New lawns
Residential Sod Installation in Toronto
Bare ground after a rebuild, a rough builder grade or seed that never took: we fix the grade, prep the soil and lay fresh-cut Kentucky Bluegrass, and most lawns are done in a day or two.
Serving Toronto, Vaughan, Markham, Richmond Hill, Pickering and Ajax
- WSIB-covered
- Fully insured
- Fresh-cut Ontario sod
- Free on-site quotes
- Prices shown up front
From Bare Ground to a Finished Lawn
A new house or a dug-up yard leaves mud, rubble and machine ruts behind. Dirt comes inside on every shoe, and puddles sit after each rain.
Sod rolled straight over that ground rarely lasts. Roots can't push into packed fill, and a grade tipping toward the house sends water at the foundation. So we work from the bottom up: grade, then soil, then sod. Bigger cut-and-fill jobs go through our grading and levelling service.
WHAT YOU GET
What Every Installation Includes
Site Inspection and Measuring
We measure the lawn, see where the ground slopes and note trees, access and parking. A yard with no side gate, street parking or a bin permit gets written into the quote.
Soil Preparation
Debris, stones, roots and weeds come out, compacted ground gets loosened, and we rake a workable bed. Any added topsoil appears on the quote as its own line.
Grading and Levelling
Basic levelling is in the installation rate. Where ground runs toward the foundation, we reshape it so water heads away from the house and not onto the neighbour's lot. Larger corrections are quoted separately.
Fresh-Cut Ontario Sod
Kentucky Bluegrass from Ontario farms, delivered on your install day so the rolls go down fresh.
Tight, Staggered Seams
Rolls are laid in a brick pattern with tight ends, trimmed along walks and beds, then rolled for soil contact. On a slope, we stake them so they can't slide.
Watering and Aftercare Plan
The crew gives the new lawn its first soak, and you get a simple watering and mowing plan for the weeks while it roots.
Sod vs Hydroseeding
Hydroseeding sprays seed in a wet mix over prepared soil. We don't offer it, but many homeowners price it against sod, so here is a fair comparison based on Illinois and Penn State extension guidance.
- Time to a usable lawn: Sod is a full surface on day one and ideally starts rooting within 14 days. Seed takes months to fill in, and a late-summer seeding gets the fall and the next spring to establish.
- Weeds and erosion: Sod arrives weed-free and holds soil in place, cutting mud, dust and washout. Bare seeded ground invites weeds, especially in spring. Hydroseeding does cover a big slope more easily, while sod on a slope must be staked.
- Watering: New sod needs deep watering, then soil kept moist but not soaked, and lack of water is the most common cause of sod failure. Hydroseed sits on the surface and can dry out without close soil contact, so it must stay damp until it sprouts.
- Cost: Seed costs less. Penn State calls sodding usually the most expensive way to start a cool-season lawn, but the quickest to a mature one. Hydroseeding costs far less per square foot than sod, before the ground prep both methods need.
Hydroseeding is the cheaper honest answer for a large area, a long slope or a back field nobody needs this season, started in late summer or early fall and kept damp. If your yard fits that picture, you will hear it from us at the visit. For a front lawn you want finished now, a yard in daily use or a house going to market, sod is the faster route.
Our guarantee
Backed by Our Guarantee
THE PROCESS
Your New Lawn, Step by Step
Instant Quote
Put your lawn size into our online calculator for a range on the spot, or call. We call back within one business day.
Site Inspection
A free visit to measure and check the grade, soil, trees and parking, then a written price before anything starts.
Grade and Prep
We clear the surface, loosen packed soil, shape the grade away from the house and add topsoil where the quote calls for it.
Lay and Roll
Fresh rolls are delivered for the day they go down, laid tight and staggered, trimmed and rolled.
Water and Aftercare
The crew gives the first deep soak. You follow the watering plan and keep foot traffic light until the roots take.
SEE OUR WORK
Recent Work by Our Right On Sod Crews
Lawns finished by Right On Sod crews in Lawrence Park South and Bedford Park-Nortown, Toronto. Every photo is our own work, taken on site, not stock photography.
CLIENT REVIEWS
What Right On Sod Clients Say
These are real reviews from clients of our main Right On Sod operation in the Waterloo Region. Toronto reviews will join them as those lawns are finished.
Evan and his team are punctual, professional, friendly and they are experts! Before n after pictures, for you to see. I haven't had lawn in over 20 years, too many trees no sun, and now it's beautiful, thank to Rightonsod.
Evan and the crew were awesome, completed a large side yard in a day. Had to work around an odd shapes flower bed, river stone path and the sod came out amazing. Side of the house looks like a golf course! Well done guys! Thank you.
Evan is reasonably priced ,thoroughly explained everything, his crew Emanuel and Kevin are professional, polite and ensure you are satisfied.
When Toronto Homeowners Call Us for New Sod
Infill Rebuilds
A teardown lot is dug, backfilled and driven over for months. Under Toronto's infill rules, your Grading Consultant's plan sets the final grades, and the consultant issues a Lot Grading Certificate once they are done. We lay the lawn to those grades.
New Subdivision Homes
Each new subdivision lot is graded to an approved plan, and sod doesn't always follow right away: Pickering notes a new lot may wait, to allow for settlement and repairs. We sod without disturbing the plan's grades or swales.
After Construction or Renovation
Additions, decks, underpinning and utility trenches leave packed soil, buried debris and ruts. We dig out the junk and rebuild the surface first.
Seed That Never Took
Seed came up thin and weedy, maybe twice. Seeding hinges on timing and a constantly damp surface, while sod skips the wait and starts out weed-free.
Getting Ready to Sell
Bare dirt out front undercuts listing photos. If a tired lawn is still there, our lawn replacement service strips it first.
Old Beds or Gravel Turned to Lawn
Old beds or a gravel pad can become lawn. Near big trees we keep soil changes out of the root zone: Toronto requires a permit for work that can injure a private tree 30 cm or more in diameter (measured 1.4 m up), and City street trees are protected at any size.
Clues Your Ground Is Ready for New Sod
- Bare or rough ground from the builder
- Seed has failed more than once
- Construction tore up the yard
- You want the lawn finished this year
- Gravel or old beds are being removed
Not sure yet?
Book the free site visit and we will tell you if the ground is ready for sod now or needs grading first.
Get a Free Instant QuoteWHY RIGHT ON SOD
Why Homeowners Choose Right On Sod
Grade First, Every Time
Sod copies the ground under it, so low spots puddle and high spots get scalped. We confirm the fall away from your house before any roll arrives.
Fresh Sod from Ontario Farms
Rolls left stacked in the sun heat up and yellow, so we order Ontario-grown Kentucky Bluegrass for your install date.
A Careful, Insured Crew
WSIB-covered and fully insured, with proof of insurance on request. Near mature trees, we keep grading out of the tree protection zone.
Prices You Can See
The calculator shows a range before anyone visits, and the written quote lists grading and topsoil separately. Our sod installation cost page explains what moves the price.
What it costs
New sod costs $2.00–$2.50 per square foot before 13% HST, and Toronto jobs carry a $1,750 minimum. Your final price is set at the free site visit. See full pricing →
FREE QUOTE
Book Your Free Site Inspection
Tell us the rough yard size and what is there now. We call back within one business day to book your visit.
- A free site inspection
- A written price before any work starts
- WSIB-covered and fully insured
- The grade checked before the sod goes down
WHERE WE WORK
Sod Installation Across Our Service Area
We lay new lawns across the City of Toronto and into Vaughan, Markham, Richmond Hill, Pickering and Ajax. Pick your area for local notes, from North York teardown lots to new streets in Seaton.
Every lawn in our photos was finished by our own crews, in Lawrence Park South and Bedford Park-Nortown. See them on our work page.
Sod Installation Questions
How long will my sod installation take?
Most lawns take a day or two; heavy grading or a carry-in yard adds time, and the quote gives you the schedule. The sod ideally starts rooting within about two weeks, so keep heavy use off it until then.
What prep happens before the sod goes down?
In order: debris, stones and weeds come out, compacted soil is loosened, the grade is corrected away from the house, topsoil goes in where quoted, and a firm, level bed is raked and rolled. Our common sod questions page covers laying sod over plain dirt.
How deep should topsoil be under new sod?
No single figure fits every yard: what matters is a loose layer the roots can push down into. Much of the city sits on clay-rich till, and rebuild lots often keep packed fill that needs topsoil worked in. We test-dig at the visit and list any topsoil separately.
What type of sod do you install?
Kentucky Bluegrass from Ontario sod farms. It does best with roughly 4 to 6 hours of direct sunlight daily and thins in heavy shade, so if a corner is too dark, we will tell you before you pay for sod there.
Can you sod an infill rebuild after final grading?
Yes, that is the right time. Your Grading Consultant's plan sets grades that must not cause ponding or erosion on your lot, the neighbours' lots or the road allowance, then issues a Lot Grading Certificate to Toronto Building. We lay sod to those grades, so check with your consultant if anything is still open.
Want Your New Lawn Down This Season?
See your price range online now, or call and book a free site inspection.