200 | +5% |
| Baton Rouge, LA70 miles | $1,400 – $3,050 | $2,200 | +7% |
| Houma, LA90 miles | $1,350 – $2,950 | $2,150 | +4% |
| Alexandria, LA95 miles | $1,300 – $2,900 | $2,100 | +2% |
| Beaumont, TX125 miles | $1,400 – $3,000 | $2,200 | +6% |
| Louisiana (statewide) | $1,350 – $3,000 | $2,150 | +5% |
| United States | $1,500 – $3,300 | $2,400 | +16% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Lafayette ranks #294 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Lafayette is 5% below the Louisiana figure.
Elsewhere in Louisiana
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans, LA | 445,550 jobs | $1,350 – $3,000 | $2,200 | +6% |
| Baton Rouge, LA | 409,690 jobs | $1,400 – $3,050 | $2,200 | +7% |
| Shreveport, LA | 162,750 jobs | $1,350 – $3,000 | $2,150 | +5% |
| Lake Charles, LA | 101,690 jobs | $1,350 – $3,000 | $2,200 | +5% |
| Slidell, LA | 98,240 jobs | $1,400 – $3,050 | $2,200 | +6% |
| Monroe, LA | 87,500 jobs | $1,250 – $2,750 | $2,000 | −3% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Lafayette against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Davenport, IA | 180,450 jobs | $1,450 – $3,200 | $2,350 | +12% |
| Sioux Falls, SD | 178,590 jobs | $1,450 – $3,150 | $2,300 | +11% |
| Asheville, NC | 180,620 jobs | $1,450 – $3,200 | $2,350 | +13% |
| Anchorage, AK | 177,050 jobs | $1,700 – $3,750 | $2,700 | +32% |
Specs and site conditions that change a Lafayette bid
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).
Related projects, priced for Lafayette
Jobs that often go together with sod lawn are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Lafayette wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, retaining wall comes out highest (−9%) and gravel driveway lowest (−12%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $530 – $1,850 | −11% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $3,600 – $8,950 | −10% |
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $6,350 – $12,200 | −9% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,200 – $9,000 | −12% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $32,200 – $101,000 | −11% |
What local crews earn in Lafayette
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 Lafayette the blend is 0.79.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers (37-3011), 80% of the weighting: a median of $14.68 an hour, 22% below the US median of $18.82. The middle half of them earn between $13.89 and $17.27 an hour. About 730 work in the metro. That is 40.7 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 61.3 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 20%) the local median is $18.57 an hour, which is 18% below the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $16.31 and $22.95 an hour. BLS counts 1,780 of them working in the area, 99.1 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 $120 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $40. That is a swing of roughly 1.8% to 6.0% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Lafayette has 179,570 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 129th 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% | $13.89 | $14.68 | $17.27 | $18.82 | 0.78 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 20% | $16.31 | $18.57 | $22.95 | $22.66 | 0.82 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.79 | |||||
Lafayette 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, Lafayette Rgnl 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 Lafayette are September through May: 9 of 12. Outside them, June, July and August have an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
Lafayette gets about 63 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are June, July and August (7.1 inches in June). Inside the workable window, February and March are the driest, at 4.1 and 3.7 inches. The station averages about 91 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 | 62 | 44 | 5.9 | Workable |
| Feb | 66 | 47 | 4.1 | Workable |
| Mar | 73 | 53 | 3.7 | Workable |
| Apr | 79 | 59 | 4.9 | Workable |
| May | 86 | 67 | 5.4 | Workable |
| Jun | 90 | 73 | 7.1 | Hot |
| Jul | 92 | 75 | 6.3 | Hot |
| Aug | 92 | 75 | 6.3 | Hot |
| Sep | 89 | 70 | 5.0 | Workable |
| Oct | 81 | 60 | 4.8 | Workable |
| Nov | 72 | 50 | 4.4 | Workable |
| Dec | 64 | 45 | 5.0 | Workable |
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Sod installation in Lafayette: your questions
+How much does it cost to lay sod in Lafayette?
For 1,500 sq ft, expect $1,300 to $2,850 in the Lafayette area. A standard-spec job lands at $1,750 to $2,400. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for sod lawn in Lafayette?
About $0.85 to $1.70 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 Lafayette or Lake Charles?
Lake Charles is 65 miles away. The midpoint for 1,500 sq ft there is $2,200, which is 5% more than Lafayette ($2,050). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Lafayette?
About 43% at the midpoint, or $890 out of $2,050. Materials are 51% and permits 6%. Nationally, labor is 47%.
+What would average yard (1,500 sq ft) cost in Lafayette?
$1,300 to $2,850. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does sod lawn need a permit in Lafayette?
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 Lafayette area (our national range of $0 to $300 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Lafayette expensive for sod lawn compared with the rest of Louisiana?
Lafayette is 5% below the Louisiana statewide estimate ($2,150 at the midpoint). We cover 9 metros in Louisiana; see the state page to compare them.
+What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Lafayette?
The BLS median is $14.68 an hour in the Lafayette area, compared with $18.82 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $13.89 to $17.27.
+What do basic and premium sod lawn work cost in Lafayette?
For 1,500 sq ft, basic work runs $1,300 to $1,900 and premium work $2,250 to $2,850. 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 Lafayette?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are September through May. February and March 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 Lafayette
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.