Sod installation cost in Atlantic City, NJ
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (1,500 sq ft)
- $1,500 – $3,300
- Per sq ft
- $1 – $2
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +1%
- US $2,400
- Rank of 300 metros
- #94
- 1 = most expensive
Local price for a new sod lawn in the Atlantic City area: $1,500 to $3,300 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 lands close to the US figure. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn a median of $18.49 an hour in the Atlantic City area, 2% below the US median of $18.82.
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Estimated cost for 1,500 sq ft in Atlantic City, NJ, standard level
$2,050 to $2,800
About $1.30 to $1.70 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 47% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $970 | $1,250 |
| Labor | $990 | $1,300 |
| Permits and fees | $90 | $210 |
| Total | $2,050 | $2,800 |
Cost breakdown for 1,500 sq ft in Atlantic City, NJ
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $750 | $1,100 | $1,500 | 46% |
| Labor | $760 | $1,150 | $1,550 | 47% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $150 | $300 | 6% |
| Total | $1,500 | $2,400 | $3,300 | 100% |
Why Atlantic City prices look the way they do
We price the labor side from BLS wage data for 2 trades: landscaping and groundskeeping workers at 80%, construction laborers at 20%. Weighted together, Atlantic City wages are 1.02 times the national level. Labor makes up about 47% of the midpoint estimate (47% at national prices).
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Atlantic City is at 99.8 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $1,150 nationally becomes $1,100 here (midpoint, 1,500 sq ft). Permits follow the all-items index of 98.9: $0 to $300.
Is Atlantic City cheap or dear? The local comparison
Contractors rarely work more than an hour or two from home, so the neighboring metros set a rough ceiling and floor for your quotes. Midpoints for 1,500 sq ft range from $2,300 to $2,550 across Atlantic City and its five closest metros.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic City, NJthis page | $1,500 – $3,300 | $2,400 | |
| Vineland, NJ20 miles | $1,600 – $3,450 | $2,500 | +4% |
| Dover, DE45 miles | $1,450 – $3,150 | $2,300 | −5% |
| Philadelphia, PA50 miles | $1,550 – $3,400 | $2,500 | +2% |
| Trenton, NJ70 miles | $1,600 – $3,500 | $2,550 | +5% |
| Lancaster, PA95 miles | $1,500 – $3,300 | $2,400 | level |
| New Jersey (statewide) | $1,650 – $3,600 | $2,600 | +9% |
| United States | $1,500 – $3,300 | $2,400 | −1% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Atlantic City ranks #94 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Atlantic City is 8% below the New Jersey figure.
Elsewhere in New Jersey
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trenton, NJ | 240,190 jobs | $1,600 – $3,500 | $2,550 | +5% |
| Vineland, NJ | 62,300 jobs | $1,600 – $3,450 | $2,500 | +4% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Atlantic City against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Collins, CO | 169,430 jobs | $1,550 – $3,400 | $2,500 | +3% |
| Lubbock, TX | 166,780 jobs | $1,350 – $2,950 | $2,150 | −11% |
| Port St. Lucie, FL | 170,820 jobs | $1,400 – $3,150 | $2,300 | −6% |
| Peoria, IL | 166,020 jobs | $1,450 – $3,200 | $2,350 | −3% |
Pick a size, pick a tier: sod installation pricing in Atlantic City
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Atlantic 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
$1,500 to $2,250
Basic grass on cleared, level ground
Standard
$2,050 to $2,800
Better grass type with some grading
Premium
$2,600 to $3,300
Premium sod, soil work, difficult slopes
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small yard (1,000 sq ft) | $1,000 – $1,550 | $1,400 – $1,900 | $1,800 – $2,300 |
| average yard (1,500 sq ft) | $1,500 – $2,250 | $2,050 – $2,800 | $2,600 – $3,300 |
| large yard (4,000 sq ft) | $4,050 – $5,750 | $5,350 – $7,050 | $6,650 – $8,350 |
The best months for sod lawn in Atlantic City
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Atlantic City (in the city). 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 Atlantic City are March through December: 10 of 12. Outside them, January and February have an average overnight low at or below freezing (32°F).
In January and February the average low is at or below freezing, which means frozen ground and slower digging, compaction and sod or stone placement. NOAA counts about 56 days a year with a low at or below 32°F at this station.
Atlantic City gets about 44 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are March, October and December (4.3 inches in March). Inside the workable window, May and June are the driest, at 3.1 and 3.2 inches. The station averages about 6 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 | 42 | 30 | 3.1 | Cold |
| Feb | 43 | 31 | 3.3 | Cold |
| Mar | 48 | 37 | 4.3 | Workable |
| Apr | 57 | 46 | 3.4 | Workable |
| May | 66 | 55 | 3.1 | Workable |
| Jun | 75 | 65 | 3.2 | Workable |
| Jul | 80 | 71 | 3.8 | Workable |
| Aug | 79 | 70 | 4.1 | Workable |
| Sep | 74 | 65 | 3.6 | Workable |
| Oct | 65 | 54 | 4.3 | Workable |
| Nov | 55 | 43 | 3.4 | Workable |
| Dec | 47 | 35 | 4.2 | Workable |
Related projects, priced for Atlantic City
Jobs that often go together with sod lawn are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Atlantic City wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, French drain comes out highest (+15%) and sprinkler system lowest (+6%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $690 – $2,400 | +15% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $4,250 – $10,600 | +6% |
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $8,000 – $14,600 | +10% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,800 – $11,300 | +11% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $39,800 – $124,500 | +10% |
Specs and site conditions that change a Atlantic City bid
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).
Sod type
Sod alone costs $0.30-$0.80 per sq ft, or $130-$360 per pallet; delivery is $50-$250 per load.
Who does the work: Atlantic 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 Atlantic City the blend is 1.02.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers (37-3011), 80% of the weighting: a median of $18.49 an hour, in line with the US median of $18.82. The middle half of them earn between $17.17 and $22.02 an hour. About 1,840 work in the metro. That is 109.1 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 61.3 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 20%) the local median is $26.50 an hour, which is 17% above the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $20.00 and $35.67 an hour. BLS counts 1,140 of them working in the area, 67.6 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 $170 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $65. That is a swing of roughly 2.6% to 7.0% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Atlantic City-Hammonton has 168,700 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 139th 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% | $17.17 | $18.49 | $22.02 | $18.82 | 0.98 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 20% | $20.00 | $26.50 | $35.67 | $22.66 | 1.17 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.02 | |||||
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Sod installation in Atlantic City: your questions
+How much does it cost to lay sod in Atlantic City?
For 1,500 sq ft, expect $1,500 to $3,300 in the Atlantic City area. A standard-spec job lands at $2,050 to $2,800. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for sod lawn in Atlantic City?
About $1 to $2 per sq ft for materials and labor, plus $0 to $300 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $1 to $2.
+Is sod lawn cheaper in Atlantic City or Vineland?
Vineland is 20 miles away. The midpoint for 1,500 sq ft there is $2,500, which is 4% more than Atlantic City ($2,400). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Atlantic City?
About 47% at the midpoint, or $1,150 out of $2,400. Materials are 46% and permits 6%. Nationally, labor is 47%.
+What would average yard (1,500 sq ft) cost in Atlantic City?
$1,500 to $3,300. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does sod lawn need a permit in Atlantic City?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $0 to $300 for fees in the Atlantic City area (our national range of $0 to $300 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Atlantic City expensive for sod lawn compared with the rest of New Jersey?
Atlantic City is 8% below the New Jersey statewide estimate ($2,600 at the midpoint). We cover 3 metros in New Jersey; see the state page to compare them.
+What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Atlantic City?
The BLS median is $18.49 an hour in the Atlantic City area, compared with $18.82 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $17.17 to $22.02.
+What do basic and premium sod lawn work cost in Atlantic City?
For 1,500 sq ft, basic work runs $1,500 to $2,250 and premium work $2,600 to $3,300. 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 Atlantic City?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are March through December. May and June 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 Atlantic 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.