Do You Want to Add a New Lawn but Worry About the Cost? Here are Details

Two things can be closest to your heart – good food and gardening. These offer your soul an inexplicable satisfaction. They nurture you even when you feel low. Some people say they find cooking therapeutic, while others feel guilty about gorging on stuff to fight their pent-up emotions. Then, others walk to their lawn or balcony to find solace wherever they grow their little plants. Everyone has a unique approach to life situations. What do you do? Do you enjoy cooking or decorating your kitchen more in your low phase? Or, you seek a peaceful corner to mull over past occurrences.

These scenarios are more relevant if you live alone. If you have a vast family, your concerns can be something else. For instance, you would be more interested in solving problems to keep the systems running. More precisely, you would occupy yourself with functional enhancement. Suppose your old sink is smaller. You will check deep kitchen sinks for large families to make your chore easy. Such is life in busy homes with more individuals. Well, it has some benefits too. But having a backyard on your property can be a more exciting distraction. You can plan to beautify it to escape the mundane and dins of routine. It may make you wonder about the cost of building a new lawn. Let’s delve into this straight.

Backyard dimension and form

Lawn installation can be of two types – sodding or laying grass. Seeding grass is a long-drawn process requiring at least two years to see your lawn come alive with blooms. The other one is quicker. If you choose sod, you will want to know the area it will cover to estimate the cost. On that, you can add 10% extra to have enough materials. Otherwise, it will be a struggle to source more sod. If you buy sod, you can estimate its cost to be around USD $0.35-0.85 per sq ft. It only concerns the material cost and not installation. Typically, homes feature 8,712 square feet of yard. So, your estimated sod-buying expense can be around USD $3,050 minimum.

If the backyard has round borders or uneven-shaped lawns with peculiar landscaping, you may have to measure more precisely to order the correct quantity of sod. Plus, you will work harder to fashion sod for irregular shapes. Even sloped and hilly lawns will increase your difficulty. You can consult a sod installer to avoid confusion for correct quantity estimation.

Installation process

Standard lawn installation methods include sodding, artificial turf, hydroseeding, and hand seeding. In hand seeding, you can add grass seeds to the dirt. It can cost anywhere from USD $400-1600. Hydroseeding involves using a liquid mixture containing water, fertilizer, mulch, and seed and can be achievable for USD $500-4000. The price range for sodding is vast, from USD $450-4520. Of them, artificial turf is the most expensive, though. It costs USD $6-20 per sq ft. You can still go for it for its low maintenance.

Choice of grass

Different conditions make you study your grass option well. You would need strong grass for places with high footfall. Some require little watering and suit dry climates also. When you shop for this material, you will encounter varieties like centipede, zoysia, Bermuda, fescue, and Kentucky bluegrass. You get sod pallets for USD $150-450.

Labor

You can seek professionals to do the installation. Usually, they charge USD $35-75 hourly rates, which apply to laying sod. Prep work will increase it. If you get someone experienced, you can expect the person to cover 25 sq yards in one hour. They can charge USD $1-2 per sq ft for lawn replacement. It also covers material costs. As for prep work, you should check on your old lawn’s condition. The old grass requires cleaning before you add new sod. Professionals use special tools to eliminate roots and sod, which can cost you around USD $1k onward.

Topsoil and fertilizer

Grass needs some solid backing, which fresh topsoil and fertilizer can ensure. Fertilizers are necessary for the root’s robust health and can be obtainable for USD $80-380. Topsoil nourishes roots with aerated soil and may cost USD $12-30 per cubic area. You can imagine paying USD $75-350 for this for five cubic yards.

Leveling

Some terrains support sloped yards, but others would demand tweaking. If you regrade your new lawn, you can expect to spend around USD $1-3k on this. It covers equipment and labor charges. In this context, you must know that heavy equipment entry may require removing some fences or gates.

When do you build a new lawn?

After seeing the cost, you can reevaluate your decision. It’s an expensive project, and these are only a few areas. Your actual price will be higher. Still, you can investigate your existing lawn’s health for a final call. Several factors are there. For example, too many dirt patches can signify that it’s time for tilling. Some grass diseases can contaminate your land. If weeds have overtaken the lawn, your best chance is to get rid of everything to start over again. Then, poor leveling creates drainage problems. You can aerate the lawn to rectify it. However, if it persists, you can adjust the surface and discard the old sod to make way for new.

Some people believe their DIY skills can help save money, forgetting about the different costs involved in the method. You can think of your precious time, for instance. Studies show that sod installation is 40 hours of work, costing around USD $2k. It’s for average lawn size. Apart from sod, there will be a tape measure, fertilizer, wheelbarrow, lawn roller, tamper, shovel, and other things. You will buy or rent them if you don’t have them. Add to all this the backbreaking experience. If you analyze, DIY will seem more expensive than hiring a pro. Before deciding anything, it’s better to overhaul your situation and budget. Consult professionals and get their quotes. With full awareness, you should approach this exciting but expensive undertaking. Results will be more enjoyable then.