Guide to Sod Installation in San Francisco, Northern California

When it comes to sodding your new lawn in San Francisco, Northern California, there are two options to consider. Each offers its unique set of advantages and disadvantages:

Hiring Sod Professionals

Opting for a professional lawn and landscaping service offers a complete, effortless approach. These companies provide full-service teams that handle the entire process: they source high-quality sod, prepare the site, arrange delivery to your location, and professionally install the grass, leaving you with nothing to do.

Cost: This is when you want the white glove "do it all for me" approach. You're not just paying for the product but also for professional labor, project management, and often, a service warranty. Expect to pay $300 or more per pallet of sod and double that figure for installation.

Where to Buy Sod in San Francisco - Local CA Sod Farms

Want to save a little cash? Sod farms are the way to go. This DIY approach comes with its own set of challenges, but the cost-saving potential for homeowners is significant.

Cost: Prices can drop to as low as $160 per pallet when buying in bulk from sod farms near San Francisco, offering you substantial savings. You'll sometimes need to go pick up the sod yourself as well.

DIY: The trade-off here is the manual labor involved in self-installation. Additionally, many sod farms operate on a minimum purchase policy, commonly starting at multiple pallets, which typically covers at least 1000 square feet.

Limited Online Presence: Sod farms typically lack advanced websites. Instead of a seamless online shopping experience, you'll probably need to reach out via phone or email to inquire about stock and costs. Don't anticipate comprehensive online support or information.

Sod Supplier & Delivery Distance

San Francisco has a population of roughly 715,717, which can be a double-edged sword when it comes to landscaping pricing. This means that sod companies in San Francisco may charge more to cover the cost of living in a larger city. But at the same time you will have more options to choose from, so make sure to get multiple quotes. Prices can vary wildly!

Preparation Work

The following factors can make a huge difference in the cost and either save you or cost you big time:

• Regrading: Need to flatten your yard? This can vary pricing wise but expect to pay roughly $0.55 per square foot extra on average.
• Soil needs: If it's new construction or you have poor soil, you may need to add topsoil. Expect to pay somewhere in the ballpark of $0.25 per square foot for this.
• Removal of existing sod: If you have existing grass that needs to go, this can cost an additional $0.45 per square foot.
• Removal of other debris: Let's just say you have lot's of pebbles and rocks in your soil. It's going to cost extra to remove those.

Installation Labor Costs

• Ease of access to your yard: Is it in a back yard that's hard to access? Up on a hill that laborers have to walk up? This will add to your cost.
• Random objects: Best case scenario: it's wide open grass. If there are lots of trees, irrigation systems, or other objects this can add to labor cost.
• Time of year: Since it's a seasonal business, and there's less demand for sod in San Francisco in the winter, you can sometimes get deals in the off-season.