Does anyone know where to get Sod or have any previous experience with a specific company/contractor?

I do not need your opinion on when to lay and so on. I got that covered - just looking for #'s and names. I Googled NC Sod and got two names from the Sod Growers Association but that's all they have listed for Wake County.

4/6/2009 1:01:22 PM

I would think Logan's.
There's another place in Cary but I can't recall the name

4/6/2009 1:06:48 PM

I recently bought from suburban sod. CarZin had a good experience with supersod.

With any sod company, the most annoying cost is the delivery fee, which can be as much as the cost of a pallet, which especially sucks if you're only needing a couple of pallets.

I chose suburban sod because the builder in my hood uses them, and i called them up and asked me if i could piggyback an order onto the builder's next one and not be charged for delivery. Surprisingly they said yes.

I've also heard that you can get smaller quantities at the farmer's market, but never looked into it myself.

4/6/2009 1:09:07 PM

Ok thanks I'll look into those two.

I would be a little hesitant about getting it form the Farmers Market.

4/6/2009 1:34:36 PM

Supersod is at the Farmers Market. Whats wrong with buying from the farmer's market?

You can fit about 1.5 pallets in the back of a regular pick up truck. I had borrowed a friend's Dodge, had them snug one pallet in, and we loaded by hand half the other pallet. Then I came back for the other 1.5.

The sod quality is stellar. If you dont believe me, then I'll post pictures of my front yard. Perfect.

I was lucky and got it at contactors rate (about 115 a pallet).

[Edited on April 6, 2009 at 4:47 PM. Reason : .]

4/6/2009 4:47:32 PM

Did you get tall fescue? As far as a contractors rate - did you just have to show a tax ID? and yeah drop some photos on us. How long did it take you to lay the 2 pallets?

4/6/2009 6:00:22 PM

I got tall fescue. I had a friend that knew a landscaper. I bought it under their ID. Not sure what it takes to get the contractor rates.

I actually put out 3 pallets in total. Putting them out isnt that hard. And I had a big hill. I would allow for 5-6 hours of time to get 3 pallets laid out properly. You will want to make sure the ground is prepped completely before you get them. I actually rented a sod cutter and removed the front lawn. BIG JOB. I had a lot of friends help. The actual sod laying part was easy.

4/7/2009 12:59:26 PM

go rent a lawn roller too, if you can. should be no more than $10. once you lay the sod down, it helps ensure maximum contact between the sod and the ground so that the root system can establish quickly.

btw, i paid $95/pallet from suburban sod. no contractor rate or anything, just what they quoted me.

4/7/2009 1:15:55 PM

http://thewolfweb.com/photo_photo.aspx?user=6520&folder=my+house&photo=501265
torn up yard for irrigation system

http://thewolfweb.com/photo_photo.aspx?user=6520&folder=my+house&photo=502184
newly laid sod

http://thewolfweb.com/photo_photo.aspx?user=6520&folder=my+house&photo=506465
7 months later: Sorry, I took this at dusk, but believe me, the sod has grown in perfectly. I didnt lose a single piece. Even tiny little pieces I staked to the ground to cover some holes grew in.

Couple points:
1) My yard had a professional irrigation system installed. I think its paramount to have good watering coverage if you dont want your money thrown away.
2) Obtain a new lawn permit from the city of raleigh ($50) to allow yourself to water every day for 45 days. dont waste your money on sod unless you plan on watering the hell out of it. I installed sod on this same hill before with improper watering to see it die out halfway through summer.
3) Install an irrigation system if you can afford it before you lay it down. This is what I did.
4) If you dont have an irrigation system, spend the extra $100 to get all the hose you need and an electric timer and set it up to water for you.

See the trend here? water hard initially, taper it down to allow the root system to grow deep, then keep a normal watering schedule for the rest of the summer.

4/7/2009 1:17:15 PM

^ Pallets can differ in size from one company to the next. They might very well be a lot cheaper.

I also bought my sod during the height of the gas crunch, and fertilizers and everything else needed to make and transport the sod were sky high. Those prices have come down, so maybe the price has at super sod.

I was worried about not rolling the sod out. I didnt do this. I soaked the sod very deep after I laid about 7 or 8 strips. I then proceeded to walk all over the edges and make sure it was mashed down. They tell you not to do this, but I did it anyway as I didnt have a roller. There is not a single piece of dead sod 7 months later, so I know my method works.

Whats kinda funny is that I had enough sod left over to sod a part of my yard that I did not prep at all. I took a weedeater, wacked the grass low, then threw the sod ontop. It looks almost as good as the sod that I laid on extensively prepped soil. It made me come to the conclusion that if you are pressed for time, you can shortchange a few steps and probably end up ok.

[Edited on April 7, 2009 at 1:25 PM. Reason : .]

4/7/2009 1:24:05 PM

^Also, if you are on water & sewer you can ask the public utilities department for an irrigation only meter so you do not pay sewage charges on irrigation water. This cuts the water bill almost in half on the water you irrigate with.

with the market being so slow in construction, now is a good time to put in an irrigation system. you can rent trenchers for next to nothing. PM me if you need some contacts.

you may have to pay a fee for the installation of the meter, but you will save that in the first month, especially if you put down fescue. it requires water 6 months out of the year.

[Edited on April 7, 2009 at 1:28 PM. Reason : .]

4/7/2009 1:25:46 PM

Thanks guys - very good pointers. CarZin- Did you install your own sprinkler system as well?

Here is a price list I got from SuperSod:
http://www.drunet.org/files/Retail Pricing as of FEB 2009.pdf

[Edited on April 7, 2009 at 1:53 PM. Reason : link]

4/7/2009 1:52:53 PM

I opted to install a new irrigation meter. If you have an irrigation system in raleigh installed, you are legally obligated to have a seperate meter (as I understand it, it is based upon when your backflow preventer was put in service. If you have someone attest that it was put in service before a certain date, it isnt required). Before you can install an irrigation meter, they have to have on file a permit for a backflow installation that was signed off by a licensed plumber.

and the meters are very expensive. After everything, the city charged me about $850 to install the meter. They have some set charge for the meter set and the T off that amounts to close to $1k. It does save a LOT of money currently, as you do not pay sewer rates on an irrigation line, but when Raleigh puts in its tiered system, I'm not sure its going to save much (irrigation gets charged the max rate). However, on my system, a flip of one valve and the water source is coming from the other line

I did not install my own system. I found someone that installed a very nice 6 zone system for $3000. That did not include the tap. My yard is challenging, and I didnt want to deal with the stress. At the same time I was redoing the kitchen, and installing a new HVAC, and opted not to jackleg anything.

After seeing it done, I could probably handle the project, although it is a LOT of work. The planning is the critical part.

The prices on that sod sheet are a lot higher than I paid. I was extremely happy with the sod quality (only 2 bad pieces), but I wouldnt pay $200 a pallet unless I had to. Look at Bobby's supplier and compare the sq footage to cost and see how it comes out.

If you get to the point about considering a self installed irrigation system, I dont mind being some guidance. It might be closer to the blind leading the blind, but I have a good idea of what needs to be done.

[Edited on April 7, 2009 at 4:06 PM. Reason : .]

4/7/2009 3:57:52 PM

florida has a lot. i should know, i drove past many miles of it...

4/28/2009 5:27:00 PM