Sod installation cost in Janesville, WI
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (1,500 sq ft)
- $1,450 – $3,200
- Per sq ft
- $0.95 – $1.95
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −3%
- US $2,400
- Rank of 300 metros
- #143
- 1 = most expensive
If you want to lay sod in Janesville, plan on $1,450 to $3,200 for 1,500 sq ft, all in. Per sq ft, that is $0.95 to $1.95 for materials and labor, with the permit on top. The local midpoint lands close to the national one. Building materials run about 6% below the US average here (BEA goods price index 93.8).
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Estimated cost for 1,500 sq ft in Janesville, WI, standard level
$2,000 to $2,700
About $1.25 to $1.65 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 49% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $910 | $1,200 |
| Labor | $990 | $1,300 |
| Permits and fees | $85 | $200 |
| Total | $2,000 | $2,700 |
Cost breakdown for 1,500 sq ft in Janesville, WI
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $700 | $1,050 | $1,400 | 45% |
| Labor | $760 | $1,150 | $1,500 | 49% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $140 | $280 | 6% |
| Total | $1,450 | $2,350 | $3,200 | 100% |
Where the Janesville price comes from
Labor is 49% 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 Janesville the blended ratio comes out at 1.01.
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the Janesville metro is 93.8 (US = 100). The midpoint materials bill for 1,500 sq ft comes to $1,050, compared with $1,150 at national prices. Permit and inspection fees are scaled by the broader index (93.7) and land at $0 to $280.
Why two Janesville 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.
Climate in Janesville: timing your sod lawn job
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for Afton - Janesville Wwtp (5 miles from the city center). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.
April through October is the stretch where digging, grading and setting material in the ground runs into the fewest weather problems in Janesville (7 of 12 months). January, February, March, November and December have an average overnight low at or below freezing (32°F).
In January, February, March, November and December the average low is at or below freezing, which means frozen ground and slower digging, compaction and sod or stone placement. NOAA counts about 148 days a year with a low at or below 32°F at this station.
Janesville gets about 37 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 37 inches of snow. The wettest months are June, July and August (5.0 inches in June). Inside the workable window, April and October are the driest, at 3.6 and 3.0 inches. The station averages about 13 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 | 28 | 12 | 1.6 | Cold |
| Feb | 32 | 15 | 1.6 | Cold |
| Mar | 45 | 25 | 2.1 | Cold |
| Apr | 58 | 36 | 3.6 | Workable |
| May | 70 | 48 | 4.1 | Workable |
| Jun | 80 | 58 | 5.0 | Workable |
| Jul | 83 | 62 | 4.2 | Workable |
| Aug | 82 | 60 | 4.3 | Workable |
| Sep | 75 | 51 | 3.7 | Workable |
| Oct | 62 | 40 | 3.0 | Workable |
| Nov | 46 | 29 | 2.3 | Cold |
| Dec | 34 | 18 | 1.9 | Cold |
Janesville: what basic, standard and premium work costs
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for Janesville 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
$1,450 to $2,150
Basic grass on cleared, level ground
Standard
$2,000 to $2,700
Better grass type with some grading
Premium
$2,500 to $3,200
Premium sod, soil work, difficult slopes
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small yard (1,000 sq ft) | $970 – $1,500 | $1,350 – $1,850 | $1,750 – $2,250 |
| average yard (1,500 sq ft) | $1,450 – $2,150 | $2,000 – $2,700 | $2,500 – $3,200 |
| large yard (4,000 sq ft) | $3,900 – $5,550 | $5,150 – $6,800 | $6,400 – $8,050 |
Janesville labor market for sod lawn
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 Janesville is 1.01 times the national level.
For landscaping and groundskeeping workers (37-3011, weighted 80%) the local median is $18.21 an hour, which is 3% below the national $18.82. The middle half of them earn between $16.00 and $21.71 an hour. BLS counts 460 of them working in the area, 65.8 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 $26.77 an hour, 18% above the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $22.00 and $36.28 an hour. About 480 work in the metro. That is 68.7 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 ($21.71 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $170. At the 25th percentile ($16.00) it shrinks by about $110. The total moves by 7.2% or 4.5%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 69,870 jobs in the Janesville-Beloit area. That makes it the 260th largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 0.04% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers (37-3011) | 80% | $16.00 | $18.21 | $21.71 | $18.82 | 0.97 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 20% | $22.00 | $26.77 | $36.28 | $22.66 | 1.18 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.01 | |||||
Is Janesville 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 $2,350 to $2,650 across Janesville and its five closest metros.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Janesville, WIthis page | $1,450 – $3,200 | $2,350 | |
| Rockford, IL25 miles | $1,450 – $3,200 | $2,350 | level |
| Madison, WI40 miles | $1,550 – $3,400 | $2,500 | +7% |
| Kenosha, WI60 miles | $1,650 – $3,600 | $2,650 | +13% |
| Milwaukee, WI65 miles | $1,550 – $3,450 | $2,500 | +7% |
| Racine, WI65 miles | $1,500 – $3,250 | $2,350 | +2% |
| Wisconsin (statewide) | $1,500 – $3,300 | $2,400 | +4% |
| United States | $1,500 – $3,300 | $2,400 | +3% |
Across 300 US metros, Janesville comes in at #143 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, Janesville is 4% below the Wisconsin figure.
Other Wisconsin metros
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee, WI | 820,780 jobs | $1,550 – $3,450 | $2,500 | +7% |
| Madison, WI | 408,070 jobs | $1,550 – $3,400 | $2,500 | +7% |
| Green Bay, WI | 174,550 jobs | $1,450 – $3,250 | $2,350 | +1% |
| Appleton, WI | 124,230 jobs | $1,550 – $3,400 | $2,500 | +7% |
| Oshkosh, WI | 93,750 jobs | $1,450 – $3,200 | $2,350 | level |
| Eau Claire, WI | 86,060 jobs | $1,500 – $3,250 | $2,350 | +1% |
Cities with a workforce like Janesville's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Janesville against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lexington Park, MD | 70,650 jobs | $1,600 – $3,450 | $2,500 | +8% |
| Wausau, WI | 69,530 jobs | $1,450 – $3,200 | $2,300 | −1% |
| Bismarck, ND | 71,270 jobs | $1,600 – $3,450 | $2,500 | +8% |
| Yuma, AZ | 68,880 jobs | $1,400 – $3,100 | $2,250 | −3% |
What nearby projects cost in Janesville
Because every project leans on different trades, Janesville's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, French drain runs +11% and gravel driveway +4%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $670 – $2,350 | +11% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $4,300 – $10,700 | +7% |
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $7,800 – $14,100 | +7% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,600 – $10,600 | +4% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $38,600 – $120,500 | +7% |
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 $2,000 to $2,700 for Janesville, WI is attached.
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Sod installation in Janesville: your questions
+How much does it cost to lay sod in Janesville?
For 1,500 sq ft, expect $1,450 to $3,200 in the Janesville area. A standard-spec job lands at $2,000 to $2,700. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for sod lawn in Janesville?
About $0.95 to $1.95 per sq ft for materials and labor, plus $0 to $280 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $1 to $2.
+Is sod lawn cheaper in Janesville or Rockford?
Rockford is 25 miles away. The midpoint for 1,500 sq ft there is $2,350, which is 0% more than Janesville ($2,350). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Janesville?
About 49% at the midpoint, or $1,150 out of $2,350. Materials are 45% and permits 6%. Nationally, labor is 47%.
+What would average yard (1,500 sq ft) cost in Janesville?
$1,450 to $3,200. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does sod lawn need a permit in Janesville?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $0 to $280 for fees in the Janesville area (our national range of $0 to $300 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Janesville expensive for sod lawn compared with the rest of Wisconsin?
Janesville is 4% below the Wisconsin statewide estimate ($2,400 at the midpoint). We cover 12 metros in Wisconsin; see the state page to compare them.
+What do landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in Janesville?
The BLS median is $18.21 an hour in the Janesville area, compared with $18.82 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $16.00 to $21.71.
+What do basic and premium sod lawn work cost in Janesville?
For 1,500 sq ft, basic work runs $1,450 to $2,150 and premium work $2,500 to $3,200. 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 Janesville?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are April through October. April and October 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 Janesville
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.