NC State Extension Publications

 

In April 2025, North Carolina State University conducted its tenth annual survey to examine the inventory and pricing of North Carolina sod.

Overview

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  • The supply of bermudagrass sod is expected to be greater in 2025 compared to 2024, but 37% of surveyed producers are still anticipating shortages.

  • The supply of zoysiagrass is expected to be greater in 2025 compared to 2024, but 36% of the producers anticipate shortages.

  • Seventeen percent of producers expect shortages of centipedegrass in 2025.

  • Approximately half the producers expected shortages in tall fescue in 2025.

  • The supply of St. Augustinegrass is expected to be greater in 2025 compared to 2024, with 7% anticipating shortages.

  • Producers reported price increases (between 5% and 13%) for warm-season turfgrass species in 2025. The cool-season grasses had flat pricing (tall fescue) up to a 35% decrease for Kentucky bluegrass. Note that only one producer of Kentucky bluegrass reported data for 2025.

  • There was a 22% decrease in growers reporting that they grew proprietary grasses, and a 16% decrease in certified sod growers.

  • Production acreage is projected to increase in 2025 at an amount similar to 2024.

  • Landscape contractors continue to be the primary market for North Carolina sod producers, accounting for almost 72% of sales.

  • The average number of full-time employees per producer and seasonal employee numbers decreased by 43% in 2025.

  • Average sod sales decreased 5% from 2023, although 55% of producers reported increased sod sales in 2024.

Survey Details

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Twenty producers representing the following farm sizes completed the anonymous online survey:

  • Less than 200 acres (eleven respondents)

  • 201 to 500 acres (six respondents)

  • 501 to 800 acres (two respondents)

  • More than 800 acres (one respondent)

The North Carolina Sod Producers Association (NCSPA) membership records suggest that the number of completed surveys represents 50% of the sod farms in North Carolina. The number of farms with the respective farm sizes suggests that the survey represents the majority of the sod production acreage in the state.

Inventories

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We obtained inventory estimates for bermudagrass, zoysiagrass, centipedegrass, St. Augustinegrass, tall fescue, and Kentucky bluegrass, as well as a tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass mix. These estimates were based on anticipated sales and availability of sod. An inventory rating of excellent means that more than 10% of demand was expected to be met; adequate means that supply was expected to be equal to demand; poor means that a shortage of more than 10% was expected.

Bermudagrass is being grown by 16 (80%) of the surveyed producers. Bermudagrass is currently the most popular turfgrass species grown by North Carolina sod producers. Sixty-two percent of these producers rated their inventory as adequate this year. Six percent rated inventory as excellent. For 2025, 38% of all bermudagrass producers projected shortages. This was the second year since 2020 without an increase in the number of producers projecting bermudagrass inventory shortages (Figure 1).

Zoysiagrass is being grown by 11 (55%) of the surveyed producers, which made this grass the third most popular turfgrass species grown by North Carolina sod producers. Sixty-four percent of these producers rated their inventory as adequate this year, and 9% indicated that their inventory was excellent. For 2025, 36% of all zoysiagrass producers projected shortages.

Centipedegrass is being grown by 12 (60%) of the surveyed producers, making it the second most popular turfgrass species grown by North Carolina sod producers. Eighty-three percent of these growers reported adequate to excellent inventory. Seventeen percent of all centipedegrass growers anticipate a shortage during 2025.

St. Augustinegrass is being grown by six (30%) of the surveyed producers. Eighty-three percent of these growers reported adequate to excellent inventory, but 7% anticipated a shortage during 2025.

Tall fescue is being grown by four (20%) of the surveyed producers. Fifty percent estimated that they would have adequate to excellent inventory, but 50% anticipated a shortage in 2025. This was the first year in the last five years that more than 55% of producers expected shortages of tall fescue (Figure 1).

Tall fescue + Kentucky bluegrass is being grown by six (30%) of the surveyed producers. Sixty-six percent rated their inventory as adequate to excellent this year, with 33% anticipating shortages.

Kentucky bluegrass is being grown by one (5%) of the surveyed producers. That producer anticipates an inventory shortage.

Graph showing stable supplies of tall fescue, bermudagrass, and zoysiagrass from 2020 to 2025.

Figure 1. Percentage of bermudagrass, tall fescue, and zoysiagrass producers reporting adequate to excellent supply for the past six years.

Pricing

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Pricing information included costs for on-farm purchase and truckload orders delivered to the closest urban market or within 100 miles of the farm. All costs were reported as price per square foot of sod. Table 1 summarizes the average sod prices by species.


Table 1. Average North Carolina Sod Prices in 2024

Turfgrass Produced

(# of growers responding)

On-the-Farm

price/sq ft

Delivered*
price/sq ft
Bermudagrass (16) $0.42 $0.46
Zoysiagrass (11) $0.58 $0.64
Centipedegrass (12) $0.38 $0.44
St. Augustinegrass (6) $0.63 $0.66
Tall fescue (4) $0.49 $0.55
Tall fescue + Kentucky bluegrass (6) $0.46 $0.65
Kentucky bluegrass (1) $0.50 $0.62

*Delivered to either the closest urban market or within 100 miles of the farm.


Bermudagrass on-farm prices in 2025 ranged from $0.32 to $0.47 per square foot (averaging $0.42), while delivered prices ranged from $0.32 to $0.66 per square foot (averaging $0.46). The average on-farm price for bermudagrass increased approximately 8% from 2024.

Zoysiagrass on-farm prices in 2025 ranged from $0.45 to $0.83 per square foot (averaging $0.58), while delivered prices ranged from $0.50 to $0.97 per square foot (averaging $0.64). The average on-farm price for zoysiagrass increased 5% compared to 2024.

Centipedegrass on-farm prices in 2025 ranged from $0.26 to $0.51 per square foot (averaging $0.38), while delivered prices ranged from $0.28 to $0.66 per square foot (averaging $0.44). The average on-farm price for centipedegrass increased approximately 9% compared to 2024.

St. Augustinegrass on-farm prices in 2025 ranged from $0.54 to $0.78 per square foot (averaging $0.63), while delivered prices ranged from $0.55 to $0.75 per square foot (averaging $0.66). The average on-farm price for St. Augustinegrass was 12% higher than in 2024.

Tall fescue on-farm prices in 2025 ranged from $0.37 to $0.56 per square foot (averaging $0.49), while delivered prices ranged from $0.52 to $0.57 per square foot (averaging $0.55). The average on-farm price of tall fescue was the same in 2025 compared to 2024.

Tall fescue + Kentucky bluegrass on-farm prices in 2025 ranged from $0.39 to $0.54 per square foot (averaging $0.46), while delivered prices ranged from $0.39 to $1.10 per square foot (averaging $0.62). The average on-farm price of tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass mix decreased by 4% compared to 2024.

Kentucky bluegrass on-farm price in 2025 was $0.50, while the delivered price was $0.65 per square foot. The on-farm price decreased 35% compared to 2024.

Figure 2 provides a six-year perspective of average sod prices that shows fluctuations of particular species since 2020. The percentage change reported for each grass in 2025 compared to 2024 was: bermudagrass, +8%; zoysiagrass, +5%; centipedegrass, +9%; St. Augustinegrass, +12%; tall fescue, no change; tall fescue + Kentucky bluegrass,−4%; and Kentucky bluegrass, −35%. Figure 3 provides the average sod price ranges and the sale price in the middle of the dataset (median price) in 2025.

Bar graph showing annual fluctuations in average price per square foot for different sod types from 2020 to 2025.

Figure 2. Historical perspective of average prices for North Carolina sod, from 2020 to 2025.

Median prices: bermudagrass: .40; zoysiagrass: .64; centipedegrass: .39; St. Augustinegrass: .66; tall fescue: .46; Kentucky bluegrass: .50; tall fescue + Kentucky bluegrass: .46

Figure 3. Price ranges of the turfgrass species sold on-farm by North Carolina producers in 2025. The horizontal line in the center of each bar represents the median price.

Projected Price Changes

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Most growers in the survey forecasted steady sod prices in 2025. While a few producers predicted increased prices for particular grasses, most expected prices to remain steady. Some producers of cool-season species expect price decreases. Producers reported the following price expectations for each grass species:

  • Bermudagrass—24% expect price increases; 76% expect prices to remain steady.

  • Zoysiagrass—33% expect price increases; 67% expect prices to remain steady.

  • Centipedegrass—14% expect price increases; 86% expect prices to remain steady.

  • St. Augustinegrass—100% expect prices to remain steady.

  • Tall fescue—83% expect prices to remain steady; 17% expect prices to decrease.

  • Tall fescue + Kentucky bluegrass—67% expect prices to remain steady; 33% expect prices to decrease.

  • Kentucky bluegrass—100% expect price to remain steady.

Proprietary Grass

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In 2025, 45% of the growers reported that they grew some proprietary grasses on their farm. This represents a 22% decrease from 2024. The average percentage of their grasses that were proprietary was 33% with a reported range of 4% to 60%.

Certified Grass

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In 2025, 45% of the respondents grew some certified sod. This was a 16% decrease from 2024. The average amount of certified grass was 42% of their total sod acreage. Twenty-five percent of these producers charged higher prices for certified grass—$0.01 to $0.02 more per square foot.

Freight

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Among the respondents, 50% charged a flat rate for delivery; 45% charged on a per-mile basis; and 5% either did not charge for delivery or included it in the sod price. Reported freight rates for 2025 ranged from $4 to $7 per mile and averaged $4.50 per mile, which was a 2% decrease from 2024. Eight respondents reported flat freight rates of $225 to $450 per shipment with a mean of $250, although these rates vary depending on other factors, such as the distance from the farm. Seventy percent of the respondents indicated that they include freight prices in their price quotes to customers, while 30% invoiced the freight charges separately.

Ten percent of respondents charge an unloading fee. Eighty-five percent of respondents make additional drops on loads. The low-end charge for additional drops on a load was $25; the high-end charge was $200; and the average cost for additional drops was $112. Several respondents reported that the charge depended on the distance between drops and that charges may be divided between buyers.

Fuel Surcharge

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Five percent of respondents added a fuel surcharge. Relative fuel prices each year influence this practice.

Pallet Cost Recovery

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Forty percent of respondents charge a deposit on pallets and expect them to be returned. Sixty percent build the pallet’s cost into the sod sale, and no return is expected.

Sod Size Cost Adjustments

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Twenty-eight percent of respondents adjust cost based on harvested sod dimensions.

Price Changes

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Asked how often they adjust their prices, 60% of respondents indicated that they adjust prices as needed; 40% adjust prices yearly.

Credit Card Convenience Fee

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Fifty percent of respondents charged a convenience fee for credit card purchases.

Sales by Industry Segments

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Table 2 shows the industry segments that purchase North Carolina sod. The producers estimated that landscape contractors were their biggest customer segment, accounting for 71.7% of their sales. The next largest segments were homeowners and sports/athletics, at 15.4% and 6.5%, respectively. Golf courses and retail garden centers represented 4.8% and 1.1% of the market, respectively. Brokers were the smallest segment, at 0.5%. The largest changes compared to 2024 were the increased sales to sports/athletics and retail garden centers and the decrease in broker sales.


Table 2. Ranking of Industry Segments for 2024 Sales of Turfgrass Produced in North Carolina of Industry Segments for 2024 Sales of Turfgrass Produced in North Carolina

Industry Segment

Rank

(Change from last year)

Average

(%)*

Landscape contractors 1 (same) 71.7
Homeowners 2 (same) 15.4
Sports/athletics 3 (up two) 6.5
Golf courses 4 (same) 4.8
Retail garden centers 5 (up one) 1.1
Brokers 6 (down 3) 0.5

*Average percentage of total sales

Acreage in Production

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No producer indicated that they reduced sod production acreage during 2024 and none expected to reduce production in 2025. Fifty-five percent of respondents indicated that they increased acreage during the previous three years; the average percentage of increase in acreage was 20%.

Employees

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The 20 respondents reported an average of 8 full-time employees in 2025, a 43% decrease from 2024. The number of full-time employees ranged from 1 to 21. The number of seasonal employees ranged from 0 to 19, for an average of 4, which represents a 43% decrease from 2024. The lower numbers may be partially explained by the fewer farms >800 acres responded to this survey compared to last year.

Total Sod Sales

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For the 15 respondents who provided data, the total sod sales for 2024 ranged from $250,000 to $11 million. The average sod sales were $1.89 million (a 5% decrease from 2023). Reported sod sales totaled $28,664,528. Fifty-five percent of the respondents indicated that their sales increased in 2024; 30% reported a decrease; and 15% reported that sales remained the same. This is a weaker outlook on sales compared to 2024 reports. This may also be a reflection of the fewer larger farms that responded to this survey.

Summary

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Notably, 2024 was the second year with reduced sod sales following four consecutive years of growth in the sod industry, based on our annual surveys. Following a year of nominal price increases for sod, the warm-season turfgrasses species (bermudagrass, zoysiagrass, centipedegrass, and St. Augustinegrass) had significant price increases from 5% to 12%. The cool-season species tall fescue had no change in on-farm price in 2025; whereas Kentucky bluegrass had a 35% reduction in on-farm price. The total acreage of sod appears steady with a small amount of growth indicated. Survey respondents projected shortages for all grass species in 2025.

Author

Professor & Extension Specialist
Crop & Soil Sciences

Find more information at the following NC State Extension websites:

Publication date: June 28, 2025
AG-809

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