Sod installation cost in New York
Statewide estimate from BLS wages and BEA prices. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Statewide range (1,500 sq ft)
- $1,650 – $3,650
- Per sq ft
- $1.10 – $2.25
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +11%
- US $2,400
- Metros covered
- 9
What does it cost to lay sod in New York? Plan on $1,650 to $3,650 for 1,500 sq ft. Wages (1.15x the US blend), materials (price index 107.3) and permit costs (107.9) put the state above the national midpoint by 11%.
Inside New York, the metros we cover range from $2,400 (Binghamton) to $2,750 (New York) 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 New York (statewide), standard level
$2,250 to $3,050
About $1.45 to $1.90 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 49% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,050 | $1,350 |
| Labor | $1,100 | $1,450 |
| Permits and fees | $95 | $230 |
| Total | $2,250 | $3,050 |
Cost breakdown for 1,500 sq ft in New York
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $800 | $1,200 | $1,600 | 45% |
| Labor | $870 | $1,300 | $1,750 | 49% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $160 | $320 | 6% |
| Total | $1,650 | $2,650 | $3,650 | 100% |
How New York compares with nearby states
New York ranks 7 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. New York sits at $2,650. The five states closest by workforce center are listed below.
| State | Distance | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | 80 miles away | $1,600 – $3,550 | $2,600 | −3% |
| New Jersey | 100 miles away | $1,650 – $3,600 | $2,600 | −2% |
| Pennsylvania | 140 miles away | $1,500 – $3,300 | $2,400 | −10% |
| Delaware | 150 miles away | $1,450 – $3,200 | $2,300 | −13% |
| Rhode Island | 160 miles away | $1,600 – $3,500 | $2,550 | −4% |
Sod installation: what moves the price in New York
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.
New York seasons and sod lawn
Season matters for sod lawn. For each New York metro below we took NOAA's 1991-2020 monthly normals from the nearest suitable station and counted comfortable months for digging and ground work.
New York has the longest comfortable season of the metros we cover in New York at 10 months (March through December); Kingston has the shortest at 6 (May through October). Rainfall runs from 35 inches a year in Rochester to 51 inches in Kingston.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 28 | 85 | 50 | 10: March through December |
| Buffalo | 19 | 80 | 41 | 8: April through November |
| Rochester | 19 | 83 | 35 | 8: April through November |
| Albany | 16 | 84 | 41 | 7: April through October |
| Syracuse | 17 | 82 | 40 | 8: April through November |
| Poughkeepsie | 19 | 83 | 47 | 8: April through November |
| Utica | 14 | 81 | 44 | 7: April through October |
| Binghamton | 16 | 78 | 42 | 7: April through October |
| Kingston | 11 | 86 | 51 | 6: May through October |
New York metro-by-metro prices
2 of the 9 metros sit above the statewide midpoint of $2,650, and the top-to-bottom gap is 15%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | $1,700 – $3,800 | $2,750 | +3% |
| Poughkeepsie, NY | $1,700 – $3,750 | $2,700 | +2% |
| Kingston, NY | $1,550 – $3,450 | $2,500 | −6% |
| Albany, NY | $1,550 – $3,400 | $2,450 | −7% |
| Buffalo, NY | $1,550 – $3,400 | $2,450 | −7% |
| Syracuse, NY | $1,500 – $3,300 | $2,400 | −9% |
| Rochester, NY | $1,500 – $3,300 | $2,400 | −9% |
| Utica, NY | $1,500 – $3,300 | $2,400 | −10% |
| Binghamton, NY | $1,500 – $3,250 | $2,400 | −11% |
If you are planning more than one job in New York
The table prices neighboring jobs at their usual sizes using statewide New York wages and prices. Against national midpoints, French drain comes out highest (+18%) and sprinkler system lowest (+16%), because each job leans on different trades.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $710 – $2,500 | +18% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $4,600 – $11,600 | +16% |
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $8,550 – $15,600 | +18% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,950 – $11,900 | +17% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $42,500 – $133,000 | +18% |
Quality levels and sizes in New York
The cited range is cut into three overlapping bands (basic, standard and premium) and scaled to statewide New York wages and prices. The grid prices the same bands at 3 common sizes.
Basic
$1,650 to $2,450
Basic grass on cleared, level ground
Standard
$2,250 to $3,050
Better grass type with some grading
Premium
$2,850 to $3,650
Premium sod, soil work, difficult slopes
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small yard (1,000 sq ft) | $1,100 – $1,700 | $1,550 – $2,100 | $2,000 – $2,550 |
| average yard (1,500 sq ft) | $1,650 – $2,450 | $2,250 – $3,050 | $2,850 – $3,650 |
| large yard (4,000 sq ft) | $4,450 – $6,350 | $5,900 – $7,800 | $7,300 – $9,250 |
Wages behind the New York number
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 1.15 for New York.
For landscaping and groundskeeping workers (37-3011, weighted 80%) the local median is $21.56 an hour, which is 15% above the national $18.82. The middle half of them earn between $18.05 and $23.33 an hour. BLS counts 47,600 of them working in the state, 49.1 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 61.3), so the local bench is thinner than average.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 20% of the weighting: a median of $26.89 an hour, 19% above the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $21.13 and $38.18 an hour. About 52,090 work in the state. That is 53.8 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 70.5 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.
A crew paid at the 75th percentile for landscaping and groundskeeping workers ($23.33 an hour) would add about $85 to the statewide midpoint; one at the 25th percentile ($18.05) would take off about $170. Use that as a rough guide to how far a bid can sit from our midpoint on wages alone.
BLS counts 9,688,000 jobs across New York (May 2025), which is 6.2% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers (37-3011) | 80% | $18.05 | $21.56 | $23.33 | $18.82 | 1.15 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 20% | $21.13 | $26.89 | $38.18 | $22.66 | 1.19 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 1.15 | |||||
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Sod installation in New York: your questions
+How much does it cost to lay sod in New York?
$1,650 to $3,650 for 1,500 sq ft, using statewide wages and prices. Metro areas inside New York can sit above or below that.
+Which city in New York is cheapest for sod lawn?
Binghamton at about $2,400 (midpoint, 1,500 sq ft). The priciest is New York at $2,750.
+Is sod lawn cheaper in New York than the US average?
It is 11% more expensive: $2,650 against $2,400 for 1,500 sq ft at the midpoint.
+What share of the price is labor in New York?
About 49% ($1,300). Materials are 45%. Statewide labor for this job is weighted 1.15x the national wage level.
+What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in New York?
The BLS statewide median is $21.56 an hour, against $18.82 for the US. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $18.05 to $23.33.
+Where does New York rank for sod lawn costs?
7th most expensive of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) at the midpoint, $2,650 for 1,500 sq ft. Rank 1 is the costliest.
+What do basic and premium sod lawn work cost in New York?
For 1,500 sq ft, basic work runs $1,650 to $2,450 and premium work $2,850 to $3,650. Basic means: basic grass on cleared, level ground. Premium means: premium sod, soil work, difficult slopes.
+Does the season matter for sod lawn in New York?
Yes where winters or summers are hard. Of the New York metros we cover, New York 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 New York
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.