Sod installation cost in Portland, OR
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical 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
- Rank of 300 metros
- #23
- 1 = most expensive
Portland homeowners pay roughly $1,650 to $3,650 to lay sod at 1,500 sq ft, or $1.10 to $2.25 per sq ft (permit not included). Against the US midpoint, Portland is 11% higher. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn a median of $22.33 an hour in the Portland area, 19% above the US median of $18.82.
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Estimated cost for 1,500 sq ft in Portland, OR, standard level
$2,250 to $3,050
About $1.45 to $1.90 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 50% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,050 | $1,350 |
| Labor | $1,150 | $1,500 |
| Permits and fees | $95 | $220 |
| Total | $2,250 | $3,050 |
Cost breakdown for 1,500 sq ft in Portland, OR
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $790 | $1,200 | $1,600 | 44% |
| Labor | $880 | $1,350 | $1,750 | 50% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $160 | $320 | 6% |
| Total | $1,650 | $2,650 | $3,650 | 100% |
Why Portland prices look the way they do
Labor is 50% of the midpoint bill here, against 47% nationally. The mix of trades behind this job is landscaping and groundskeeping workers (80%), construction laborers (20%). We weight each trade's local median wage by that share and compare it with the national median. In Portland the blended ratio comes out at 1.18.
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the Portland metro is 105.2 (US = 100). The midpoint materials bill for 1,500 sq ft comes to $1,200, compared with $1,150 at national prices. Permit and inspection fees are scaled by the broader index (105.4) and land at $0 to $320.
What nearby projects cost in Portland
Because every project leans on different trades, Portland's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, sprinkler system runs +21% and gravel driveway +14%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $700 – $2,450 | +17% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $4,850 – $12,100 | +21% |
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $8,300 – $15,300 | +15% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,850 – $11,700 | +14% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $42,200 – $132,000 | +17% |
Why two Portland quotes can differ
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.
Portland: what basic, standard and premium work costs
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for Portland wages and prices. They overlap on purpose: a good standard job and a modest premium job can cost the same. The grid below 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 – $6,400 | $5,900 – $7,800 | $7,350 – $9,250 |
Is Portland 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 $2,550 to $2,650 across Portland and its five closest metros.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland, ORthis page | $1,650 – $3,650 | $2,650 | |
| Salem, OR50 miles | $1,650 – $3,600 | $2,650 | −1% |
| Olympia, WA95 miles | $1,650 – $3,600 | $2,600 | −2% |
| Yakima, WA100 miles | $1,600 – $3,450 | $2,550 | −5% |
| Eugene, OR115 miles | $1,600 – $3,550 | $2,550 | −4% |
| Bend, OR125 miles | $1,650 – $3,650 | $2,650 | level |
| Oregon (statewide) | $1,650 – $3,600 | $2,600 | −2% |
| United States | $1,500 – $3,300 | $2,400 | −10% |
Across 300 US metros, Portland comes in at #23 from the top. The priciest is Kahului, HI at $2,900; the cheapest is Brownsville, TX at $2,000 (midpoints, 1,500 sq ft). Statewide, Portland is 2% above the Oregon figure.
Other Oregon metros
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salem, OR | 188,620 jobs | $1,650 – $3,600 | $2,650 | −1% |
| Eugene, OR | 157,710 jobs | $1,600 – $3,550 | $2,550 | −4% |
| Bend, OR | 108,240 jobs | $1,650 – $3,650 | $2,650 | level |
| Medford, OR | 89,060 jobs | $1,600 – $3,500 | $2,550 | −4% |
Cities with a workforce like Portland's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Portland against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin, TX | 1,293,690 jobs | $1,450 – $3,150 | $2,300 | −14% |
| Las Vegas, NV | 1,136,960 jobs | $1,450 – $3,200 | $2,350 | −12% |
| St. Louis, MO | 1,341,320 jobs | $1,550 – $3,400 | $2,450 | −7% |
| San Jose, CA | 1,134,970 jobs | $1,750 – $3,850 | $2,800 | +4% |
Local wages behind the labor line
Wages are the part of this estimate that changes most from town to town. 2 trades carry the job here, and each is compared with its US median. The weighted result for Portland is 1.18 times the national level.
For landscaping and groundskeeping workers (37-3011, weighted 80%) the local median is $22.33 an hour, which is 19% above the national $18.82. The middle half of them earn between $19.39 and $23.99 an hour. BLS counts 6,710 of them working in the area, 55.5 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 61.3), so the local bench is about average.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 20% of the weighting: a median of $26.08 an hour, 15% above the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $21.45 and $31.65 an hour. About 7,950 work in the metro. That is 65.8 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 70.5 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
Quotes come from real crews, not medians. If the landscaping and groundskeeping workers on your job are paid at the 75th percentile ($23.99 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $80. At the 25th percentile ($19.39) it shrinks by about $140. The total moves by 3.0% or 5.3%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 1,208,410 jobs in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro area. That makes it the 25th largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 0.78% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers (37-3011) | 80% | $19.39 | $22.33 | $23.99 | $18.82 | 1.19 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 20% | $21.45 | $26.08 | $31.65 | $22.66 | 1.15 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.18 | |||||
When to schedule sod lawn in Portland
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for Portland Intl Ap (5 miles from the city center). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.
Weather is not a serious constraint for digging, grading and setting material in the ground in Portland: no month in the averages is cold enough (an average overnight low at or below freezing (32°F)) or hot enough (an average daytime high of 90°F or more) to rule it out, so the workable window is all year.
Portland gets about 37 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 4 inches of snow. The wettest months are January, November and December (5.8 inches in December). The station averages about 15 days a year at 90°F or above.
Does the season change the price? Probably, but we do not have a sourced seasonal price curve, so the estimator shows a year-round figure and does not adjust by month. When you collect quotes, ask whether scheduling in a slower month gets a better rate.
| Month | Avg high °F | Avg low °F | Precip (in) | For this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48 | 36 | 5.0 | Workable |
| Feb | 52 | 37 | 3.7 | Workable |
| Mar | 57 | 40 | 4.0 | Workable |
| Apr | 62 | 44 | 2.9 | Workable |
| May | 69 | 49 | 2.5 | Workable |
| Jun | 74 | 54 | 1.6 | Workable |
| Jul | 82 | 59 | 0.5 | Workable |
| Aug | 82 | 59 | 0.5 | Workable |
| Sep | 77 | 54 | 1.5 | Workable |
| Oct | 64 | 47 | 3.4 | Workable |
| Nov | 54 | 41 | 5.5 | Workable |
| Dec | 47 | 36 | 5.8 | Workable |
Get 3 local quotes
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Sod installation in Portland: your questions
+How much does it cost to lay sod in Portland?
For 1,500 sq ft, expect $1,650 to $3,650 in the Portland area. A standard-spec job lands at $2,250 to $3,050. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for sod lawn in Portland?
About $1.10 to $2.25 per sq ft for materials and labor, plus $0 to $320 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $1 to $2.
+Is sod lawn cheaper in Portland or Salem?
Salem is 50 miles away. The midpoint for 1,500 sq ft there is $2,650, which is 1% less than Portland ($2,650). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Portland?
About 50% at the midpoint, or $1,350 out of $2,650. Materials are 44% and permits 6%. Nationally, labor is 47%.
+What would average yard (1,500 sq ft) cost in Portland?
$1,650 to $3,650. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does sod lawn need a permit in Portland?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $0 to $320 for fees in the Portland area (our national range of $0 to $300 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Portland expensive for sod lawn compared with the rest of Oregon?
Portland is 2% above 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 Portland?
The BLS median is $22.33 an hour in the Portland area, compared with $18.82 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $19.39 to $23.99.
+What do basic and premium sod lawn work cost in Portland?
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.
+Is there a bad season to lay sod in Portland?
Not from a temperature point of view. NOAA's 1991-2020 normals show no month with a freezing-level overnight low or a 90°F-plus average high, so timing is mostly about contractor availability and rain.
Sod installation near Portland
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.