Cost to Seed a Lawn (2026)
Seeding a brand-new lawn typically costs $0.25–$0.70 per square foot installed — covering soil prep, the seed itself, and labor. For a 5,000 sq ft yard that works out to about $1,250–$3,500. Overseeding an existing lawn is far cheaper at $0.09–$0.23 per square foot, because it skips most of the grading and soil work.
Where the money goes: on a new lawn, soil preparation and grading drive most of the cost — tilling, leveling, and amending the soil before any seed goes down. Seed is a smaller line item, though premium blends cost more than contractor mixes, and labor varies most with how much prep your yard needs.
Use the grass seed calculator to find exactly how many pounds (and bags) of seed you need for your grass type — and switch it to overseeding mode to halve the rate for an existing lawn.
Ways to save: overseed instead of starting over when a lawn is just thin, do the soil prep and spreading yourself (seed-only DIY runs only a few cents per square foot), seed in early fall when cool-season grass establishes fastest, and buy larger contractor bags if you’re covering a big yard.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to seed a lawn?
A new lawn costs about $0.25–$0.70 per square foot installed (soil prep, seed, and labor) — roughly $1,250–$3,500 for a 5,000 sq ft yard. Overseeding an existing lawn is much cheaper at $0.09–$0.23 per square foot.
How much grass seed do I need?
Take your lawn's square footage, divide by 1,000, and multiply by your grass type's seeding rate (often 2–8 lbs per 1,000 sq ft for a new lawn, about half that for overseeding). The grass seed calculator does it for you.
When is the best time to seed a lawn?
Cool-season grasses (tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, ryegrass) establish best in early fall, with spring the second-best window. Warm-season grasses like Bermuda do best in late spring to early summer.