Sod installation cost in Montana
Statewide estimate from BLS wages and BEA prices. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Statewide range (1,500 sq ft)
- $1,550 – $3,450
- Per sq ft
- $1.05 – $2.10
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +4%
- US $2,400
- Metros covered
- 3
What does it cost to lay sod in Montana? Plan on $1,550 to $3,450 for 1,500 sq ft. Wages (1.14x the US blend), materials (price index 96.0) and permit costs (94.6) put the state above the national midpoint by 4%.
Inside Montana, the metros we cover range from $2,450 (Billings) to $2,600 (Bozeman) 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 Montana (statewide), standard level
$2,150 to $2,850
About $1.35 to $1.80 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 51% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $940 | $1,200 |
| Labor | $1,100 | $1,450 |
| Permits and fees | $85 | $200 |
| Total | $2,150 | $2,850 |
Cost breakdown for 1,500 sq ft in Montana
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $720 | $1,100 | $1,450 | 43% |
| Labor | $850 | $1,300 | $1,700 | 51% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $140 | $280 | 6% |
| Total | $1,550 | $2,500 | $3,450 | 100% |
Montana against its neighbors
Montana ranks 18 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. Montana sits at $2,500. The five states closest by workforce center are listed below.
| State | Distance | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Idaho | 270 miles away | $1,500 – $3,300 | $2,400 | −4% |
| Utah | 400 miles away | $1,500 – $3,300 | $2,400 | −4% |
| Wyoming | 460 miles away | $1,450 – $3,200 | $2,300 | −8% |
| Washington | 500 miles away | $1,700 – $3,700 | $2,700 | +7% |
| Colorado | 550 miles away | $1,600 – $3,500 | $2,550 | +2% |
Quality levels and sizes in Montana
The cited range is cut into three overlapping bands (basic, standard and premium) and scaled to statewide Montana wages and prices. The grid prices the same bands at 3 common sizes.
Basic
$1,550 to $2,300
Basic grass on cleared, level ground
Standard
$2,150 to $2,850
Better grass type with some grading
Premium
$2,700 to $3,450
Premium sod, soil work, difficult slopes
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small yard (1,000 sq ft) | $1,050 – $1,600 | $1,450 – $2,000 | $1,850 – $2,400 |
| average yard (1,500 sq ft) | $1,550 – $2,300 | $2,150 – $2,850 | $2,700 – $3,450 |
| large yard (4,000 sq ft) | $4,200 – $6,000 | $5,550 – $7,350 | $6,900 – $8,700 |
What landscaping and groundskeeping workers and the other trades earn in Montana
Statewide wages come from BLS's state-level estimates, which blend big cities with small towns and rural areas. 2 trades drive the labor line for this job, and the weighted ratio against the national wage level is 1.14 for Montana.
For landscaping and groundskeeping workers (37-3011, weighted 80%) the local median is $21.80 an hour, which is 16% above the national $18.82. The middle half of them earn between $17.93 and $24.47 an hour. BLS counts 4,270 of them working in the state, 83.5 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 61.3), so the local bench is deeper than average.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 20% of the weighting: a median of $23.96 an hour, 6% above the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $20.80 and $28.24 an hour. About 4,590 work in the state. That is 89.7 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 70.5 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
A crew paid at the 75th percentile for landscaping and groundskeeping workers ($24.47 an hour) would add about $130 to the statewide midpoint; one at the 25th percentile ($17.93) would take off about $190. Use that as a rough guide to how far a bid can sit from our midpoint on wages alone.
BLS counts 511,580 jobs across Montana (May 2025), which is 0.3% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers (37-3011) | 80% | $17.93 | $21.80 | $24.47 | $18.82 | 1.16 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 20% | $20.80 | $23.96 | $28.24 | $22.66 | 1.06 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 1.14 | |||||
Sod installation: what moves the price in Montana
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.
Montana metro-by-metro prices
1 of the 3 metros sit above the statewide midpoint of $2,500, and the top-to-bottom gap is 5%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bozeman, MT | $1,600 – $3,550 | $2,600 | +3% |
| Missoula, MT | $1,550 – $3,400 | $2,500 | −1% |
| Billings, MT | $1,550 – $3,400 | $2,450 | −1% |
Montana seasons and sod lawn
Season matters for sod lawn. For each Montana metro below we took NOAA's 1991-2020 monthly normals from the nearest suitable station and counted comfortable months for digging and ground work.
Billings has the longest comfortable season of the metros we cover in Montana at 7 months (April through October); Missoula has the shortest at 5 (May through September). Rainfall runs from 14 inches a year in Missoula to 20 inches in Bozeman.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billings | 18 | 87 | 14 | 7: April through October |
| Bozeman | 15 | 82 | 20 | 5: May through September |
| Missoula | 18 | 85 | 14 | 5: May through September |
Related projects, priced for Montana
The table prices neighboring jobs at their usual sizes using statewide Montana wages and prices. Against national midpoints, sprinkler system comes out highest (+5%) and retaining wall lowest (−3%), because each job leans on different trades.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $600 – $2,100 | level |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $4,200 – $10,500 | +5% |
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $6,850 – $13,000 | −3% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,500 – $10,200 | level |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $36,100 – $113,000 | level |
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Sod installation in Montana: your questions
+How much does it cost to lay sod in Montana?
$1,550 to $3,450 for 1,500 sq ft, using statewide wages and prices. Metro areas inside Montana can sit above or below that.
+Which city in Montana is cheapest for sod lawn?
Billings at about $2,450 (midpoint, 1,500 sq ft). The priciest is Bozeman at $2,600.
+Is sod lawn cheaper in Montana than the US average?
It is 4% more expensive: $2,500 against $2,400 for 1,500 sq ft at the midpoint.
+What share of the price is labor in Montana?
About 51% ($1,300). Materials are 43%. Statewide labor for this job is weighted 1.14x the national wage level.
+What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Montana?
The BLS statewide median is $21.80 an hour, against $18.82 for the US. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $17.93 to $24.47.
+Where does Montana rank for sod lawn costs?
18th most expensive of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) at the midpoint, $2,500 for 1,500 sq ft. Rank 1 is the costliest.
+What do basic and premium sod lawn work cost in Montana?
For 1,500 sq ft, basic work runs $1,550 to $2,300 and premium work $2,700 to $3,450. Basic means: basic grass on cleared, level ground. Premium means: premium sod, soil work, difficult slopes.
+Does the season matter for sod lawn in Montana?
Yes where winters or summers are hard. Of the Montana metros we cover, Billings has the most comfortable months (7 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 Montana
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.