In March 2026, North Carolina State University conducted its eleventh annual survey of producers to examine the inventory and pricing of North Carolina sod.

• The supply of bermudagrass sod is expected to be greater in 2026 than 2025, but 26% of surveyed producers are still anticipating shortages.

• The supply of zoysiagrass is expected to be greater in 2026 compared to 2025, but 20% of producers anticipate shortages.

• Twenty-one percent of producers expect shortages of centipedegrass in 2026.

• Twenty-nine percent of producers expect shortages of tall fescue in 2026.

• The supply of St. Augustinegrass is expected to be significantly lower in 2026 compared to 2025, with 66% of producers anticipating shortages.

• Producers reported price changes of 2% or less for warm-season turfgrass species in 2026, except for a 5% price reduction in St. Augustinegrass. For cool-season grasses, a 12% decrease is expected for tall fescue; no price change is expected for Kentucky bluegrass; and a 9% increase is expected for tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass mix.

• There was a 37% increase of growers reporting that they grew proprietary grasses and a 16% increase of growers reporting that they grew certified sod.

• Production acreage is projected to increase in 2026 by an amount similar to 2025 (19%).

• Landscape contractors continue to be the primary market for North Carolina sod producers, accounting for 67% of sales.

• The average number of full-time employees per producer increased by 112% in 2026.

• Average sod sales increased 116% from 2024 to 2025, with 57% of producers reporting increased sod sales in 2025.

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

• Less than 200 acres (nine respondents)

• 201 to 500 acres (four respondents)

• 501 to 800 acres (three respondents)

• More than 800 acres (five respondents)

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.

We obtained inventory estimates for bermudagrass, zoysiagrass, centipedegrass, St. Augustinegrass, tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, and tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass mix. These estimates were based on anticipated sales for 2026 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 19 (90%) of the surveyed producers. Bermudagrass is currently the most popular turfgrass species grown by North Carolina sod producers. For 2026, 68% of bermudagrass producers rated their inventory as adequate; 5% rated inventory as excellent, and 26% projected shortages. 2026 was the third year since 2020 without an increase in the number of producers projecting bermudagrass inventory shortages (Figure 1).

Zoysiagrass is being grown by 15 (71%) of the surveyed producers, which made this grass the second-most-popular turfgrass species grown by North Carolina sod producers in 2026. This is the first year that zoysiagrass has been in the second-most-popular position. For 2026, 60% of zoysiagrass producers rated their inventory as adequate; 20% rated their inventory as excellent; and 20% projected shortages.

Centipedegrass is being grown by 14 (67%) of the surveyed producers, making it the third-most-popular turfgrass species grown by North Carolina sod producers. For this year, 79% of centipedegrass growers reported adequate to excellent inventory, whereas 21% anticipate shortages.

St. Augustinegrass is being grown by six (29%) of the surveyed producers. For this year, 34% of St. Augustinegrass growers reported adequate to excellent inventory compared to 83% in 2025, with 66% anticipating shortages. The significant drop in inventory in 2026 compared to 2025 suggests that St. Augustinegrass has increased in popularity.

Tall fescue is being grown by seven (33%) of the surveyed producers. For 2026, 71% estimated that they would have adequate to excellent inventory, but 29% anticipated a shortage (Figure 1).

Tall fescue + Kentucky bluegrass is being grown by nine (43%) of the surveyed producers. For 2026, 89% rated their inventory as adequate to excellent, with 11% anticipating shortages.

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

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

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

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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.

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

Bermudagrass on-farm prices in 2026 ranged from $0.30 to $0.62 per square foot (averaging $0.41), while delivered prices ranged from $0.30 to $0.99 per square foot (averaging $0.47). The average on-farm price for bermudagrass decreased about 2% from 2025.

Zoysiagrass on-farm prices in 2026 ranged from $0.40 to $1.05 per square foot (averaging $0.59), while delivered prices ranged from $0.40 to $1.03 per square foot (averaging $0.65). The average on-farm price for zoysiagrass increased about 2% compared to 2025.

Centipedegrass on-farm prices in 2026 ranged from $0.25 to $0.62 per square foot (averaging $0.38), while delivered prices ranged from $0.30 to $0.67 per square foot (averaging $0.43). The average on-farm price for centipedegrass was the same in 2026 as 2025.

St. Augustinegrass on-farm prices in 2026 ranged from $0.53 to $0.65 per square foot (averaging $0.60), while delivered prices ranged from $0.57 to $0.74 per square foot (averaging $0.64). The average on-farm price for St. Augustinegrass was 5% lower than in 2025.

Tall fescue on-farm prices in 2026 ranged from $0.43 to $0.51 per square foot (averaging $0.43), while delivered prices ranged from $0.48 to $0.60 per square foot (averaging $0.53). The average on-farm price of tall fescue decreased 12% compared to 2025.

Tall fescue + Kentucky bluegrass on-farm prices in 2026 ranged from $0.34 to $0.72 per square foot (averaging $0.50), while delivered prices ranged from $0.38 to $0.69 per square foot (averaging $0.53). The average on-farm price of tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass mix increased by 9% compared to 2025.

Kentucky bluegrass on-farm price in 2026 was $0.50, while the delivered price was $0.56 per square foot. The on-farm price was the same in 2026 as 2025.

Figure 2 provides a six-year perspective of average sod prices that shows fluctuations of average price per square foot in particular species since 2021. The percentage change reported for each grass in 2026 compared to 2025 was: bermudagrass, -2%; zoysiagrass, +2%; centipedegrass, no change; St. Augustinegrass, -5%; tall fescue, -12%; tall fescue + Kentucky bluegrass, +4%; and Kentucky bluegrass, no change. Figure 3 provides the average sod price ranges and the sale price in the middle of the dataset (median price) for 2026.

Figure 2. Historical perspective of average prices for North Carolina sod from 2021 to 2026.

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Figure 2. Historical perspective of average prices for North Carolina sod from 2021 to 2026.

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Figure 3. Price ranges (per square foot) of the turfgrass species sold on-farm by North Carolina producers in 2026. The horizontal line in the center of each bar represents the median price.

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Figure 3. Price ranges (per square foot) of the turfgrass species sold on-farm by North Carolina producers in 2026. The horizontal line in the center of each bar represents the median price.

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While a few producers predicted increased prices for particular grasses, most expected overall sod prices to remain steady in 2026. Some producers of cool-season species expect price decreases. Producers reported the following price expectations for each grass species:

• Bermudagrass—32% expect price increases; 58% expect prices to remain steady; 10% expect prices to decrease.

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

• Centipedegrass—36% expect price increases; 57% expect prices to remain steady; 7% expect prices to decrease.

• St. Augustinegrass—50% expect price increases; 50% expect prices to remain steady.

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

• Tall fescue + Kentucky bluegrass—44% expect price increases; 56% expect prices to remain steady.

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

In 2026, 62% of the growers reported that they grew some proprietary grasses on their farm. This represents a 38% increase from 2025. The average percentage of their grasses that were proprietary was 38%, with a reported range among individual growers of 1% to 71%.

In 2026, 52% of the respondents grew some certified sod. This represents a 16% increase from 2025. The average amount of certified grass was 54% of their total sod acreage. Fifty percent of these producers charged higher prices for certified grass—$0.03 to $0.06 more per square foot.

Among the respondents, 52% charged a flat rate for delivery; 38% charged on a per-mile basis; and 10% either did not charge for delivery or included it in the sod price. Reported freight rates for 2026 averaged $4.00 per mile, an 11% decrease compared to 2025. Eleven respondents reported flat freight rates of $225 to $1,200 per shipment with a mean of $363, although these rates vary depending on other factors, such as the distance from the farm. Seventy-six percent of the respondents indicated that they include freight prices in their price quotes to customers, while 24% invoiced the freight charges separately.

Five 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 $250; and the average cost for additional drops was $85. Several respondents reported that the charge depended on the distance between drops and that charges may be divided between buyers.

Ten percent of respondents added a fuel surcharge in 2026, which is double the percentage reported in 2025. Relative fuel prices each year influence this practice.

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

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

Asked how often they adjust their prices, 52% of respondents indicated that they adjust prices as needed; 48% adjust prices yearly.

Forty-three percent of respondents charge a convenience fee for credit card purchases.

Table 2 shows the industry segments that purchase North Carolina sod. For 2025, the producers estimated that landscape contractors were their biggest customer segment, accounting for 67% of sales. The next-largest segments were homeowners and sports/athletics, 13% and 9%, respectively. Golf courses and retail garden centers represented 6% and 4% of the market, respectively. Brokers were the smallest segment at 1%. The overall rankings were the same in 2026 as 2025, with decreased sales to landscape contractors (-5%) and homeowners (-2%) and increased sales to the sports/athletics sector (+2%), golf courses (+1%), retail garden centers (+3%), and brokers (+0.5%).

*Average percentage of total sales. ↲

Five percent of respondents indicated that they reduced sod production acreage during 2025, and 5% expected to reduce production in 2026. Sixty-two percent of respondents indicated that they increased acreage during the previous three years; the average percentage of increase in acreage was 19%.

The 21 respondents reported an average of 17 full-time employees in 2026, a 112% increase from 2025. A significant portion of this increase may be explained by sizes of the 2026 respondents' farms. The 2026 survey had a significantly greater response rate from farms of more than 500 acres and fewer responses from farms of less than 500 acres. The number of full-time employees ranged from 1 to 185, with a median of 8. Only one producer reported more than 30 employees. The number of seasonal employees ranged from 0 to 127, for an average of 10. Only one producer reported more than 16 seasonal employees. The median number was 2.

Based on the 18 respondents who provided data, the total sod sales for 2025 ranged from $40,000 to $31.5 million. The average sod sales was $4.09 million (a 116% increase from 2024). Reported sod sales totaled $73,790,745. Fifty-seven percent of the respondents indicated that their sales increased in 2025; 19% reported a decrease; and 24% reported that sales remained the same. These figures represent a significantly stronger outlook on sales compared to 2025 reports, which may also reflect the greater number of larger farms that responded to the 2026 survey.

Notably, 2025 marked a rebound for sod sales following two years of decreased sales in the sod industry, based on our annual surveys. Following a year of significant price increases for sod, average prices for most species in 2006 were similar to or slightly less than the previous year. A greater range in prices was noted in 2026 compared to 2025. The total acreage of sod appears steady, with a small amount of growth indicated. Survey respondents projected shortages for all grass species in 2026.