Sod Installation Cost in Phoenix [2025 Data]

Sod installation costs in Phoenix average $2,327, and most residents pay somewhere between $1,179 and $3,475. Your pricing will depend mainly on the square footage of the space you’re looking to cover and whether or not you need to remove your existing lawn before installing new sod. Expect to pay between $1 and $3 per square foot, on average, or up to $6 per square foot if your land needs preparation first.

Sod Installation Cost Factors

Installing sod in Phoenix, Arizona, can cost as little as $700, but some homeowners pay as much as $6,000. Figuring out where your total will fall in that range requires considering a few important cost factors.

Size

Since sod prices are based on your lawn’s square footage, your yard size plays a hefty role in the cost of the project. For small patches, you might be able to spend less than $1,000 in total sod installation costs. However, if you’re looking to sod a quarter of an acre or more, that price is substantially higher. In most cases, you can expect to pay between $1 and $3 per square foot for materials and labor to install sod in Phoenix.

The average residential property in Phoenix is about 0.158 acres or just under 6,900 square feet, which means covering your entire plot with sod would total between $6,900 and $20,700. Most Phoenix residents cover far smaller areas, though, so you can use a sod calculator or the table below to determine what your project will cost based on square footage.

When buying by the yard, divide your square-foot measurements by nine to determine how much you need. For example, if your yard is 350 square feet, divide 350 by 9 for a total of 38.9 yards, and round that up to 39 yards of sod. Because most material is nonrefundable, be as accurate as possible while measuring and doing the math.

Sod Delivery

Sod delivery costs between $65 and $230 per pallet, which will cover between 400 and 500 square feet. You can avoid these costs altogether if you have a truck capable of hauling large loads, but keep in mind that each pallet of sod weighs between 1,500 and 4,500 pounds, which means enough sod to cover 1,000 square feet can weigh as much as 9,000 pounds. Some sod installers will include delivery costs in their initial estimate, so be sure to ask your sod installer if delivery costs are separate.

Types of Sod Grass

Soil Testing

The cost to test your soil is around $60 on average, but costs can range anywhere from $20 to $100. A professional soil test can help determine how to amend it and help your new grass grow thick and healthy. This test will also help you decide what type of grass grows best in your lawn’s soil conditions.

Prep and Removal

In some cases, you’ll need to account for the cost of yard prep before you can move forward with installing your new sod. Removing your old lawn may be necessary, in which case you should add $1 to $2 per square foot to your total. Phoenix soils are notoriously devoid of nutrients, which makes growing anything challenging, so it’s a good idea to budget extra for topsoil installation and a fertilizer treatment to give your sod the best chance at thriving.

Sod comes in different species, and the type you choose will affect your material costs. Phoenix has one of the most extreme climates in the country, so it’s crucial that you pick a warm-season grass that can stand up to severe drought to ensure longevity. Bermuda grass is one of the most common sod species in Phoenix, as it stands up well to heat, intense sunlight, and limited exposure to water. Bermuda grass sod costs an average of between $1.35 and $2.85 per square foot.

Here’s a breakdown of sod installation costs based on the type of grass:

New Lawn vs. Existing Lawn

The starting point you’re working with will factor into your overall price for this project. If you're just installing sod on a new lawn, the cost will be cheaper than removing an existing lawn and resodding it, as this process involves additional materials and labor. You may be able to sod over an existing lawn—check with your sod installation pro to see if that’s an option.

Sod Installation Pro Costs

When you hire a landscaper in Phoenix, an average of 50% of your costs—or $1,150 total—will go toward labor alone. The cost of living in Phoenix is around 10% higher than the national average, so this is more than you’d pay in most other cities.

While labor is costly, hiring a pro is a good investment, saving you from extremely labor-intensive work. Plus, a professional can help recommend sod species, fertilizer treatments, and other amendments to ensure healthy sod growth despite the brutal climate conditions in the area.

There are no permit requirements for sod installation in Phoenix, so you won’t need to account for permit fees. However, you will need permits for other landscaping projects, like installing a pool or a patio, so if your sod installation is just one aspect of your outdoor plans, you may need to budget for permit fees.

Does Sod Installation Increase Home Value?

Sod installation boosts your home’s curb appeal, which gives potential buyers a more positive impression of your property and will lead to an increase in home value. On average, installing sod will provide a return on investment (ROI) of between 100% and 150%, which means a value increase of between $2,400 and $3,600 in Phoenix.

How Angi Gets Its Cost Data

Home is the most important place on earth, which is why Angi has helped more than 150 million homeowners transform their houses into homes they adore. To help homeowners with their next project, Angi provides readers with the most accurate cost data and upholds strict editorial standards. We survey real Angi customers about their project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We pair this data with research from reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects. 

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