(586) 718-8762Free estimate
A fresh sod lawn with visible seams beside a rock edged bed under a large tree

Sod installation in St. Clair Shores, MI and across Metro Detroit: A new lawn, from the dirt up.

HD Landscape takes the old grass out, grades the ground and lays fresh sod in tight seams. Sod is one of the jobs we do most, in St. Clair Shores and well beyond. Many lawns are finished in a day, depending on the grade.

  • Old lawn removed
  • Ground graded first
  • Clean edges at every bed
Get a free estimateCall (586) 718-8762
5.0 from 171 Google reviews

The short version

Sod is only as good as the ground under it.

Sod is grass grown on a farm, cut in strips with its roots and soil attached, and laid over your yard like carpet. You get a finished lawn the day we leave instead of waiting a season for seed to fill in.

The difference between a lawn that looks great for a month and one that looks great for years is what happens before the first roll comes off the pallet. Old grass and weeds have to come out, low spots have to be filled, and the grade has to carry water away from the house.

  • Old lawn and weeds taken off, not buried
  • Grade checked and corrected, including low spots near the foundation
  • Fresh sod laid with tight seams and staggered joints
  • Clean cuts along walks, driveways and bed lines
A fresh green sod front lawn at a brick and sided colonial with an HD Landscape yard sign
New sod on a front lawn

Real job

From rough slope to new lawn.

The same yard, filmed by Jake. Drag the line to compare.

  • Overgrown planting removed
  • Ground regraded
  • New sod and set steppers
After: the same yard with smooth new sod, a clean hedge line and steppers
Before: a rough sloped yard with overgrown plants
Rough slope to new lawnRegraded, new sod laid, and steppers set into the lawn.

How a sod job runs

Strip, grade, lay, water.

  1. Strip

    We take off the old grass and weeds so the new roots land on soil, not on a dead mat.

  2. Grade

    We rake and level the ground and fix low spots, so water runs away from the house and the lawn lies flat.

  3. Lay

    Rolls go down tight with the joints staggered like brickwork, then get cut clean along every edge.

  4. Water

    New sod is thirsty. Jake goes over the watering with you, and we can do the watering for you while it roots.

Good to know

Sod or seed: what each one is good for.

  • Choose sod when

    You want a finished lawn now, you have a slope that would wash seed away, or the yard has to look good for an event or a sale.

  • Seed can work when

    It is a small bare patch in a healthy lawn, and you can keep kids and dogs off it for a while.

  • Either way

    The ground comes first. If water sits in the yard, we talk about grading before anything else goes down.

St. Clair Shores

In St. Clair Shores, grade before grass.

St. Clair Shores is home for HD Landscape, and the ground here is heavy and close to flat. Most USDA soil samples across the city rate poorly or very poorly drained, and map slopes mostly run 0 to 2 percent. Water has little reason to leave, so a low spot left under new sod stays a wet spot.

The city's watering rule works in your favor. From May 15 to October 1, homes on city water irrigate on odd or even dates by address, but a newly sodded lawn can be watered as often as it needs for the first 21 days. That makes a summer install workable. Ask the city for the current rule before you count on it.

  • A lawn that ends at a seawall depends on that wall, so soft or sinking ground needs a look before sod goes down. The wall stays the owner's job, and we do not repair it.
  • Near the lake, the canals or the Milk River, grading can need a soil erosion permit. St. Clair Shores runs that program itself, so the question goes to the city, not the county.
  • A lakefront lawn should stop short of the water. The city posts a guide that asks for a planted buffer at least 12 to 24 inches tall between the two.

More on St. Clair Shores

A crew member raking and leveling bare soil across a yard before sod
Raking the grade before sod

On Google

What a one day job looks like.

  • Jake and his team were awesome! I had my yard completely gutted, leveled, new sod, pea gravel behind the garage and new plants. I was impressed with how clean they left the job and how efficient they were. What would’ve taken me a week was done in one day. …

    Rob E.Full yard redo with sod

  • Jake was quick to respond and very professional. We came up with a plan and he gave me an itemized bill which was very competitively priced. Jake and the crew arrived exactly when they said they would and the work was completed within a day. The whole crew did an amazing job, very hard working and even though it rained the entire day, they finished the job as promised. …

    Renee G.Front and back yard

Read every review on Google

A two story home with a low clipped hedge and a rounded tree in the front yard
Low clipped hedge and a rounded tree

Questions

What people ask about sod installation.

The things people ask us most before booking. If yours is not here, call or text (586) 718-8762.

Do you do sod installation in St. Clair Shores?

Yes. HD Landscape installs sod in St. Clair Shores, its home base, and across Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties. The ground in St. Clair Shores is heavy and close to flat, so the grade matters as much as the sod.

How long does sod installation take?

Many lawns are finished in a day, depending on the grade. Bigger yards and heavy grading can run longer, and Jake can give you a better idea once he has seen the ground. One customer had his yard gutted, leveled and resodded with new plants, and wrote that it was done in one day.

When can you lay sod in Michigan?

Sod can go down any time the ground is workable, from spring through fall. Spring and early fall are the easiest, because cooler weather means less watering. Summer works too, it just needs more water.

How often do I water new sod?

Early on it needs to stay moist all the way through, which usually means watering every day until it roots. Jake will give you a plain schedule for your yard, and we offer plant watering if you would rather not think about it.

When can I walk on new sod or mow it?

Keep foot traffic off for the first couple of weeks while the roots take. Once it has rooted and you cannot lift a corner, it is ready for a first mow on a high setting.

Do you install sprinklers with the sod?

No. We do not install sprinkler systems. If you want one, have it put in first, and we will lay the sod around it.

How much does sod cost?

The rolls are only part of the number. How much old lawn has to come out and how much grading the yard needs can move it more than the sod does, which is why Jake wants to see the ground first. That visit costs nothing, and the estimate comes itemized.

Where we do this

Yard notes

Background: a finished job, relit for evening

Free estimate

Tell us about the lawn.

How big is it, and what is wrong with it? Text a photo if that is easier, and Jake will look it over and write up an itemized estimate.

Step 1 of 2 What do you need?
Step 2 of 2 How do we reach you?

We use this to answer you and nothing else. Prefer to talk? Call or text (586) 718-8762.

To talk now, call or text(586) 718-8762Text us a photo of the yard