For a typical project of 100 m² (1,076 sq ft) of sod on 150 mm (5.9 in) of topsoil (all of Quebec): $5,341 doing it yourself, $4,800 to $7,300 by a contractor, before tax.
Materials at retail prices, rentals, delivery and disposal, plus your time as a beginner (*).
* Includes your time: 59 h × $35.05/h (beginner). Money spent only: $3,272
Tools to buy, on top: $85
Labour, equipment, materials, overhead and margin.
Crew pace: 15 person-hours
Stacked extremes (everything low, everything high): $3,626 to $10,751
The range shows the effect of documented price and productivity spreads. It is not a probability.
At $35/h: doing it yourself still costs less.
Break-even = (the contractor's typical price minus the money spent doing it yourself) divided by your person-hours. Before tax on both sides: GST and QST apply to both.
| Measure | Beginner | Intermediate |
|---|---|---|
| Money spent | $3,272 | $3,272 |
| Person-hours | 59 h | 40 h |
| Days of 8 h, 2 people | 4 days | 3 days |
| Your time at $35/h | $2,069 | $1,412 |
| True cost | $5,341 | $4,684 |
Working days only: add rain days and waiting times (curing, deliveries).
Before tax, one scale for every bar.
| Money, do it yourself | $3,272 |
|---|---|
| True cost, beginner | $5,341 |
| True cost, intermediate | $4,684 |
| Contractor | $4,800 to $7,300 ($5,900) |
| Materials | 31% | $1,812 |
|---|---|---|
| Labour | 10% | $611 |
| Equipment and rentals | 11% | $656 |
| Delivery and disposal | 11% | $625 |
| Overhead | 27% | $1,588 |
| Margin | 10% | $588 |
The range shows the effect of documented price and productivity spreads. It is not a probability.
Beginner possible
Hours for the typical project: the work calculation (a crew's pace times the level's factor, with rework, learning and unloading) plus the guide's planning and checks.
Sod gives you a lawn in a day. A lawn typically has 100 to 150 mm of topsoil; a thicker layer holds rainwater better.
Info-Excavation. Removing turf and grading is digging: file the free request if you take out the old lawn or correct the levels.
Remove the old lawn rather than burying it: buried clumps rot and leave hollows. A sod cutter slices even strips that are easy to roll up.
Screened lawn soil spreads well and leaves no clumps. The calculator includes a margin for settlement: freshly spread soil loses depth as it firms up.
Delivered sod heats up on the pallet: lay it the same day. Start along a straight line (path, edging) and stagger the seams from row to row, like bricks. Butt the strips tightly without overlapping or stretching them.
Municipalities regulate watering with drinking water, and many set conditions for new lawns. Read your city's bylaw before laying sod; during restrictions, postpone the job.
Soumission RénovationChecked October 10, 2026
Laying sod on private land needs no RBQ licence, and the R-20 Act treats sodding as construction only in cases set by regulation.
Régie du bâtiment du QuébecLégisQuébecChecked October 10, 2026
If you remove the old lawn or correct the grades, file a free Info-Excavation request before digging.
Régie du bâtiment du QuébecHydro-QuébecChecked October 10, 2026
When raising the ground, do not make water flow worse for the lower neighbouring lot (Civil Code of Québec, art. 979).
Gouvernement du QuébecChecked October 10, 2026
If you hire a contractor, ask for a written contract stating the soil preparation, topsoil depth, sod type, any watering included, the total price and the warranty. A contract signed at your home after a sales visit can be cancelled within 10 days.
Office de la protection du consommateurChecked October 10, 2026
Locating underground networks is free and requested before digging. The requester's name and the ticket number should be on file.
The slope, the outlet and what happens at the property line. You may not make runoff onto the neighbour worse.
The quantity in cubic metres or tonnes, and whether hauling and disposal are in the price.
Clear stone, topsoil, fill: the material's name and the thickness in millimetres.
Lawn, driveway, beds damaged by machinery: included or not.
For sod take, the drain working, or fill settling.
In every case: an RBQ licence when the work requires one, a business number (NEQ), civil liability insurance and a written contract.
Guide: choosing a contractorDraft: this content has not yet been reviewed by an installer or an engineer. The numbers come from the engine; the explanations may still change.