Sod installation cost in Wisconsin
Statewide estimate from BLS wages and BEA prices. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Statewide range (1,500 sq ft)
- $1,500 – $3,300
- Per sq ft
- $1 – $2
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +1%
- US $2,400
- Metros covered
- 12
Wisconsin prices for sod lawn: $1,500 to $3,300 for 1,500 sq ft, or $1 to $2 per sq ft without the permit. The state midpoint is 1% above the national one. Local wages for landscaping and groundskeeping workers are $19.82 an hour.
Inside Wisconsin, the metros we cover range from $2,300 (Wausau) to $2,650 (Kenosha) at the midpoint. Pick your closest city in the table for a tighter number.
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Estimated cost for 1,500 sq ft in Wisconsin (statewide), standard level
$2,050 to $2,800
About $1.30 to $1.70 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 50% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $920 | $1,200 |
| Labor | $1,050 | $1,400 |
| Permits and fees | $85 | $200 |
| Total | $2,050 | $2,800 |
Cost breakdown for 1,500 sq ft in Wisconsin
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $710 | $1,050 | $1,400 | 44% |
| Labor | $810 | $1,200 | $1,600 | 50% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $140 | $280 | 6% |
| Total | $1,500 | $2,400 | $3,300 | 100% |
Wisconsin against its neighbors
Wisconsin ranks 20 of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) for sod lawn, where 1 is the most expensive. The costliest is Hawaii at $2,850 and the cheapest Mississippi at $2,100, both for 1,500 sq ft at the midpoint. Wisconsin sits at $2,400. The five states closest by workforce center are listed below.
| State | Distance | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 120 miles away | $1,650 – $3,600 | $2,600 | +8% |
| Iowa | 230 miles away | $1,450 – $3,150 | $2,300 | −4% |
| Michigan | 230 miles away | $1,450 – $3,200 | $2,350 | −3% |
| Minnesota | 260 miles away | $1,650 – $3,600 | $2,650 | +9% |
| Indiana | 260 miles away | $1,450 – $3,200 | $2,350 | −4% |
Wisconsin metro-by-metro prices
4 of the 12 metros sit above the statewide midpoint of $2,400, and the top-to-bottom gap is 13%. Each row prices the default size with that metro's own BLS wages and BEA price levels, so the gap between rows is real local variation rather than a flat markup.
| Metro | Range (1,500 sq ft) | Midpoint | vs. state |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenosha, WI | $1,650 – $3,600 | $2,650 | +9% |
| Appleton, WI | $1,550 – $3,400 | $2,500 | +3% |
| Milwaukee, WI | $1,550 – $3,450 | $2,500 | +3% |
| Madison, WI | $1,550 – $3,400 | $2,500 | +3% |
| Sheboygan, WI | $1,500 – $3,300 | $2,400 | level |
| Racine, WI | $1,500 – $3,250 | $2,350 | −2% |
| Eau Claire, WI | $1,500 – $3,250 | $2,350 | −3% |
| Green Bay, WI | $1,450 – $3,250 | $2,350 | −3% |
| La Crosse, WI | $1,450 – $3,200 | $2,350 | −3% |
| Janesville, WI | $1,450 – $3,200 | $2,350 | −4% |
| Oshkosh, WI | $1,450 – $3,200 | $2,350 | −4% |
| Wausau, WI | $1,450 – $3,200 | $2,300 | −4% |
Wisconsin labor market for sod lawn
Wisconsin's labor line is priced from 2 trades, each compared with its US median wage. After weighting by each trade's share of the work, the state comes out at 1.08 times the national level.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers (37-3011), 80% of the weighting: a median of $19.82 an hour, 5% above the US median of $18.82. The middle half of them earn between $17.35 and $22.81 an hour. About 18,970 work in the state. That is 64.5 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 $26.97 an hour, which is 19% above the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $22.14 and $34.68 an hour. BLS counts 20,330 of them working in the state, 69.1 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is about average.
A crew paid at the 75th percentile for landscaping and groundskeeping workers ($22.81 an hour) would add about $140 to the statewide midpoint; one at the 25th percentile ($17.35) would take off about $120. Use that as a rough guide to how far a bid can sit from our midpoint on wages alone.
BLS counts 2,941,540 jobs across Wisconsin (May 2025), which is 1.9% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers (37-3011) | 80% | $17.35 | $19.82 | $22.81 | $18.82 | 1.05 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 20% | $22.14 | $26.97 | $34.68 | $22.66 | 1.19 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 1.08 | |||||
Weather windows across Wisconsin
Weather decides when digging and ground work can happen, and Wisconsin is not uniform. The table uses NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals from the weather station nearest each metro we cover, and counts the months that are neither cold nor hot enough to complicate the job.
Milwaukee has the longest comfortable season of the metros we cover in Wisconsin at 7 months (April through October); Wausau has the shortest at 6 (May through October). Rainfall runs from 32 inches a year in Green Bay to 37 inches in La Crosse.
We do not adjust prices by month, because we have no reliable published data on seasonal pricing. Timing is still worth raising when you collect bids.
| Metro | Jan avg low °F | Jul avg high °F | Precip (in/yr) | Comfortable months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee | 14 | 83 | 34 | 7: April through October |
| Madison | 12 | 82 | 37 | 7: April through October |
| Green Bay | 11 | 81 | 32 | 7: April through October |
| Appleton | 10 | 82 | 33 | 7: April through October |
| Oshkosh | 10 | 82 | 33 | 7: April through October |
| Eau Claire | 6 | 83 | 33 | 7: April through October |
| La Crosse | 8 | 80 | 37 | 7: April through October |
| Racine | 16 | 81 | 32 | 7: April through October |
| Kenosha | 16 | 84 | 32 | 7: April through October |
| Janesville | 12 | 83 | 37 | 7: April through October |
| Wausau | 7 | 80 | 34 | 6: May through October |
| Sheboygan | 15 | 82 | 35 | 7: April through October |
If you are planning more than one job in Wisconsin
Each project weights the trades differently, so Wisconsin's wage level does not push every price by the same amount. Compared with the US midpoint, French drain is +14% and gravel driveway +8%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $690 – $2,400 | +14% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $4,400 – $11,000 | +10% |
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $7,950 – $14,300 | +9% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,700 – $11,000 | +8% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $39,600 – $123,500 | +10% |
Basic, standard or premium: Wisconsin prices
Bands overlap on purpose, since a good standard job can cost as much as a light premium one. Below are the three bands for the default size, then a grid from small yard (1,000 sq ft) to large yard (4,000 sq ft).
Basic
$1,500 to $2,250
Basic grass on cleared, level ground
Standard
$2,050 to $2,800
Better grass type with some grading
Premium
$2,600 to $3,300
Premium sod, soil work, difficult slopes
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small yard (1,000 sq ft) | $1,000 – $1,550 | $1,400 – $1,900 | $1,800 – $2,300 |
| average yard (1,500 sq ft) | $1,500 – $2,250 | $2,050 – $2,800 | $2,600 – $3,300 |
| large yard (4,000 sq ft) | $4,050 – $5,800 | $5,350 – $7,100 | $6,650 – $8,400 |
Why two Wisconsin quotes can differ
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.
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.
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Sod installation in Wisconsin: your questions
+How much does it cost to lay sod in Wisconsin?
$1,500 to $3,300 for 1,500 sq ft, using statewide wages and prices. Metro areas inside Wisconsin can sit above or below that.
+Which city in Wisconsin is cheapest for sod lawn?
Wausau at about $2,300 (midpoint, 1,500 sq ft). The priciest is Kenosha at $2,650.
+Is sod lawn cheaper in Wisconsin than the US average?
It is 1% more expensive: $2,400 against $2,400 for 1,500 sq ft at the midpoint.
+What share of the price is labor in Wisconsin?
About 50% ($1,200). Materials are 44%. Statewide labor for this job is weighted 1.08x the national wage level.
+What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Wisconsin?
The BLS statewide median is $19.82 an hour, against $18.82 for the US. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $17.35 to $22.81.
+Where does Wisconsin rank for sod lawn costs?
20th most expensive of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) at the midpoint, $2,400 for 1,500 sq ft. Rank 1 is the costliest.
+What do basic and premium sod lawn work cost in Wisconsin?
For 1,500 sq ft, basic work runs $1,500 to $2,250 and premium work $2,600 to $3,300. Basic means: basic grass on cleared, level ground. Premium means: premium sod, soil work, difficult slopes.
+Does the season matter for sod lawn in Wisconsin?
Yes where winters or summers are hard. Of the Wisconsin metros we cover, Milwaukee has the most comfortable months (7 of 12) based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals. Our prices do not change by month, so ask contractors whether they charge more or less in busy and slow seasons.
Sod installation by city in Wisconsin
- Kenosha, WI$2,650 midpoint
- Appleton, WI$2,500 midpoint
- Milwaukee, WI$2,500 midpoint
- Madison, WI$2,500 midpoint
- Sheboygan, WI$2,400 midpoint
- Racine, WI$2,350 midpoint
- Eau Claire, WI$2,350 midpoint
- Green Bay, WI$2,350 midpoint
- La Crosse, WI$2,350 midpoint
- Janesville, WI$2,350 midpoint
- Oshkosh, WI$2,350 midpoint
- Wausau, WI$2,300 midpoint
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.