Frequently Asked Questions

For most lawns over a few thousand square feet, yes. HomeGuide prices hydroseeding from $0.12 up to $0.35 per square foot, compared with $1 to $4 for sod, and the mulch layer protects seed far better than dry broadcasting. The tradeoff is time: you water for several weeks and wait about four to six weeks for the first mow instead of walking on sod the next day.

New seed has to be kept moist, and in a Salt Lake July with less than half an inch of normal rain, that means sprinklers several times a day until it is up. Check your city or water provider for any watering rules that apply to your address before you plan a summer seeding. Where water is tight, we steer customers toward the spring and late-summer windows and toward lower-water mixes.

There is no one answer for every yard. Kentucky bluegrass is common but needs regular water and tolerates less salt than tall fescue or perennial ryegrass, per USU Extension. Buffalograss and blue grama are warm-season grasses seeded in late spring, and native mixes suit areas that will not be watered all summer. We match the mix to how much water you plan to use.

USU Extension's northern Utah calendar marks April and May, and August and September, for cool-season seeding, and calls late summer the optimum, at least four to six weeks before the first frost. Warm-season and some native grasses go in during late spring and early summer. Erosion control on a graded site goes down as soon as grading is finished.

With steady moisture, HomeGuide and University of Nebraska Extension both expect the first green in 5 to 7 days, though Angi says 7 to 14 days is common. Cool soil in early spring slows it down. The first mow typically comes four to six weeks after seeding.

For a lawn, yes, or at least a reliable way to water every part of the area several times a day for the first weeks. We prefer the sprinkler system to be installed and tested before final grading. Slopes and native areas that will not be irrigated are seeded with mixes and mulch meant to wait for natural moisture.

Often, after the soil is tested. USU Extension says salts can be leached out of soils that drain well using good-quality water, and that sodium problems may call for gypsum or sulfur. Choosing a more salt-tolerant grass, such as tall fescue or perennial ryegrass instead of straight bluegrass, also helps.

Yes. Silt fence and inlet protection go in when the job opens, and hydromulch, blankets and final seeding go down when it closes. Sites disturbing an acre or more, or smaller pieces of a bigger development that will reach that size, fall under construction stormwater permit rules, and our work follows the site's plan.

National guides put it somewhere between $0.06 and $0.35 per square foot, and HomeGuide's number for a 5,000 square foot lawn is $1,000 to $1,750. Soil prep, topsoil and slopes add to that. We give a written price after seeing the yard.

Sod is instant and costs the most, $1 to $4 per square foot per HomeGuide. Hydroseed costs much less and lets us pick a seed mix for your soil, but you water for several weeks and wait about a month and a half to use the lawn.

It can be done with diligent watering, but it is the hardest month: July normally brings under half an inch of rain and highs in the 90s. Late August or early September is usually a better bet for cool-season grass.

Enough to keep the surface damp: in hot weather University of Nebraska Extension suggests two to three light waterings daily. Once the grass is up and growing, water less often and more deeply.

Some usually do, from seed already in the soil. Most annual weeds fade with regular mowing; anything left can be treated once the lawn is established. Late-summer seeding faces less weed pressure, per USU Extension.

Final grade, irrigation in where turf is planned, a water source or hydrant meter, access for a truck, and the landscape and stormwater plans so the mix and rate match the specs.

Yes. Basin floors and side slopes get mixes that tolerate both wet spells and dry summers, and the side slopes usually get extra mulch or blankets.

Yes. Lots or phases that will sit for months can get quick-establishing temporary cover with mulch to hold soil until building starts.

Usually by the acre or square foot, with separate lines for slopes, heavier mulch or bonded fiber matrix, and touch-up. Published guides range from about $2,000 to $8,700 per acre; your bid sets the price.

On gentle and moderate slopes, often yes. On steeper slopes or where water runs over the face, bonded fiber matrix or blankets hold better.

Straw blankets are meant to break down as the vegetation takes over, usually within a season or two. Coir lasts longer and is used where flow or slope demands it.

Yes. Cover goes down when grading is done. Seed may wait for moisture, but the mulch or blanket protects the soil in the meantime.

Irrigated slopes should be watered like a new lawn. Non-irrigated slopes are seeded with mixes meant to establish on natural moisture, which is slower.

Under EPA rules, construction stormwater permit coverage and sediment controls apply once a site disturbs an acre, or when a smaller lot belongs to a bigger development that will. Your city or county may also require controls on smaller sites, so check your permit.

Until the disturbed area is stabilized with vegetation or other permanent cover. Then it is removed and the trench is seeded.

The 2025 road-department unit costs list $378 per 100 feet for unstabilized fence and $748 for stabilized. Your written estimate sets the actual price.

Yes. We can take over inspection, cleanout and repairs, and handle removal and final seeding.

It depends on what is there. Builder subgrade with no topsoil benefits from a few inches blended into the surface; a yard with decent soil may only need fine grading. We check during the site visit.

Usually, by regrading so the soil slopes away from the house and adding a swale or drain where water needs to go. Downspouts often need extensions as well.

Yes, excess soil, rock and construction debris can be hauled off as part of the job. It is listed on the estimate.

You can, but bare graded soil left over winter can erode in spring storms. If you must wait, we can add temporary mulch or cover until seeding.

Many native grasses go dormant and turn tan in midsummer heat, then green up again with cooler weather. That is normal and saves water.

Some supplemental water in the first season helps a lot. After establishment, most native areas get by on natural precipitation, with occasional deep watering in long dry spells.

Yes. Hydroseeding with mulch or seeding under a blanket keeps the small seed in place on sloped ground.

Expect a sparse first year and much fuller cover by the second or third year, depending on the mix and moisture.

In sunny areas with light use it can be. USU Extension lists it as a warm-season grass for Utah, seeded in spring or early summer. It browns earlier in fall than bluegrass.