Sod installation cost in Virginia Beach, VA
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (1,500 sq ft)
- $1,400 – $3,100
- Per sq ft
- $0.95 – $1.90
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −6%
- US $2,400
- Rank of 300 metros
- #216
- 1 = most expensive
Local price for a new sod lawn in the Virginia Beach area: $1,400 to $3,100 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 6% lower than the US figure. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn a median of $17.56 an hour in the Virginia Beach area, 7% below the US median of $18.82.
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Estimated cost for 1,500 sq ft in Virginia Beach, VA, standard level
$1,900 to $2,600
About $1.20 to $1.60 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 45% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $940 | $1,250 |
| Labor | $890 | $1,150 |
| Permits and fees | $90 | $210 |
| Total | $1,900 | $2,600 |
Cost breakdown for 1,500 sq ft in Virginia Beach, VA
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $730 | $1,100 | $1,450 | 48% |
| Labor | $680 | $1,000 | $1,350 | 45% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $150 | $290 | 7% |
| Total | $1,400 | $2,250 | $3,100 | 100% |
What is behind the Virginia Beach number
We price the labor side from BLS wage data for 2 trades: landscaping and groundskeeping workers at 80%, construction laborers at 20%. Weighted together, Virginia Beach wages are 0.91 times the national level. Labor makes up about 45% of the midpoint estimate (47% at national prices).
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Virginia Beach is at 96.8 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 97.9: $0 to $290.
How Virginia Beach compares
Of the five closest metros, 1 is cheaper than Virginia Beach. Greenville is the lowest at about $2,250 (midpoint, 1,500 sq ft), 100 miles away.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach, VAthis page | $1,400 – $3,100 | $2,250 | |
| Richmond, VA70 miles | $1,450 – $3,150 | $2,300 | +1% |
| Greenville, NC100 miles | $1,400 – $3,100 | $2,250 | −1% |
| Lexington Park, MD100 miles | $1,600 – $3,450 | $2,500 | +11% |
| Raleigh, NC135 miles | $1,450 – $3,200 | $2,350 | +3% |
| Charlottesville, VA145 miles | $1,450 – $3,200 | $2,300 | +3% |
| Virginia (statewide) | $1,500 – $3,250 | $2,350 | +5% |
| United States | $1,500 – $3,300 | $2,400 | +6% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Virginia Beach ranks #216 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Virginia Beach is 5% below the Virginia figure.
Elsewhere in Virginia
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond, VA | 660,350 jobs | $1,450 – $3,150 | $2,300 | +1% |
| Roanoke, VA | 153,980 jobs | $1,400 – $3,050 | $2,200 | −2% |
| Charlottesville, VA | 114,780 jobs | $1,450 – $3,200 | $2,300 | +3% |
| Lynchburg, VA | 97,190 jobs | $1,400 – $3,050 | $2,200 | −2% |
| Blacksburg, VA | 74,070 jobs | $1,400 – $3,050 | $2,250 | −1% |
| Winchester, VA | 67,740 jobs | $1,400 – $3,100 | $2,250 | level |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Virginia Beach against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville, FL | 765,930 jobs | $1,450 – $3,150 | $2,300 | +2% |
| Raleigh, NC | 743,120 jobs | $1,450 – $3,200 | $2,350 | +3% |
| Milwaukee, WI | 820,780 jobs | $1,550 – $3,450 | $2,500 | +10% |
| Providence, RI | 714,120 jobs | $1,600 – $3,550 | $2,550 | +14% |
Who does the work: Virginia Beach 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 Virginia Beach the blend is 0.91.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers (37-3011), 80% of the weighting: a median of $17.56 an hour, 7% below the US median of $18.82. The middle half of them earn between $16.64 and $20.80 an hour. About 4,410 work in the metro. That is 57.8 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 $18.51 an hour, which is 18% below the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $17.29 and $21.90 an hour. BLS counts 5,660 of them working in the area, 74.2 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 $150 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $45. That is a swing of roughly 1.9% to 6.9% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk has 763,060 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 40th 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% | $16.64 | $17.56 | $20.80 | $18.82 | 0.93 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 20% | $17.29 | $18.51 | $21.90 | $22.66 | 0.82 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.91 | |||||
Related projects, priced for Virginia Beach
Jobs that often go together with sod lawn are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Virginia Beach wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, sprinkler system comes out highest (−7%) and retaining wall lowest (−10%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $550 – $1,900 | −9% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $3,700 – $9,250 | −7% |
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $6,200 – $12,300 | −10% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,250 – $9,250 | −9% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $32,700 – $102,000 | −10% |
The best months for sod lawn in Virginia Beach
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Oceana Nas (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 Virginia Beach are February through December: 11 of 12. Outside them, January has an average overnight low at or below freezing (32°F).
In January the average low is at or below freezing, which means frozen ground and slower digging, compaction and sod or stone placement. NOAA counts about 50 days a year with a low at or below 32°F at this station.
Virginia Beach gets about 47 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 3 inches of snow. The wettest months are July, August and September (5.8 inches in July). Inside the workable window, February and November are the driest, at 2.8 and 3.1 inches. The station averages about 32 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 | 50 | 32 | 3.2 | Cold |
| Feb | 53 | 33 | 2.8 | Workable |
| Mar | 59 | 39 | 3.6 | Workable |
| Apr | 69 | 48 | 3.4 | Workable |
| May | 76 | 56 | 3.6 | Workable |
| Jun | 83 | 66 | 4.2 | Workable |
| Jul | 87 | 70 | 5.8 | Workable |
| Aug | 85 | 69 | 5.1 | Workable |
| Sep | 80 | 64 | 4.5 | Workable |
| Oct | 71 | 53 | 4.2 | Workable |
| Nov | 61 | 42 | 3.1 | Workable |
| Dec | 54 | 35 | 3.3 | Workable |
Pick a size, pick a tier: sod installation pricing in Virginia Beach
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Virginia Beach. 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
$1,400 to $2,100
Basic grass on cleared, level ground
Standard
$1,900 to $2,600
Better grass type with some grading
Premium
$2,450 to $3,100
Premium sod, soil work, difficult slopes
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small yard (1,000 sq ft) | $940 – $1,450 | $1,300 – $1,800 | $1,700 – $2,150 |
| average yard (1,500 sq ft) | $1,400 – $2,100 | $1,900 – $2,600 | $2,450 – $3,100 |
| large yard (4,000 sq ft) | $3,750 – $5,350 | $4,950 – $6,600 | $6,200 – $7,800 |
Sod installation: what moves the price in Virginia Beach
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).
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Detailed sod installation report for Virginia Beach, VA, $9
The report lays out the sod installation numbers for Virginia Beach, VA line by line, with the local wage and price inputs, permit and timing notes, a quote comparison sheet and the full method. 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 Virginia Beach: your questions
+How much does it cost to lay sod in Virginia Beach?
For 1,500 sq ft, expect $1,400 to $3,100 in the Virginia Beach area. A standard-spec job lands at $1,900 to $2,600. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for sod lawn in Virginia Beach?
About $0.95 to $1.90 per sq ft for materials and labor, plus $0 to $290 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $1 to $2.
+Is sod lawn cheaper in Virginia Beach or Richmond?
Richmond is 70 miles away. The midpoint for 1,500 sq ft there is $2,300, which is 1% more than Virginia Beach ($2,250). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Virginia Beach?
About 45% at the midpoint, or $1,000 out of $2,250. Materials are 48% and permits 7%. Nationally, labor is 47%.
+What would average yard (1,500 sq ft) cost in Virginia Beach?
$1,400 to $3,100. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does sod lawn need a permit in Virginia Beach?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $0 to $290 for fees in the Virginia Beach area (our national range of $0 to $300 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Virginia Beach expensive for sod lawn compared with the rest of Virginia?
Virginia Beach is 5% below the Virginia statewide estimate ($2,350 at the midpoint). We cover 8 metros in Virginia; see the state page to compare them.
+What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Virginia Beach?
The BLS median is $17.56 an hour in the Virginia Beach area, compared with $18.82 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $16.64 to $20.80.
+What do basic and premium sod lawn work cost in Virginia Beach?
For 1,500 sq ft, basic work runs $1,400 to $2,100 and premium work $2,450 to $3,100. 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 Virginia Beach?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are February through December. February and November 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 Virginia Beach
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.