Sod installation cost in Albany, NY
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (1,500 sq ft)
- $1,550 – $3,400
- Per sq ft
- $1.05 – $2.05
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +3%
- US $2,400
- Rank of 300 metros
- #80
- 1 = most expensive
Local price for a new sod lawn in the Albany area: $1,550 to $3,400 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 3% higher than the US figure. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn a median of $19.85 an hour in the Albany area, 5% above the US median of $18.82.
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Estimated cost for 1,500 sq ft in Albany, NY, standard level
$2,100 to $2,850
About $1.35 to $1.75 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 49% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $970 | $1,250 |
| Labor | $1,050 | $1,350 |
| Permits and fees | $90 | $210 |
| Total | $2,100 | $2,850 |
Cost breakdown for 1,500 sq ft in Albany, NY
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $750 | $1,100 | $1,500 | 45% |
| Labor | $800 | $1,200 | $1,600 | 49% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $150 | $300 | 6% |
| Total | $1,550 | $2,450 | $3,400 | 100% |
Where the Albany price comes from
We price the labor side from BLS wage data for 2 trades: landscaping and groundskeeping workers at 80%, construction laborers at 20%. Weighted together, Albany wages are 1.07 times the national level. Labor makes up about 49% of the midpoint estimate (47% at national prices).
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Albany is at 99.7 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 99.6: $0 to $300.
Why two Albany quotes can differ
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.
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).
How Albany compares
Same job, same size (1,500 sq ft), priced for the nearest metros. Amherst is the priciest of the group at $2,600. Utica is the cheapest at $2,400.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albany, NYthis page | $1,550 – $3,400 | $2,450 | |
| Pittsfield, MA45 miles | $1,600 – $3,500 | $2,550 | +3% |
| Kingston, NY60 miles | $1,550 – $3,450 | $2,500 | +2% |
| Amherst, MA70 miles | $1,650 – $3,600 | $2,600 | +6% |
| Utica, NY75 miles | $1,500 – $3,300 | $2,400 | −3% |
| Springfield, MA80 miles | $1,600 – $3,550 | $2,600 | +4% |
| New York (statewide) | $1,650 – $3,650 | $2,650 | +8% |
| United States | $1,500 – $3,300 | $2,400 | −3% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Albany ranks #80 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Albany is 7% below the New York figure.
Elsewhere in New York
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | 9,492,000 jobs | $1,700 – $3,800 | $2,750 | +11% |
| Buffalo, NY | 534,550 jobs | $1,550 – $3,400 | $2,450 | level |
| Rochester, NY | 494,280 jobs | $1,500 – $3,300 | $2,400 | −2% |
| Syracuse, NY | 300,130 jobs | $1,500 – $3,300 | $2,400 | −2% |
| Poughkeepsie, NY | 268,970 jobs | $1,700 – $3,750 | $2,700 | +10% |
| Utica, NY | 118,390 jobs | $1,500 – $3,300 | $2,400 | −3% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Albany against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tulsa, OK | 458,730 jobs | $1,400 – $3,100 | $2,250 | −9% |
| Honolulu, HI | 446,380 jobs | $1,750 – $3,850 | $2,800 | +14% |
| Fresno, CA | 476,890 jobs | $1,600 – $3,500 | $2,550 | +3% |
| New Orleans, LA | 445,550 jobs | $1,350 – $3,000 | $2,200 | −11% |
Planning more than one job in Albany?
Jobs that often go together with sod lawn are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Albany wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, French drain comes out highest (+13%) and retaining wall lowest (+10%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $680 – $2,400 | +13% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $4,450 – $11,100 | +11% |
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $8,000 – $14,600 | +10% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,800 – $11,400 | +12% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $40,400 – $126,000 | +12% |
Cost by quality level and size in Albany
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Albany. 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
$1,550 to $2,300
Basic grass on cleared, level ground
Standard
$2,100 to $2,850
Better grass type with some grading
Premium
$2,650 to $3,400
Premium sod, soil work, difficult slopes
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small yard (1,000 sq ft) | $1,050 – $1,550 | $1,450 – $1,950 | $1,850 – $2,350 |
| average yard (1,500 sq ft) | $1,550 – $2,300 | $2,100 – $2,850 | $2,650 – $3,400 |
| large yard (4,000 sq ft) | $4,150 – $5,900 | $5,450 – $7,250 | $6,800 – $8,550 |
Who does the work: Albany 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 Albany the blend is 1.07.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers (37-3011), 80% of the weighting: a median of $19.85 an hour, 5% above the US median of $18.82. The middle half of them earn between $18.00 and $22.53 an hour. About 2,400 work in the metro. That is 53.4 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 61.3 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 20%) the local median is $25.45 an hour, which is 12% above the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $22.03 and $36.39 an hour. BLS counts 2,700 of them working in the area, 60.1 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 $130 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $90. That is a swing of roughly 3.6% to 5.2% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Albany-Schenectady-Troy has 449,410 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 55th 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% | $18.00 | $19.85 | $22.53 | $18.82 | 1.05 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 20% | $22.03 | $25.45 | $36.39 | $22.66 | 1.12 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.07 | |||||
The best months for sod lawn in Albany
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Albany 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 Albany are April through October: 7 of 12. Outside them, January, February, March, November and December have an average overnight low at or below freezing (32°F).
In January, February, March, November and December the average low is at or below freezing, which means frozen ground and slower digging, compaction and sod or stone placement. NOAA counts about 136 days a year with a low at or below 32°F at this station.
Albany gets about 41 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 59 inches of snow. The wettest months are June, July and October (4.5 inches in July). Inside the workable window, April and May are the driest, at 3.1 and 3.4 inches. The station averages about 10 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 | 33 | 16 | 2.6 | Cold |
| Feb | 36 | 18 | 2.3 | Cold |
| Mar | 45 | 26 | 3.1 | Cold |
| Apr | 59 | 37 | 3.1 | Workable |
| May | 71 | 48 | 3.4 | Workable |
| Jun | 79 | 57 | 4.0 | Workable |
| Jul | 84 | 62 | 4.5 | Workable |
| Aug | 82 | 61 | 3.8 | Workable |
| Sep | 74 | 53 | 3.7 | Workable |
| Oct | 62 | 41 | 3.9 | Workable |
| Nov | 49 | 32 | 3.0 | Cold |
| Dec | 38 | 23 | 3.3 | Cold |
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Multi-page report for Albany, NY: low, typical and high cost, a line-item breakdown of materials and labor by trade, permit notes, the best months to schedule, a quote comparison sheet, red flags, questions for contractors, checklists and every source. Save your estimate above, preview page 1 free, and unlock the full report for $9 one-time, or get every report with CostLocal Pro.
Sod installation in Albany: your questions
+How much does it cost to lay sod in Albany?
For 1,500 sq ft, expect $1,550 to $3,400 in the Albany area. A standard-spec job lands at $2,100 to $2,850. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for sod lawn in Albany?
About $1.05 to $2.05 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 Albany or Pittsfield?
Pittsfield is 45 miles away. The midpoint for 1,500 sq ft there is $2,550, which is 3% more than Albany ($2,450). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Albany?
About 49% at the midpoint, or $1,200 out of $2,450. Materials are 45% and permits 6%. Nationally, labor is 47%.
+What would average yard (1,500 sq ft) cost in Albany?
$1,550 to $3,400. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does sod lawn need a permit in Albany?
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 Albany area (our national range of $0 to $300 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Albany expensive for sod lawn compared with the rest of New York?
Albany is 7% below the New York statewide estimate ($2,650 at the midpoint). We cover 9 metros in New York; see the state page to compare them.
+What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Albany?
The BLS median is $19.85 an hour in the Albany area, compared with $18.82 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $18.00 to $22.53.
+What do basic and premium sod lawn work cost in Albany?
For 1,500 sq ft, basic work runs $1,550 to $2,300 and premium work $2,650 to $3,400. 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 Albany?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are April through October. April and May 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 Albany
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.