The first thing you want to do is figure out why you have dead patches. In many cases, dead patches in the lawn can be from fungus, known as "brown patches" that occurs in Northern Virginia throughout the summer months. These brown, dead-looking patches show up throughout the lawn and often end up killing that spot of grass.
In most cases, however, lawns can bounce back fungus. Cutting out the area and putting down sod or seed is a temporary fix, but you'll ultimately want to treat the fungus by fertilizing. This will help fix the underlying problem to strengthen and create a healthier lawn.
Another cause of dead patches is just neglect. In this case, we'll simply come in, cut out the dead patches, put down some premium topsoil and starter fertilizer, and put the seed or sod or seed in place. To keep the grass growing and healthy, it will need a good watering regimen.