How Much Does Power Seeding Cost? [2024 Data]
Normal range: $975 - $1,960
Power seeding costs depends on the size of your yard and the grass seeding used, but typically costs around $1,470.
The total cost for power seeding, sometimes called slice or slit seeding, depends on the size of your yard and the type of grass seed you choose. Expect to pay around $1,470 for an average sized lawn. Power seeding is the process of planting grass seeds with a machine that cuts narrow slits through your lawn and pushes the seeds into the soil.
- Average
- $1,470
- Low end
- $400
- high end
- $7,900
Power seeding costs may start around $400 for a small lawn and go to over $7,900 for a one-acre plot of grass. For an average yard of around 10,900 square feet, homeowners can expect to spend about $975 to $1,960, or about $0.09 to $0.18 per square foot. The average is around $1,470.
The total cost for power seeding, sometimes called slice or slit seeding, depends on the size of your yard and the type of grass seed you choose. Power seeding is the process of planting grass seeds with a machine that cuts narrow slits through your lawn and pushes the seeds into the soil.
| Low Cost | Average Cost | High Cost |
|---|---|---|
| $400 | $1,470 | $7,900 |
Power Seeding Cost Breakdown
Power seeding costs about $1,470 for the average lawn, but the cost can vary based on the lawn size, the type of grass seed, and even the soil. Lawn seeding companies may charge a minimum project cost, which usually starts at about $400. For larger yards, homeowners can expect to spend about $3,900 to $7,900 per acre.
Lawn Size
The biggest cost factor for power seeding is the size of your lawn, and prices range from about $0.09 to $0.18 per square foot. The average lawn size in the U.S. is about 10,900 square feet. By that measurement, average power seeding costs would be about $975 to $1,960. Homes with smaller lawns will spend less on power seeding costs.
| Lawn Square Footage | Average Power Seeding Cost |
|---|---|
| 5,000 | $450 – $900 |
| 6,000 | $540 – $1,080 |
| 7,000 | $630 – $1,260 |
| 8,000 | $720 – $1,440 |
| 9,000 | $810 – $1,620 |
| 10,000 | $900 – $1,800 |
| 15,000 | $1,350 – $2,700 |
| 20,000 | $1,800 – $3,600 |
Grass Seed Type
The cost to power seed a lawn will also vary by the type of grass you are planting. Grass seed typically ranges from about $3 to $10 per pound, with temperate climate-friendly fescue and clover coming in at the lower end of the range, while warm-season grasses like Bahia or centipede grass may cost more.
You can estimate about 4 to 8 pounds of grass seed for every 1,000 square feet of lawn. At that rate, an average-sized lawn will need about 40 to 88 pounds of grass seed. If you’re seeding by the acre, estimate about 175 to 250 pounds of grass seed per acre.
The good news about power seeding is that fewer seeds are wasted compared to other methods of seeding, so you can actually save on grass seed costs with power seeding.
| Grass Seed Type | Average Cost per Pound |
|---|---|
| Fescue | $3 – $7 |
| Clover | $4 – $9 |
| Bermuda | $4 – $9.50 |
| Kentucky bluegrass | $6 – $9.50 |
| Centipede grass | $6 – $10 |
| Bahia | $7 – $10 |
Labor
Because power seeding requires specialized equipment, you’ll need to hire a pro to perform this seeding service. Many companies will include the labor rate in the project total or the cost per square footage. If not, you can budget about $35 to $80 per hour or $250 to $350 total for labor costs.
Power Seeding Ongoing Expenses
Power seeding is a way to maintain the healthy look and feel of your lawn. This process plants more grass seed deeper into the soil, giving it a better chance to germinate. As such, power seeding isn’t something you’ll need to do each year. However, there are some related expenses that you should plan ahead for so that you don’t get any costly surprises.
Watering
Lawns need water, so you’ll want to plan to spend about $35 to $115 per month on watering your lawn. After power seeding, it’s important to water frequently, but in smaller amounts, to keep the soil moist. Just don’t water too much so that you can avoid the problems that come with over-irrigation, including the washing away or rotting of your new grass seed.
Aeration
You can aerate your lawn once or twice per year to help break up compacted soil and allow more oxygen and carbon dioxide to reach plant roots. Aeration costs about $75 to $210 per service. It’s especially helpful to aerate before any type of seeding to give the seeds a better chance of germinating by increasing soil-to-seed contact and access to nutrients.
Dethatching
Similarly to aeration, dethatching is an important lawn care task that you should do regularly. If you keep up with regular dethatching, about once or twice per year, it costs about $160 to $225 per service. But if the thatch, or the layer of decaying organic matter at the base of your grass, grows to more than 1/2-inch thick, dethatching may cost more.
DIY Power Seeding vs. Hiring a Pro
Because power seeding requires specialized equipment, this is one job you’ll need to leave to the pros. Power seeding machinery costs about $3,000 to $15,000, plus you’ll spend another $3 to $10 per pound of grass seed. You may be able to rent a power seeder for $75 to $200 per day, but if you don’t know how to use it properly, your grass seeds may not germinate properly, meaning you’ll have wasted money on grass seed.
Instead, hiring a local lawn seeding company ensures your grass gets the TLC it deserves, all at a fraction of the price of buying the equipment to do it yourself.
Cost of Common Add-Ons
When you’re thinking of power seeding your lawn to give your grass a boost, there are several other projects you might consider tackling around the same time. Installing sprinklers or fertilizing the lawn can improve the efficacy of your power seeding. You might also consider soil testing or laying new sod entirely if your grass is struggling to grow.
Landscaping costs: $1,300–$6,100
Fertilizing cost: $75–$400
Sprinkler installation cost: $1,700–$3,600
Sod cost: $1,100–$3,000
Soil testing cost: $680–$2,200
How to Save Money on Power Seeding
Power seeding can come at a high upfront investment, but it’s one of the most effective ways to plant grass seed and get your lawn looking its best. Luckily, there are several ways to save on this service, whether through upfront cost savings or long-term savings on seeds and other lawn care services.
Aerate first: Aerating the lawn can give more seeds a better shot of germinating by loosening the soil and allowing more air and water to reach the seeds.
Consider grass type: Make sure to choose a grass seed that works with your climate, and consider the cost per pound to save on seed costs.
Compare services: Power seeding isn’t right for every lawn. It’s best for thin or patchy lawns. Consider whether you need a different service, like aeration, which may cost less.
Bundle services: Alternatively, your lawn might be due for multiple services at once. Check with local lawn care providers for discounts on service bundles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Power seeding can be worth it if your existing lawn is looking sparse or patchy. Power seeding can quickly and effectively plant new grass seeds and help grow a thicker lawn. But if your lawn is in pretty good health but could use a little more TLC through dethatching, fertilizing, weeding, or aerating, you may not need to spend money on power seeding costs.
Power seeding and aeration are both great ways to improve the health of your lawn, but one isn’t better than the other. Aeration alone doesn’t involve planting grass seeds; instead, this service is focused on improving soil health. Aeration is a great service to do before any type of seeding to make seeding more effective.
Power seeding machines do a great job of creating narrow trenches in the soil to plant grass seeds into, but aerating before power seeding can be beneficial for your lawn. By aerating first, more water, oxygen, and carbon dioxide can reach the roots of your germinating grass seeds. Plan to aerate your lawn about once or twice a year, whether you plan to power seed or not.
Overseeding typically involves spreading grass seed either manually or with a machine that sprays the grass seed out and onto the soil. With overseeding, the grass seeds sit on the soil, and some may fall deeper into the soil if you aerated beforehand. With power seeding, a machine cuts narrow rows into the soil and pushes the grass seeds directly into the soil.