How Much Does It Cost to Sod a 20x20 Yard?

A 20-foot by 20-foot yard is 400 square feet — almost exactly one pallet of sod (most Northeast pallets cover 450 sq ft). Here is the honest 2026 cost breakdown, with no inflated estimates and no upsells.

Material only (you install)

• Standard Kentucky bluegrass / KBG-fescue blend: $0.65 to $0.95 per sq ft = $260 to $380 for a 20x20 yard.
• Premium tall fescue / RTF: $1.10 to $1.50 per sq ft = $440 to $600.
• Fine fescue shade blend: $1.20 to $1.65 per sq ft = $480 to $660.

Most homeowners doing a 20x20 yard themselves spend $300 to $500 on sod alone.

Add delivery

Fresh-cut pallet delivery in our service area runs $99 to $250 depending on distance, with surcharges to far-out markets (Cape Cod, the Hamptons, far northern New England, southern NJ shore). For a single-pallet 20x20 job in CT, NJ, lower NY or eastern MA, delivery is usually $99 to $149.

Material + delivery DIY total: $400 to $750.

Add installation labor (we install)

Installed pricing across our service area in 2026 runs roughly $1.75 to $3.50 per sq ft depending on:

• How much prep is needed (existing lawn removal, tilling, topsoil, grading)
• Site access for equipment (gated drive, slope, soft turf)
• Sod variety chosen
• Travel distance from the closest installation crew

For a 20x20 yard with light prep (existing grass killed off, soil amenable, easy access), expect $700 to $1,400 installed. For a 20x20 yard that needs full strip-out, 2 inches of topsoil added, and finish grading, you can hit $1,200 to $1,800 installed.

What drives a 20x20 job above $1,400

• Yard grading required. If the existing grade has low spots or pitches toward the house, regrading is its own line item. See Yard grading for new sod: what it costs.
• Topsoil delivery and spreading. A 20x20 yard needs about 2.5 cubic yards of topsoil to add 2 inches. Delivered topsoil runs $40 to $70 per yard installed.
• Old lawn removal. A sod cutter rental ($90/day) plus disposal ($60 to $150) is the DIY route. We charge $200 to $400 to strip a 20x20 area.
• Premium sod variety. RTF or fine fescue can add $200 to $400 to a 20x20 job.

The honest bottom line

| Scenario | Cost range | |---|---| | Material only, you install | $300 to $500 | | Material + delivery, you install | $400 to $750 | | Full install, light prep | $700 to $1,400 | | Full install, heavy prep | $1,200 to $1,800 |

A 20x20 yard is one of the smaller jobs we deliver. Sod farms work in pallet units, so the cost-per-square-foot is the same whether you order one pallet or fifty. The break point where installed-per-sq-ft pricing improves is usually around 2,000 sq ft.

Call (203) 806-4086 or order online at ctsod.com — we'll quote your exact yard with prep included, not a teaser price that doubles on install day.

*Pricing current as of May 2026.*