When establishing a new lawn, hydroseeding can be an attractive alternative to grass seeding or grass sodding. Grass seeding is inexpensive but high-maintenance, and the potential for failure is high. Grass sodding is expensive but requires less maintenance to successfully establish the lawn. Hydroseeding works well for starting a lawn in large or sloped areas.
The average cost of hydroseeding is from $0.10 to $0.22 per square foot. The hydroseeding cost for a 10,000-square-foot yard is between $1,000 and $2,200.
What Is Hydroseeding?
Hydroseeding is a method of establishing a lawn by spraying the soil with a mixture of grass seed, fertilizer, mulch, amendments, straw, and other ingredients. All ingredients are suspended in a water base, thus the term hydroseeding.
Hydroseeding Pros and Cons
Pros
Cheaper than sodding
Covers large areas
Easier to establish than seeding
Works well on slopes
Cons
More expensive than seeding
Requires much water
Must be professionally applied
Long time window
Cost by Size
An average quarter-acre residential lot will have between 8,300 and 9,400 square feet of yard, excluding the house. The average size of a home is about 2,600 square feet, though older homes may average 1,500 square feet.
Most lawns will not occupy every open square foot of a property lot. Even so, figuring the cost of hydroseeding on a 10,000-square-foot unit basis helps to prevent cost estimate surprises. For a 10,000-square-foot yard, expect to pay between $1,000 and $2,200, or an average of $1,800. In some cases, the cost might be as high as $4,000.
| Yard Size | Average Cost | Low Cost | High Cost |
| 2,000 square feet | $360 | $200 | $440 |
| 4,000 square feet | $720 | $400 | $880 |
| 6,000 square feet | $1,080 | $600 | $1,320 |
| 8,000 square feet | $1,440 | $800 | $1,760 |
| 10,000 square feet | $1,800 | $1,000 | $2,200 |
Cost of Hydroseeding vs. Sodding
Sod is instant lawn that comes in rolls. The rolls are laid out, much like carpeting. The lawn is considered to be mostly established at first. The edges will need to fuse and the grass will need to continue growing.
Sod costs between $0.30 and $3.00 per square foot. Expect professionally installed sod to cost on the upper end of the price range.
At an average cost of $1.65 per square foot for sod, sodding a yard is nine times more expensive than hydroseeding.
Cost of Hydroseeding vs. Grass Seeding
The cost to seed a grass yard from scratch is based on an average of about 60 pounds of grass seed per 10,000 square feet of yard.
Depending on your location and on the type of grass seed you choose, grass seed costs from $25 to $45 per 7-pound bag. The total cost of grass seed would be $225 to $400 per 10,000 square feet.
This makes seeding a lawn from scratch about four times less expensive than hydroseeding a lawn.
How Hydroseeding Works
- Choose a time for hydroseeding: Spring, fall, or other mild, wet seasons are best for hydroseeding.
- Test the soil: Test the soil yourself or have it professionally tested so you'll know the type of fertilizer and additives to use with the slurry.
- Select the right type of grass seeds: Grass seeds are particular to your area. Common grass seeds are bluegrass, rye, bahia, fescue, and Bermuda.
- Choose tackifiers: Tackifiers help the hydroseed slurry stay in place after application—which is especially important on slopes.
- Prepare the ground: Regrade, level, rake, amend, or otherwise make the ground ready for hydroseeding.
- Prepare the hydroseeder machine: All of the lines and hoses must be attached to the machine. The machine also must have a power source.
- Load the hydroseeder with product: First, water is added to the hydroseeder tank, then the product is added in the correct order: seed, mulch, fertilizer, dyes, and tackifiers.
- Hydroseed the soil: The hydroseed product is dispensed through a hose or from a tower, with larger machines.
- Irrigate the hydroseeded area: The hydroseeded area must be lightly irrigated several times a day for several weeks.
Types of Hydroseeding
There are three types of hydroseeding options available when installing a lawn: sod, hydroseed, and grass seed. Some mixtures and slurries also incorporate mulches (wood fiber, blended, or paper mulch). Do research on what type of slurry mixture is best for your area based on climate and the type of lawn you are hoping to achieve.
Services Related to Hydroseeding
To complete the yard project, hydroseeding often requires other services such as regrading and leveling, fill and topsoil delivery, and landscaping.
Regrading
Regrading a yard is a major reshaping of the yard's contours and usually requires heavy equipment. Regrading a yard starts at around $900 and ranges up to $4,350. The average cost to regrade a yard is $2,600.
Leveling
The average cost to level a yard is about $2,400. Low-end costs for leveling a yard start at $700 and range up to $4,100.
Fill and Topsoil
Before hydroseeding, fill dirt and topsoil might be needed to replace graded areas of the yard. Fill dirt costs about $10 per cubic yard. Rich topsoil costs about $34 per cubic yard.
Landscaping
After hydroseeding, landscaping may be needed to complete the project. Landscaping costs between $2,600 for minor landscaping on up to $13,700 for a full overhaul. The average cost of landscaping is $8,150.
DIY vs. Professional Cost
Because hydroseeding requires professional-level equipment, true hydroseeding is not possible on a do-it-yourself basis.
Small, modified seed sprayers that act somewhat like hydroseeders cost about $30 to $40 for a canister that attaches to the end of a garden hose. These canisters typically come with a starter seed mix that covers around 500 square feet. While inexpensive at a cost of about $0.07 per square foot, DIY seed sprayers are designed only for small areas or for repairing patches.
Should You Hydroseed Your Lawn?
Hydroseeding may be your best option if you need to establish a lawn in a large space, such as starting a lawn on a new property. Truck-based hydroseed pumpers can even cover tens or hundreds of thousands of square feet in one load. Hydroseeding works especially well for steep slopes, where seed would slide down or sodding would be impractical.
The cost of hydroseeding can be the deciding factor for many homeowners since the traditional process of spreading grass seed is far less expensive. Hydroseeding is not a guarantee that grass will grow in the space. Maintenance and constant irrigation are required after hydroseeding. So, unless you can maintain that schedule, rolling out grass sod may be a better option.
FAQ
Is hydroseeding worth the cost?
Hydroseeding can be worth the money when compared to traditional grass seeding, which takes far longer and requires more work to establish the lawn. Hydroseeding can also be worth the money when compared to the higher cost of laying down grass sod.
What are the disadvantages of hydroseeding?
Hydroseeding does have a number of disadvantages. Hydroseeding is more expensive than starting a lawn with grass seed. Hydroseeding uses a lot of water, both during the hydroseeding process and afterward, when establishing the lawn. Finally, hydroseeding takes longer than sodding to establish a lawn. Completion can take up to eight weeks.
Can rain wash hydroseed away?
Newly planted hydroseed requires constant watering for the first few weeks. If the soil is prepared properly, hydroseed should not be washed away with a heavy rain. If not and the soil is not compacted, hydroseed can be washed away, especially if the area was recently seeded.
How long should you wait to walk on hydroseed?
You should wait about 4 weeks, or up to a month before walking on hydroseed. Keeping the area fenced off will also prevent pets and wildlife from walking on hydroseed too soon. At this time, you can also cut back on watering hydroseed.
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The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
How Much Does Hydroseeding Cost? HomeAdvisor
How Much Does Hydroseeding Cost? Bob Vila
Pricing Guide: How Much Does Hydroseeding Cost? LawnStarter
What is Hydroseeding? Hydroseeding 101. Superior Groundcover, Inc.
