Hiring somebody to redo your yard is a little nerve-wracking, because the cheap quote and the good quote can look identical until the grass starts dying. So here's how to tell them apart: ask how they prep the soil, make sure hauling the old grass is included, and get a fixed quote in writing before anyone starts. Those three answers tell you almost everything. Let me explain why.
Ask how they prep the soil
This is the whole ballgame in North Texas. We're on heavy clay, and sod thrown down on unprepped clay struggles to root, period. A real crew grades the yard, loosens the soil where it needs it, and sorts out the drainage before laying a single piece. If the person quoting you can't explain how they handle the dirt, you've got your answer right there.
Pin down what's included
Get it in writing that the price covers pulling the old grass, hauling it off, prep, install, and cleanup. A lot of cheap quotes quietly leave out the prep and the disposal, and then either the real cost shows up later or the lawn just doesn't make it. The complete quote isn't the most expensive one. It's the honest one.
Get a real, fixed number
A pro walks your yard, measures it, and gives you a fixed price, not some vague per-pallet hand-wave. Ask point blank whether the quote can change and what would change it. For us, the price we quote is the price, unless we hit something buried that nobody could've seen, and even then you hear about it before we touch it.
Make sure they're picking grass for YOUR yard
A good outfit asks about your sun, your shade, how you actually use the yard, then recommends Bermuda, Zoysia, or St. Augustine to match. Anybody pushing the exact same grass on every single yard is selling what's easy for them, not what's going to live at your place.
Five questions worth asking
- How do you prep North Texas clay before laying sod?
- Is pulling and hauling the old grass included?
- Is the quote fixed, and what would change it?
- Which grass do you recommend for my yard, and why?
- How long have you been doing this around here?
We're a family crew out of Carrollton and we've answered every one of these on hundreds of yards since 2010. Get a free estimate or call 469-671-8467, and throw the whole list at us.
