Sod installation cost in Medford, OR
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (1,500 sq ft)
- $1,600 – $3,500
- Per sq ft
- $1.05 – $2.15
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +7%
- US $2,400
- Rank of 300 metros
- #51
- 1 = most expensive
Local price for a new sod lawn in the Medford area: $1,600 to $3,500 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 7% higher than the US figure. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn a median of $20.78 an hour in the Medford area, 10% above the US median of $18.82.
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Estimated cost for 1,500 sq ft in Medford, OR, standard level
$2,200 to $2,950
About $1.40 to $1.80 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 48% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,050 | $1,350 |
| Labor | $1,050 | $1,400 |
| Permits and fees | $90 | $210 |
| Total | $2,200 | $2,950 |
Cost breakdown for 1,500 sq ft in Medford, OR
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $790 | $1,200 | $1,600 | 46% |
| Labor | $820 | $1,250 | $1,650 | 48% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $150 | $300 | 6% |
| Total | $1,600 | $2,550 | $3,500 | 100% |
What is behind the Medford number
The wage side of the estimate leans on landscaping and groundskeeping workers, who do 80% of the hours on a typical job. Their local median is $20.78 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Medford is 1.09 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 48% of the total.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Medford is at 105.3 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $1,150 nationally becomes $1,200 here (midpoint, 1,500 sq ft). Permits follow the all-items index of 101.4: $0 to $300.
Specs and site conditions that change a Medford bid
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 Medford compares
Of the five closest metros, none is cheaper than Medford. Eugene comes closest at about $2,550.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medford, ORthis page | $1,600 – $3,500 | $2,550 | |
| Eugene, OR105 miles | $1,600 – $3,550 | $2,550 | level |
| Redding, CA120 miles | $1,650 – $3,650 | $2,650 | +3% |
| Bend, OR150 miles | $1,650 – $3,650 | $2,650 | +4% |
| Salem, OR175 miles | $1,650 – $3,600 | $2,650 | +3% |
| Chico, CA200 miles | $1,650 – $3,600 | $2,650 | +3% |
| Oregon (statewide) | $1,650 – $3,600 | $2,600 | +2% |
| United States | $1,500 – $3,300 | $2,400 | −6% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Medford ranks #51 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Medford is 2% below the Oregon figure.
Elsewhere in Oregon
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland, OR | 1,208,410 jobs | $1,650 – $3,650 | $2,650 | +4% |
| Salem, OR | 188,620 jobs | $1,650 – $3,600 | $2,650 | +3% |
| Eugene, OR | 157,710 jobs | $1,600 – $3,550 | $2,550 | level |
| Bend, OR | 108,240 jobs | $1,650 – $3,650 | $2,650 | +4% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Medford against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. George, UT | 90,500 jobs | $1,450 – $3,200 | $2,300 | −10% |
| Florence, SC | 89,060 jobs | $1,400 – $3,050 | $2,200 | −13% |
| Panama City, FL | 90,610 jobs | $1,400 – $3,100 | $2,250 | −12% |
| Bloomington, IL | 88,110 jobs | $1,500 – $3,250 | $2,350 | −8% |
Pick a size, pick a tier: sod installation pricing in Medford
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Medford. 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
$1,600 to $2,350
Basic grass on cleared, level ground
Standard
$2,200 to $2,950
Better grass type with some grading
Premium
$2,750 to $3,500
Premium sod, soil work, difficult slopes
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small yard (1,000 sq ft) | $1,050 – $1,600 | $1,500 – $2,050 | $1,900 – $2,450 |
| average yard (1,500 sq ft) | $1,600 – $2,350 | $2,200 – $2,950 | $2,750 – $3,500 |
| large yard (4,000 sq ft) | $4,300 – $6,150 | $5,650 – $7,500 | $7,050 – $8,900 |
The best months for sod lawn in Medford
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Medford Rogue Vly 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 Medford are September through June: 10 of 12. Outside them, July and August have an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
Medford gets about 18 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 3 inches of snow. The wettest months are January, November and December (3.5 inches in December). Inside the workable window, June and September are the driest, at 0.7 and 0.5 inches. The station averages about 61 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 | 48 | 33 | 2.7 | Workable |
| Feb | 54 | 34 | 2.0 | Workable |
| Mar | 59 | 37 | 1.8 | Workable |
| Apr | 65 | 41 | 1.5 | Workable |
| May | 74 | 47 | 1.3 | Workable |
| Jun | 82 | 52 | 0.7 | Workable |
| Jul | 92 | 59 | 0.2 | Hot |
| Aug | 91 | 58 | 0.3 | Hot |
| Sep | 84 | 51 | 0.5 | Workable |
| Oct | 70 | 42 | 1.2 | Workable |
| Nov | 54 | 36 | 2.6 | Workable |
| Dec | 46 | 33 | 3.5 | Workable |
Planning more than one job in Medford?
Jobs that often go together with sod lawn are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Medford wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, retaining wall comes out highest (+10%) and gravel driveway lowest (+5%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $640 – $2,250 | +7% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $4,350 – $10,900 | +9% |
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $7,900 – $14,700 | +10% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,600 – $10,700 | +5% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $39,100 – $122,000 | +8% |
Who does the work: Medford 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 Medford the blend is 1.09.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers (37-3011), 80% of the weighting: a median of $20.78 an hour, 10% above the US median of $18.82. The middle half of them earn between $17.73 and $22.52 an hour. About 570 work in the metro. That is 64.0 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 $23.72 an hour, which is 5% above the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $21.42 and $29.22 an hour. BLS counts 520 of them working in the area, 58.4 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is thinner than average.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (landscaping and groundskeeping workers) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $85 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $150. That is a swing of roughly 5.7% to 3.2% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Medford has 89,060 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 220th 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% | $17.73 | $20.78 | $22.52 | $18.82 | 1.10 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 20% | $21.42 | $23.72 | $29.22 | $22.66 | 1.05 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.09 | |||||
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Detailed sod installation report for Medford, OR, $9
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Sod installation in Medford: your questions
+How much does it cost to lay sod in Medford?
For 1,500 sq ft, expect $1,600 to $3,500 in the Medford area. A standard-spec job lands at $2,200 to $2,950. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for sod lawn in Medford?
About $1.05 to $2.15 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 Medford or Eugene?
Eugene is 105 miles away. The midpoint for 1,500 sq ft there is $2,550, which is 0% more than Medford ($2,550). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Medford?
About 48% at the midpoint, or $1,250 out of $2,550. Materials are 46% and permits 6%. Nationally, labor is 47%.
+What would average yard (1,500 sq ft) cost in Medford?
$1,600 to $3,500. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does sod lawn need a permit in Medford?
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 Medford area (our national range of $0 to $300 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Medford expensive for sod lawn compared with the rest of Oregon?
Medford is 2% below the Oregon statewide estimate ($2,600 at the midpoint). We cover 5 metros in Oregon; see the state page to compare them.
+What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Medford?
The BLS median is $20.78 an hour in the Medford area, compared with $18.82 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $17.73 to $22.52.
+What do basic and premium sod lawn work cost in Medford?
For 1,500 sq ft, basic work runs $1,600 to $2,350 and premium work $2,750 to $3,500. 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 Medford?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are September through June. June and September 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 Medford
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.