Sod Installation Cost in Detroit [2025 Data]

Sod installation costs in Detroit average $1,781, and most homeowners pay somewhere between $1,002 and $2,660 in total. Your costs will depend mostly on the size of the area you’re looking to cover and whether or not you need your old lawn removed before the installation. If you do, expect lawn removal costs to add between $1 and $2 per square foot to your total.

Sod Installation Cost Factors 

Some homeowners in Detroit, Michigan, may pay as little as $500 for sod installation, while the most expensive projects in the city can push as high as $4,412. You should consider all of the following factors to determine where your total will fall.

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. You’ll pay an average of between $1 and $3 per square foot for the materials and labor for sod installation, but land prep can push per-square-foot prices up to between $4.50 and $6.

Most Detroit residents sod just small portions of their yards when tackling other landscaping projects. You can expect to pay well above the local average if you want your entire yard sodded. The average property size in Detroit is 0.129 acres, so sodding an entire plot in the city would cost between $5,600 and $16,800. You can use the table below to get an estimate for your total based on total square footage, but use a sod calculator for a more accurate price.

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 is a heavy material, so many landscaping professionals will charge separately for delivery costs. A single pallet of sod can weigh up to 4,500 pounds and costs between $65 and $230 to deliver. This amount of sod will cover up to 500 square feet, so you can measure your total square footage and divide by 500 to see how many pallets of sod you’ll need to pay for. 

You could avoid delivery costs if you have a truck capable of hauling heavy loads, but be prepared for more hands-on maintenance to load and unload the sod.

Types of Sod Grass

The type of sod you choose for your property will have a minor impact on your total, but it’s still an important factor to consider. You should consider the cost per square foot of the different sod species available, but also be sure to choose a species that can thrive in the mild summers and cold winters in Detroit. Kentucky bluegrass is the most common grass species in the city, and it costs between $1.35 and $2.40 per square foot for materials and labor.

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.

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

For materials and labor alone, you’ll spend between $1 and $3 per square foot to install sod in Detroit, but you may face higher costs if you need to prep your property beforehand. For example, the soil in Detroit has a high clay concentration, which promotes compaction and can create issues for root development. You should ask your sod installer if aeration and fertilizer treatments are necessary to get the best results possible.

Here’s a breakdown of some other costs you may need to consider.

Sod Installation Pro Costs

You can expect to pay an average of $850 in labor alone if you hire a professional landscaping company in Detroit to handle your sod installation, which accounts for 50% of your total. This is just slightly less than you’d pay in most other cities, in large part due to the below-average cost of living in Detroit.

Hiring a pro for sod installation is expensive, but installing sod is time- and labor-intensive work, so it’s worth outsourcing to a professional. Plus, an expert can help suggest soil amendments and other preparation methods that can help ensure your sod thrives.

There are no permits required to install sod in Detroit, so you won’t have to budget for permit fees. However, make sure to consider the cost of permits if you’re coupling sod installation with other landscaping work, which may necessitate permits.

Does Sod Installation Increase Home Value?

Installing sod improves your home’s curb appeal, so it will have a major positive impact on your home value. Potential buyers will have a more positive first impression of your property, which often leads them to offer more. The average return on investment (ROI) you’ll see from sod installation is between 100% and 150%, which means a value bump of $1,800 to $3,600 in Detroit, given the average local cost of sod installation.

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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