First, calculate your lawn’s size in square feet. Prices are generally quoted in price per square foot or price per pallet. A pallet generally covers 450 square feet, but there are variations — so ask. • On average, sod costs between $0.30 to $0.83 per square foot. • Professionally installed sod costs about $0.87 to $1.76 per square foot for labor and materials. Sod is considerably more expensive than grass seed. However, planting a grass lawn from seed is a much slower process. Local garden centers are convenient and will usually carry the most-common varieties for your area, but purchasing directly from a sod farm may give you more choices and expertise on grass types.