Sod installation cost in New Orleans, LA
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (1,500 sq ft)
- $1,350 – $3,000
- Per sq ft
- $0.90 – $1.85
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −9%
- US $2,400
- Rank of 300 metros
- #271
- 1 = most expensive
Local price for a new sod lawn in the New Orleans area: $1,350 to $3,000 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 9% lower than the US figure. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn a median of $17.03 an hour in the New Orleans area, 10% below the US median of $18.82.
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Estimated cost for 1,500 sq ft in New Orleans, LA, standard level
$1,850 to $2,550
About $1.20 to $1.55 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 46% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $910 | $1,200 |
| Labor | $870 | $1,150 |
| Permits and fees | $85 | $190 |
| Total | $1,850 | $2,550 |
Cost breakdown for 1,500 sq ft in New Orleans, LA
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $700 | $1,050 | $1,400 | 48% |
| Labor | $670 | $1,000 | $1,350 | 46% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $140 | $280 | 6% |
| Total | $1,350 | $2,200 | $3,000 | 100% |
Why New Orleans prices look the way they do
Labor is 46% 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 New Orleans the blended ratio comes out at 0.89.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. New Orleans 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 92.6: $0 to $280.
Pick a size, pick a tier: sod installation pricing in New Orleans
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to New Orleans. 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
$1,350 to $2,050
Basic grass on cleared, level ground
Standard
$1,850 to $2,550
Better grass type with some grading
Premium
$2,350 to $3,000
Premium sod, soil work, difficult slopes
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small yard (1,000 sq ft) | $910 – $1,400 | $1,250 – $1,750 | $1,650 – $2,100 |
| average yard (1,500 sq ft) | $1,350 – $2,050 | $1,850 – $2,550 | $2,350 – $3,000 |
| large yard (4,000 sq ft) | $3,650 – $5,250 | $4,850 – $6,400 | $6,000 – $7,600 |
New Orleans against nearby metros and the rest of Louisiana
Of the five closest metros, 2 are cheaper than New Orleans. Gulfport is the lowest at about $2,100 (midpoint, 1,500 sq ft), 90 miles away.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans, LAthis page | $1,350 – $3,000 | $2,200 | |
| Houma, LA75 miles | $1,350 – $2,950 | $2,150 | −2% |
| Slidell, LA80 miles | $1,400 – $3,050 | $2,200 | level |
| Gulfport, MS90 miles | $1,300 – $2,900 | $2,100 | −3% |
| Baton Rouge, LA125 miles | $1,400 – $3,050 | $2,200 | +1% |
| Mobile, AL125 miles | $1,400 – $3,050 | $2,200 | +1% |
| Louisiana (statewide) | $1,350 – $3,000 | $2,150 | −1% |
| United States | $1,500 – $3,300 | $2,400 | +9% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, New Orleans ranks #271 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, New Orleans is 1% above the Louisiana figure.
Elsewhere in Louisiana
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge, LA | 409,690 jobs | $1,400 – $3,050 | $2,200 | +1% |
| Lafayette, LA | 179,570 jobs | $1,300 – $2,850 | $2,050 | −6% |
| Shreveport, LA | 162,750 jobs | $1,350 – $3,000 | $2,150 | −1% |
| Lake Charles, LA | 101,690 jobs | $1,350 – $3,000 | $2,200 | −1% |
| Slidell, LA | 98,240 jobs | $1,400 – $3,050 | $2,200 | level |
| Monroe, LA | 87,500 jobs | $1,250 – $2,750 | $2,000 | −8% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is New Orleans against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu, HI | 446,380 jobs | $1,750 – $3,850 | $2,800 | +28% |
| Greenville, SC | 434,900 jobs | $1,400 – $3,150 | $2,300 | +4% |
| Albany, NY | 449,410 jobs | $1,550 – $3,400 | $2,450 | +13% |
| Knoxville, TN | 424,600 jobs | $1,400 – $3,100 | $2,250 | +3% |
Why two New Orleans 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.
Planning more than one job in New Orleans?
Jobs that often go together with sod lawn are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same New Orleans wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, sprinkler system comes out highest (−7%) and French drain lowest (−9%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $550 – $1,900 | −9% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $3,700 – $9,300 | −7% |
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $6,500 – $12,400 | −8% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,300 – $9,400 | −8% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $33,300 – $104,000 | −8% |
Who does the work: New Orleans 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 New Orleans the blend is 0.89.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers (37-3011), 80% of the weighting: a median of $17.03 an hour, 10% below the US median of $18.82. The middle half of them earn between $14.53 and $18.12 an hour. About 1,440 work in the metro. That is 32.3 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 $18.98 an hour, which is 16% below the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $17.45 and $23.29 an hour. BLS counts 3,620 of them working in the area, 81.2 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 $50 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $120. That is a swing of roughly 5.4% to 2.4% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
New Orleans-Metairie has 445,550 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 57th 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% | $14.53 | $17.03 | $18.12 | $18.82 | 0.90 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 20% | $17.45 | $18.98 | $23.29 | $22.66 | 0.84 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.89 | |||||
The best months for sod lawn in New Orleans
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, New Orleans Lakefront 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 New Orleans are September through June: 10 of 12. Outside them, July and August have an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
New Orleans gets about 60 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are June, July and August (6.5 inches in August). Inside the workable window, October and November are the driest, at 3.6 and 3.6 inches. The station averages about 86 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 | 61 | 47 | 5.3 | Workable |
| Feb | 65 | 51 | 4.1 | Workable |
| Mar | 71 | 57 | 4.6 | Workable |
| Apr | 78 | 63 | 5.9 | Workable |
| May | 85 | 71 | 4.9 | Workable |
| Jun | 89 | 76 | 6.0 | Workable |
| Jul | 91 | 78 | 6.3 | Hot |
| Aug | 91 | 79 | 6.5 | Hot |
| Sep | 87 | 76 | 4.6 | Workable |
| Oct | 79 | 67 | 3.6 | Workable |
| Nov | 70 | 56 | 3.6 | Workable |
| Dec | 63 | 50 | 4.6 | Workable |
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Detailed sod installation report for New Orleans, LA, $9
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Sod installation in New Orleans: your questions
+How much does it cost to lay sod in New Orleans?
For 1,500 sq ft, expect $1,350 to $3,000 in the New Orleans area. A standard-spec job lands at $1,850 to $2,550. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for sod lawn in New Orleans?
About $0.90 to $1.85 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 New Orleans or Houma?
Houma is 75 miles away. The midpoint for 1,500 sq ft there is $2,150, which is 2% less than New Orleans ($2,200). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in New Orleans?
About 46% at the midpoint, or $1,000 out of $2,200. Materials are 48% and permits 6%. Nationally, labor is 47%.
+What would average yard (1,500 sq ft) cost in New Orleans?
$1,350 to $3,000. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does sod lawn need a permit in New Orleans?
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 New Orleans area (our national range of $0 to $300 scaled by the local price level).
+Is New Orleans expensive for sod lawn compared with the rest of Louisiana?
New Orleans is 1% above 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 New Orleans?
The BLS median is $17.03 an hour in the New Orleans area, compared with $18.82 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $14.53 to $18.12.
+What do basic and premium sod lawn work cost in New Orleans?
For 1,500 sq ft, basic work runs $1,350 to $2,050 and premium work $2,350 to $3,000. 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 New Orleans?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are September through June. October and November 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 New Orleans
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.