Learning Center / Lawn problems
Should you renovate your lawn with sod or fix it with treatments?
It depends on how far gone the lawn is. If it is mostly bare, weedy or worn out, sod may be a great option: you get a finished lawn the day it goes down. If it is just a little patchy, fall aeration and overseeding with a lawn program should bring it back for less.
- By David Obeid, founder
- Reviewed
- 6 min read
The short answer
How do you know if a lawn needs sod?
Look at how much healthy grass is left. If there is a decent stand of grass with thin spots and some weeds in between, treatments and seed can rebuild it. If the lawn is mostly bare soil, mostly weeds or worn down to nothing, there is not enough left to build on, and sod gets you there faster.
Tall fescue, the grass most Northern Virginia lawns are made of, grows in clumps and doesn't spread to fill bare spots on its own. Weed control can clear the weeds, but on a lawn that is mostly weeds it leaves mostly dirt behind. That is the point where renovating makes more sense than treating.
Match the lawn to the fix
What does your lawn look like, and what fixes it?
Find the description closest to your lawn. Prices are our starting prices for lots up to 5,500 sq ft.
| If your lawn is | The usual fix | Starting price |
|---|---|---|
| Healthy but weedy | A fertilization and weed control program | $69 a visit, 7 a season |
| Thin or patchy, with good grass in between | Fall aeration and overseeding, plus a lawn program | $279 for aeration and seed |
| Thin with bare spots and hard clay | Aeration and overseeding with compost topdressing | $279, plus topdressing from $349 |
| Brown patches every summer | A disease prevention program, then reseed the dead areas in fall | $54.15 a visit, 5 a season |
| Mostly bare, mostly weeds or worn out | Renovation with new sod | from $1,099, based on area and prep |
| Torn up by construction or a septic repair | Renovation with new sod | from $1,099, based on area and prep |
Time
How long does each option take to look good?
Sod looks like a finished lawn the day it goes down. Seed and treatments take a season or two. New sod roots in over a few weeks, and once you can lift a corner and feel it resist, it can be mowed.
Overseeded grass fills in through the fall, and the lawn usually looks its best the following spring. A thin, weedy lawn on a lawn program turns around over a season or two, not in one treatment. If you need the yard to look right soon, for a sale or an event, sod is the faster path.
Cost
Is sod worth the extra cost?
When there is little healthy grass left, usually yes, because you would otherwise spend a season or two of seeding and treatments trying to grow a lawn that has nothing to start from. When the lawn just needs thickening, it usually isn't: fall aeration and seed starts at $279 and works with what is already there.
Sod starts at $1,099. The price depends on the square footage and the prep the ground needs: we remove the old turf, lightly grade the ground and work compost into the clay before the new tall fescue sod goes down. Laying sod over an old lawn or weeds keeps the new roots from reaching the soil, so we don't do it.
Your part
What does new sod need from you?
Water, every day, for the first couple of weeks. New sod has almost no roots and dries out fast, so it lives or dies on watering until it roots in. We explain exactly what it needs before we leave.
Because that part happens after we leave, sod isn't guaranteed. We do stand behind the installation itself: if something about the work isn't right, tell us within 24 hours and we'll make it right. Spring and fall installs are far easier on new sod, and on your water bill, than summer ones.
Related questions
What people also ask
Should I choose sod or seed?
It depends on how far gone the lawn is. If it is mostly bare, weedy, or worn out, sod may be a great option: you get a finished lawn the day it goes down. If it is just a little patchy, a fall aeration and overseeding with some organic compost should bring it back for less. Seed does best sown in early fall here and needs a season to fill in.
When is the best time to lay sod?
Spring and fall. The cooler temperatures help new sod root in with far less water. Summer installs are possible but much harder on the lawn.
Is the sod guaranteed?
No. Sod is a living product and whether it takes depends mostly on watering in the first few weeks, which happens after we leave. We do stand behind the installation itself: if something about the work is not right, tell us within 24 hours and we will make it right.
Can you lay sod over my existing lawn?
No. We remove the old turf, lightly grade the ground, and work quality compost into the soil before the new sod goes down. Laying sod over an existing lawn or weeds keeps the new roots from reaching the soil.
Do I still need lawn care after new sod?
A new lawn still needs feeding, weed prevention and mowing at the right height to stay thick. If you would like us to care for it afterwards, our plans are priced monthly with no long-term commitment.
Keep reading
More from the Learning Center
- How do you get rid of lawn weeds and keep them out? Pre-emergent versus post-emergent, why crabgrass timing follows soil temperature, and why a thick lawn is the best weed control there is. Lawn problems · 6 min read
- How can you tell if your lawn is compacted? The warning signs of compacted clay soil, why it happens so often in Northern Virginia, and what actually fixes it. Lawn problems · 4 min read
- What causes lawn disease, and how do you prevent it? Brown patch, dollar spot, red thread and leaf spot: what they look like, the weather that triggers them, and the habits and treatments that keep them away. Lawn problems · 6 min read
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