Sod installation – it’s a job that every new landscaper will be asked to do sooner or later.  And bidding on that first one can be difficult.  You don’t have experience to back up your quotation with, and you want to be sure you get the best results possible.

So where do you start?

The answer is actually with questions.  Let’s say a home owner calls you up and says, “Can you come round and lay some new sod for me?”  That’s a reasonable question because it is what they want done.  But you should answer that with another question.  “Sure, I can quote you for that.  But can I ask why you need the job done?”

If you don’t know the answer or you don’t ask the question, you could be in for a nightmare job.  For example the home owner might have a huge mole problem and has mole hills all over their current lawn.  Now you could dig all that up, remove it and then lay a new lawn.  But before too long those mole hills will start appearing again, and bang goes the new lawn.

Put simply, if a problem has caused the existing lawn to founder, you need to solve that problem before laying a new one.  If you don’t, you’ll waste time and money – and so will the home owner.

Next up you need to know how much sod is required to lay the new lawn.  I would never go on what the home owner says here.  You need to see the lawn and measure it yourself, allowing for a bit of wastage here and there.  If you take their word for it, price the job, pick up the sod and then turn up at the property, you will be extremely lucky if it all goes according to plan.  Always price it yourself.

You also need to find out whether the sod will be delivered to the property or whether the client wants you to supply it.  If so you’ll need to account for doing so in your quotation.  Bear in mind you have to dig up and remove all the old sod as well.  If you are new to the business it’s easy to get so focused on how much new sod you will need and how much to charge for laying it, you forget to charge for taking the old stuff away.

Some lawn care businesses charge by the square foot, while others charge by the pallet.  There is no right or wrong way to do it, although the majority of people seem to go by the pallet.  Do whatever works for you, and make sure you have all the information you need before giving the client a solid quote.

Being thorough is more important than trying to underbid any other competing businesses.  If your quote misses out something essential or you neglect to ask the right questions, you could lose out.  The client may think you aren’t being thorough enough.  Show off your skills and efficiency and put in a bid they’ll be delighted with.

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