ServicesSod Installation
Sod Installation in Eatonville
We strip the failing turf, correct the grade, and lay St. Augustine, zoysia or Bahia matched to the light and use of your yard. You get the full scope and price factors in writing before any pallet is ordered, so the bill matches the plan.
When New Sod Is the Right Call
Sod makes sense when the lawn is too far gone to bring back with fertilizer, overseeding or a better watering schedule. Typical cases are turf thinned by chinch bugs, patches killed by shade, and bare sand left after construction. Seeding is not practical for St. Augustine, the most common lawn grass here, so new sod is usually the realistic fix.
Laying grass is the easy part. Most new lawns that fail do so because of what is underneath: old roots and thatch left in place, low spots that hold water, or sandy fill with no organic matter. We spend most of the job on preparation, because that decides whether the roots knit into the soil or dry out on top of it.
Before we start, we write out the square footage, grass variety, how the old lawn comes out, any soil or grading work, and what is excluded. If something changes once the old turf is up, we show you and put it in writing before doing it.
What Our Sod Installation Covers
- Old turf and weed removal
- We cut out the existing grass with a sod cutter so roots, thatch and runners come out instead of being buried. Where torpedograss or Bermuda has invaded, we tell you up front, because those weeds will push through new sod if left.
- Grading and drainage
- We rake and level the base so water moves away from your home's foundation and does not pond in low spots. Small dips are filled and leveled; larger drainage problems are listed separately in your written scope.
- Soil preparation
- Central Florida sand drains fast and holds few nutrients. Where the base is bare fill, we add and work in a topsoil blend so the new roots have something to hold water against.
- Grass matched to the site
- Floratam St. Augustine wants full sun, while varieties like Seville or CitraBlue handle more shade. Zoysia gives a denser, finer lawn, and Bahia suits large, low-input areas. We recommend based on your light and how the yard is used.
- Laying, rolling and first watering
- Pieces go down the same day the pallets arrive, with seams butted tight and joints staggered like brickwork. We roll the sod for soil contact and give it a deep first soak.
Signs Your Lawn Needs New Sod
Spreading brown patches in summer
Yellow-then-brown patches in sunny areas that keep growing are often chinch bug damage in St. Augustine. Once the runners are dead, they do not come back.
Bare sand under trees
Grass that has thinned to sand under oaks or along the house usually needs a more shade-tolerant variety, plus some trimming to let light through.
More weeds than grass
When dollarweed, crabgrass or sedge cover most of the area, weed control alone leaves bare gaps behind. Starting over is often less work.
Puddles and uneven ground
Low spots that stay wet after rain invite fungus and mosquitoes. Regrading under new sod fixes the cause.
Fresh construction or a removed feature
After a pool, addition or patio project, or a removed bed, the bare ground needs proper prep before sod goes down.
How a Sod Job Runs
- 1
Walkthrough and written quote
We measure the area, check sun and shade, look at the soil and test your sprinkler coverage. You then get everything on paper: the variety, square footage, prep work and anything not included.
- 2
Removal and grading
On install day we cut and haul away the old turf, level the base and add soil where needed. Sprinkler heads are flagged so equipment does not break them.
- 3
Laying the sod
Sod is cut fresh at the farm and laid within hours of delivery, because grass stacked on a pallet heats up and yellows fast. We trim pieces around beds, walks and curbs for tight edges.
- 4
Rolling, watering and cleanup
We roll the lawn, water it in, blow off hard surfaces and haul away the old sod. Before we leave, we walk you through a written watering schedule for the first few weeks.
What Affects the Price of Sod
Sod is priced mostly by the area and the prep it needs, and the prep varies more than the grass does. Your written quote breaks these out line by line, so you can see where the money goes. The estimate itself is free. If you would rather spread the cost out, we offer financing as high as $100,000, with terms anywhere from two to twelve years and no penalty for paying it off early.
- Square footage
- Sod is sold by the pallet, usually 400 to 500 square feet, so we measure carefully to avoid both shortages and paying for waste.
- Grass variety
- Zoysia and shade-tolerant St. Augustine cultivars cost more than Floratam or Bahia.
- Removal and soil work
- Thick thatch, invasive weeds, tree roots or added topsoil and grading all add labor and material.
- Access
- Narrow side gates, fenced backyards and slopes mean more carrying by hand, which takes more time than unloading into an open front yard.
- Irrigation condition
- If heads are broken or coverage is uneven, new sod will show it within days. We list any fixes on the estimate, and our irrigation service can handle them.
Sod Installation Questions
Something not covered here? (407) 537-4177
What is the best time of year to lay sod?
Sod roots fastest in warm weather, so late spring through early fall works best here. The summer rainy season helps with watering, but sod can go down in spring if irrigation keeps up. Winter installs are possible, though rooting is slower.
How often should I water new sod?
For the first week or two, the sod should stay moist, usually with short cycles once or twice a day. After that, we taper to deeper, less frequent watering so roots grow down. Local watering rules include an allowance for establishing new grass, and we explain how it applies to your schedule.
When can we walk on or mow the new lawn?
Keep foot traffic light for about two weeks. Mow when the grass is rooted, which you can check by tugging a corner. If it holds, it is ready. Set the mower high for the first few cuts, and our lawn care service can take over from there.
Can you lay new sod over my old grass?
No. Sod laid over old turf sits on a mat of dead roots and thatch, dries out and often fails. We remove the old lawn first, and that removal is spelled out as its own line before work begins.
Who are we dealing with on the job?
We are a family-owned company, in business since 2018, and fully insured. The people who walk your yard and price the work are the same people accountable for the install.
Get a Lawn That Roots In
We will walk your yard, check the light, soil and sprinkler coverage, and hand you a written quote you can compare line by line. We work in Eatonville and nearby towns including Maitland and Winter Park.