Sod installation cost in Mississippi
Statewide estimate from BLS wages and BEA prices. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Statewide range (1,500 sq ft)
- $1,350 – $2,900
- Per sq ft
- $0.90 – $1.75
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −12%
- US $2,400
- Metros covered
- 3
Mississippi prices for sod lawn: $1,350 to $2,900 for 1,500 sq ft, or $0.90 to $1.75 per sq ft without the permit. The state midpoint is 12% below the national one. Local wages for landscaping and groundskeeping workers are $15.21 an hour.
Inside Mississippi, the metros we cover range from $2,050 (Hattiesburg) to $2,100 (Gulfport) 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 Mississippi (statewide), standard level
$1,800 to $2,450
About $1.15 to $1.50 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 43% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $940 | $1,250 |
| Labor | $790 | $1,050 |
| Permits and fees | $80 | $180 |
| Total | $1,800 | $2,450 |
Cost breakdown for 1,500 sq ft in Mississippi
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $720 | $1,100 | $1,450 | 51% |
| Labor | $600 | $910 | $1,200 | 43% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $130 | $260 | 6% |
| Total | $1,350 | $2,100 | $2,900 | 100% |
If you are planning more than one job in Mississippi
Each project weights the trades differently, so Mississippi's wage level does not push every price by the same amount. Compared with the US midpoint, sprinkler system is −11% and gravel driveway −12%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $530 – $1,850 | −12% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $3,550 – $8,900 | −11% |
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $6,050 – $12,000 | −12% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,200 – $8,950 | −12% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $31,700 – $99,100 | −12% |
Mississippi against its neighbors
Mississippi ranks 51 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. Mississippi sits at $2,100. The five states closest by workforce center are listed below.
| State | Distance | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 130 miles away | $1,350 – $3,000 | $2,150 | +2% |
| Alabama | 180 miles away | $1,400 – $3,050 | $2,200 | +4% |
| Arkansas | 330 miles away | $1,350 – $3,000 | $2,200 | +3% |
| Tennessee | 330 miles away | $1,450 – $3,150 | $2,300 | +8% |
| Georgia | 350 miles away | $1,450 – $3,200 | $2,300 | +9% |
What landscaping and groundskeeping workers and the other trades earn in Mississippi
Mississippi'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 0.81 times the national level.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers (37-3011), 80% of the weighting: a median of $15.21 an hour, 19% below the US median of $18.82. The middle half of them earn between $13.54 and $17.99 an hour. About 4,940 work in the state. That is 42.5 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 $18.13 an hour, which is 20% below the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $16.25 and $22.01 an hour. BLS counts 8,800 of them working in the state, 75.7 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is about average.
A crew paid at the 75th percentile for landscaping and groundskeeping workers ($17.99 an hour) would add about $130 to the statewide midpoint; one at the 25th percentile ($13.54) would take off about $80. Use that as a rough guide to how far a bid can sit from our midpoint on wages alone.
BLS counts 1,163,030 jobs across Mississippi (May 2025), which is 0.7% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers (37-3011) | 80% | $13.54 | $15.21 | $17.99 | $18.82 | 0.81 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 20% | $16.25 | $18.13 | $22.01 | $22.66 | 0.80 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 0.81 | |||||
Mississippi metro-by-metro prices
0 of the 3 metros sit above the statewide midpoint of $2,100, and the top-to-bottom gap is 3%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gulfport, MS | $1,300 – $2,900 | $2,100 | level |
| Jackson, MS | $1,300 – $2,900 | $2,100 | −1% |
| Hattiesburg, MS | $1,300 – $2,850 | $2,050 | −3% |
Basic, standard or premium: Mississippi 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
$1,350 to $1,950
Basic grass on cleared, level ground
Standard
$1,800 to $2,450
Better grass type with some grading
Premium
$2,300 to $2,900
Premium sod, soil work, difficult slopes
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small yard (1,000 sq ft) | $880 – $1,350 | $1,250 – $1,700 | $1,550 – $2,050 |
| average yard (1,500 sq ft) | $1,350 – $1,950 | $1,800 – $2,450 | $2,300 – $2,900 |
| large yard (4,000 sq ft) | $3,550 – $5,050 | $4,700 – $6,200 | $5,800 – $7,350 |
Weather windows across Mississippi
Weather decides when digging and ground work can happen, and Mississippi 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.
Gulfport has the longest comfortable season of the metros we cover in Mississippi at 10 months (September through June); Hattiesburg has the shortest at 9 (September through May). Rainfall runs from 51 inches a year in Jackson to 63 inches in Gulfport.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson | 38 | 92 | 51 | 9: September through May |
| Gulfport | 42 | 90 | 63 | 10: September through June |
| Hattiesburg | 38 | 92 | 59 | 9: September through May |
Why two Mississippi 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.
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Sod installation in Mississippi: your questions
+How much does it cost to lay sod in Mississippi?
$1,350 to $2,900 for 1,500 sq ft, using statewide wages and prices. Metro areas inside Mississippi can sit above or below that.
+Which city in Mississippi is cheapest for sod lawn?
Hattiesburg at about $2,050 (midpoint, 1,500 sq ft). The priciest is Gulfport at $2,100.
+Is sod lawn cheaper in Mississippi than the US average?
It is 12% cheaper: $2,100 against $2,400 for 1,500 sq ft at the midpoint.
+What share of the price is labor in Mississippi?
About 43% ($910). Materials are 51%. Statewide labor for this job is weighted 0.81x the national wage level.
+What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Mississippi?
The BLS statewide median is $15.21 an hour, against $18.82 for the US. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $13.54 to $17.99.
+Where does Mississippi rank for sod lawn costs?
51st most expensive of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) at the midpoint, $2,100 for 1,500 sq ft. Rank 1 is the costliest.
+What do basic and premium sod lawn work cost in Mississippi?
For 1,500 sq ft, basic work runs $1,350 to $1,950 and premium work $2,300 to $2,900. Basic means: basic grass on cleared, level ground. Premium means: premium sod, soil work, difficult slopes.
+Does the season matter for sod lawn in Mississippi?
Yes where winters or summers are hard. Of the Mississippi metros we cover, Gulfport has the most comfortable months (10 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 Mississippi
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.