St. Augustine Sod Prices: Cost by Variety

St. Augustine sod costs $3 to $5 per square foot installed, depending on the variety and your location. For a 5,000 square foot lawn, expect to pay $15,000 to $25,000 for a full St. Augustine sod installation including soil preparation and labor.

St. Augustine Sod Cost by Variety

Several St. Augustine cultivars are available, each bred for specific conditions. Prices vary by region and availability.

Floratam

Floratam is the most widely planted St. Augustine variety and generally the most affordable. It has a coarse texture, fast growth rate, and excellent heat tolerance. However, it has limited shade tolerance and poor cold tolerance, making it best suited for full-sun lawns in USDA zones 9 and 10.

Palmetto

Palmetto offers the best shade tolerance of any St. Augustine variety, performing well in areas with 4 to 6 hours of sunlight. It also has better cold tolerance than Floratam, surviving light freezes that would damage other varieties. The finer blade texture gives it a more manicured appearance.

Seville

Seville is a semi-dwarf variety with a fine texture and good shade tolerance. It requires less mowing than Floratam due to its slower vertical growth. It is a solid mid-range choice for homeowners who want good shade performance without the premium price of Palmetto or Sapphire.

CitraBlue

CitraBlue is a newer variety developed by the University of Florida. It has a distinctive blue-green color, good shade tolerance, and better resistance to common St. Augustine diseases like gray leaf spot. It has gained popularity quickly in Florida and the Gulf Coast.

Best Climates for St. Augustine

St. Augustine thrives in warm, humid climates across the southern United States. It is the dominant lawn grass in:

• Florida -- the most popular grass statewide
• Gulf Coast (Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama)
• Coastal Southeast (Georgia, South Carolina)
• Southern California (coastal areas with mild winters)

St. Augustine does not tolerate sustained cold temperatures. It goes dormant and turns brown when temperatures drop below 55 degrees Fahrenheit and can suffer permanent damage below 20 degrees. It is not recommended for areas north of USDA zone 8b.

St. Augustine vs. Other Warm-Season Grasses

If you are considering alternatives, here is how St. Augustine compares to other popular warm-season options.

Bermuda grass ($2 to $4/sq ft installed): More affordable than St. Augustine and more drought-tolerant. Bermuda handles heavy foot traffic better but requires full sun and more frequent mowing. It is the better choice for active-use lawns and sports turf.

Zoysia grass ($3.50 to $6/sq ft installed): Zoysia offers a dense, carpet-like texture and better cold tolerance than St. Augustine. It grows slowly, which means less mowing but also slower establishment. Zoysia handles moderate shade and is a good choice for transition zone areas.

St. Augustine advantages: Best shade tolerance among warm-season grasses, establishes quickly from sod, creates a thick lawn that crowds out weeds, and handles salt spray well for coastal properties.

Installation Factors

Soil Preparation

Proper soil preparation is critical for St. Augustine sod establishment. This includes removing existing vegetation, grading for drainage, tilling the soil to a depth of 4 to 6 inches, and amending with compost if needed. Soil prep typically accounts for 30 to 40 percent of the total installation cost.

Timing

The best time to install St. Augustine sod is during the active growing season, from late spring through early fall. Sod laid during warm months establishes root systems faster and fills in gaps more quickly. Avoid installing during winter dormancy or extreme summer heat above 100 degrees.

Irrigation

St. Augustine requires consistent watering during establishment -- typically twice daily for the first two weeks, then gradually reducing to deep watering 2 to 3 times per week. An existing irrigation system helps significantly. Installing a new sprinkler system adds $2,000 to $5,000 to the project.

For a broader look at sod installation pricing, see our sod installation cost guide. If you are comparing sod to seeding for other grass types, our sod vs seed cost comparison covers the trade-offs.

Get Your Personalized Estimate

Use our free sod calculator to estimate the cost of a St. Augustine lawn for your property.