Sod installation cost in Seattle, WA
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (1,500 sq ft)
- $1,700 – $3,750
- Per sq ft
- $1.15 – $2.30
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +14%
- US $2,400
- Rank of 300 metros
- #7
- 1 = most expensive
Local price for a new sod lawn in the Seattle area: $1,700 to $3,750 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 14% higher than the US figure. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn a median of $23.31 an hour in the Seattle area, 24% above the US median of $18.82.
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Estimated cost for 1,500 sq ft in Seattle, WA, standard level
$2,350 to $3,150
About $1.50 to $1.95 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 51% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,000 | $1,350 |
| Labor | $1,200 | $1,600 |
| Permits and fees | $100 | $230 |
| Total | $2,350 | $3,150 |
Cost breakdown for 1,500 sq ft in Seattle, WA
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $780 | $1,150 | $1,550 | 43% |
| Labor | $930 | $1,400 | $1,850 | 51% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $170 | $330 | 6% |
| Total | $1,700 | $2,750 | $3,750 | 100% |
Why Seattle prices look the way they do
Labor is 51% 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 Seattle the blended ratio comes out at 1.24.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Seattle is at 104.0 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $1,150 nationally becomes $1,150 here (midpoint, 1,500 sq ft). Permits follow the all-items index of 111.1: $0 to $330.
The best months for sod lawn in Seattle
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Seattle Sand Pt Wsfo (5 miles from the city center). They are 30-year averages, so any one year can run hotter, colder or wetter.
Weather is not a serious constraint for digging, grading and setting material in the ground in Seattle: 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.
Seattle gets about 38 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 November). The station averages about 2 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 | 47 | 37 | 5.1 | Workable |
| Feb | 50 | 37 | 3.5 | Workable |
| Mar | 54 | 39 | 3.9 | Workable |
| Apr | 59 | 43 | 3.0 | Workable |
| May | 65 | 48 | 2.2 | Workable |
| Jun | 70 | 53 | 1.6 | Workable |
| Jul | 77 | 57 | 0.8 | Workable |
| Aug | 77 | 57 | 1.0 | Workable |
| Sep | 71 | 53 | 1.7 | Workable |
| Oct | 61 | 47 | 3.6 | Workable |
| Nov | 52 | 41 | 5.8 | Workable |
| Dec | 47 | 37 | 5.5 | Workable |
Specs and site conditions that change a Seattle bid
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.
Seattle against nearby metros and the rest of Washington
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 $2,750 across Seattle and its five closest metros.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WAthis page | $1,700 – $3,750 | $2,750 | |
| Bremerton, WA40 miles | $1,700 – $3,700 | $2,700 | −1% |
| Olympia, WA60 miles | $1,650 – $3,600 | $2,600 | −4% |
| Yakima, WA90 miles | $1,600 – $3,450 | $2,550 | −7% |
| Bellingham, WA95 miles | $1,650 – $3,600 | $2,650 | −4% |
| Portland, OR135 miles | $1,650 – $3,650 | $2,650 | −2% |
| Washington (statewide) | $1,700 – $3,700 | $2,700 | −2% |
| United States | $1,500 – $3,300 | $2,400 | −12% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Seattle ranks #7 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Seattle is 2% above the Washington figure.
Elsewhere in Washington
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spokane, WA | 255,820 jobs | $1,650 – $3,550 | $2,600 | −5% |
| Olympia, WA | 130,300 jobs | $1,650 – $3,600 | $2,600 | −4% |
| Kennewick, WA | 129,490 jobs | $1,650 – $3,600 | $2,650 | −4% |
| Yakima, WA | 97,010 jobs | $1,600 – $3,450 | $2,550 | −7% |
| Bremerton, WA | 93,740 jobs | $1,700 – $3,700 | $2,700 | −1% |
| Bellingham, WA | 91,390 jobs | $1,650 – $3,600 | $2,650 | −4% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Seattle against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | 2,373,920 jobs | $1,800 – $3,900 | $2,850 | +4% |
| Minneapolis, MN | 1,951,650 jobs | $1,700 – $3,700 | $2,700 | −1% |
| Phoenix, AZ | 2,375,760 jobs | $1,450 – $3,250 | $2,350 | −14% |
| Detroit, MI | 1,904,530 jobs | $1,500 – $3,350 | $2,450 | −11% |
Related projects, priced for Seattle
Jobs that often go together with sod lawn are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Seattle wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, French drain comes out highest (+26%) and gravel driveway lowest (+24%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $750 – $2,650 | +26% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $4,950 – $12,400 | +24% |
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $9,200 – $16,300 | +25% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $3,100 – $12,600 | +24% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $45,300 – $141,500 | +25% |
Who does the work: Seattle 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 Seattle the blend is 1.24.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers (37-3011), 80% of the weighting: a median of $23.31 an hour, 24% above the US median of $18.82. The middle half of them earn between $22.32 and $27.91 an hour. About 11,780 work in the metro. That is 56.5 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 $28.72 an hour, which is 27% above the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $23.67 and $37.03 an hour. BLS counts 13,040 of them working in the area, 62.5 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 $220 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $45. That is a swing of roughly 1.7% to 8.0% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue has 2,086,210 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 13th 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% | $22.32 | $23.31 | $27.91 | $18.82 | 1.24 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 20% | $23.67 | $28.72 | $37.03 | $22.66 | 1.27 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.24 | |||||
Pick a size, pick a tier: sod installation pricing in Seattle
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Seattle. 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
$1,700 to $2,550
Basic grass on cleared, level ground
Standard
$2,350 to $3,150
Better grass type with some grading
Premium
$2,950 to $3,750
Premium sod, soil work, difficult slopes
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small yard (1,000 sq ft) | $1,150 – $1,750 | $1,600 – $2,150 | $2,050 – $2,600 |
| average yard (1,500 sq ft) | $1,700 – $2,550 | $2,350 – $3,150 | $2,950 – $3,750 |
| large yard (4,000 sq ft) | $4,550 – $6,550 | $6,050 – $8,000 | $7,500 – $9,450 |
Get 3 local quotes
Tell us about the job and we will try to connect you with up to three local contractors for written quotes. It is free and you are under no obligation to hire. Your estimate of $2,350 to $3,150 for Seattle, WA is attached.
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Multi-page report for Seattle, WA: 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 Seattle: your questions
+How much does it cost to lay sod in Seattle?
For 1,500 sq ft, expect $1,700 to $3,750 in the Seattle area. A standard-spec job lands at $2,350 to $3,150. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for sod lawn in Seattle?
About $1.15 to $2.30 per sq ft for materials and labor, plus $0 to $330 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $1 to $2.
+Is sod lawn cheaper in Seattle or Bremerton?
Bremerton is 40 miles away. The midpoint for 1,500 sq ft there is $2,700, which is 1% less than Seattle ($2,750). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Seattle?
About 51% at the midpoint, or $1,400 out of $2,750. Materials are 43% and permits 6%. Nationally, labor is 47%.
+What would average yard (1,500 sq ft) cost in Seattle?
$1,700 to $3,750. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does sod lawn need a permit in Seattle?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $0 to $330 for fees in the Seattle area (our national range of $0 to $300 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Seattle expensive for sod lawn compared with the rest of Washington?
Seattle is 2% above the Washington statewide estimate ($2,700 at the midpoint). We cover 7 metros in Washington; see the state page to compare them.
+What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Seattle?
The BLS median is $23.31 an hour in the Seattle area, compared with $18.82 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $22.32 to $27.91.
+What do basic and premium sod lawn work cost in Seattle?
For 1,500 sq ft, basic work runs $1,700 to $2,550 and premium work $2,950 to $3,750. 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 Seattle?
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 Seattle
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.