You’re looking at bare ground and wondering how long it’ll take to have a yard that actually looks like a yard. Seeding means months of waiting, watering, and hoping. Sod means you get a finished lawn in days.
That’s the difference between watching grass grow and having a backyard your kids can use this weekend. Professional lawn installation in Fayville, NY isn’t just about rolling out sod. It’s about doing the prep work right so your lawn actually takes root and stays healthy.
We handle the excavation, grading, soil prep, and sod installation. You get a lawn that drains properly, grows evenly, and doesn’t turn into a mud pit every time it rains. No guessing. No waiting. Just a yard that’s ready when you need it.
Emerson Excavating and Trucking started as a logging operation and grew into full-time excavation and site work. We’ve been serving Fayville, NY and the surrounding area for over 27 years. Josh, the owner, is on almost every job because quality control matters when you’re dealing with someone’s property.
We’re a family business. Josh’s son joined as a partner in 2022. We’re not trying to be the biggest company in the state. We’re trying to be the contractor you call back every time you need work done.
Most lawn companies don’t own excavators. Most excavation companies don’t finish the lawn. We do both, which means you’re not coordinating between three different contractors to get your yard done right.
First, we clear and grade your site. If you’re building new, that means removing stumps, rocks, and debris. If you’re replacing an existing lawn, we strip out the old grass and weeds. Proper grading prevents water from pooling against your foundation or creating low spots that turn swampy.
Next, we prep the soil. That means bringing in quality topsoil if needed, amending what’s there, and making sure you’ve got at least 4-6 inches of good soil for roots to establish. We rake and level everything so the sod sits flat and makes contact with the soil underneath.
Then we install the sod. We lay it tight, stagger the seams, and make sure edges are flush. Fresh sod needs consistent watering for the first two weeks while roots establish. After that, you’ve got a lawn that handles foot traffic, looks uniform, and doesn’t need babysitting.
If you want flower beds, tree planting, or other landscaping, we can handle that too. One crew, one timeline, one point of contact.
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Sod installation in Fayville, NY typically costs between $0.90 and $1.80 per square foot depending on site conditions and prep work. An average residential lawn runs between $4,500 and $10,000. If your property needs significant grading or soil amendments, costs go up. But you’re also getting a lawn that’s weed-resistant, erosion-proof, and usable within weeks instead of months.
The best time for installation is early fall or mid-spring when temperatures are cooler and rain is more consistent. Summer installations work, but they require more water and attention. Winter is off the table.
New York soil varies. Some properties in Fayville have decent topsoil. Others are mostly clay or fill dirt from construction. We test and amend as needed so your sod actually establishes instead of sitting on top of hard pan that roots can’t penetrate.
Front yard lawn installation is about curb appeal. Backyard lawn installation is about usability. Both need proper drainage, grading, and soil prep. We handle all of it because we’ve got the equipment and experience to do site work right the first time.
You can walk on new sod within two weeks, but you shouldn’t let kids or pets run on it until roots establish. That takes about three weeks with proper watering.
The first two weeks are critical. Sod needs water every day, sometimes twice a day if it’s hot. You’re keeping the soil moist so roots grow down into the ground instead of drying out and dying. After that, you can start treating it like a normal lawn.
Most people mow for the first time around week three. Set your mower high and don’t scalp it. By week four, your lawn is established enough for regular use. It’s not indestructible yet, but it’s functional. Full maturity takes a few months, but you’re not waiting until next season to use your yard.
Sod gives you a finished lawn in weeks. Seeding takes months and doesn’t always work.
When you seed, you’re waiting for germination, dealing with washouts from rain, and fighting weeds that sprout faster than grass. You’re also limited to specific planting windows in spring and fall. Miss those windows and you’re waiting another season.
Sod is mature grass that’s already grown. You’re transplanting it onto prepared soil. It establishes faster, resists weeds better, and handles erosion immediately. The upfront cost is higher, but you’re not reseeding bare patches or dealing with a patchy lawn that takes two years to fill in. For new construction or properties that need a lawn now, sod makes sense.
Yes. That’s one of the main reasons people call us instead of a landscaping company.
We’ve been doing excavation and site work in Fayville, NY since 1997. We own the equipment to clear land, move dirt, and grade properties properly. Most lawn installation companies subcontract that work out, which means you’re dealing with multiple schedules and contractors.
Grading matters because water needs to drain away from your house and you can’t have low spots that collect water and kill grass. We slope everything correctly, compact the base, and make sure your property is ready for sod before we ever order it. That’s the difference between a lawn that lasts and one that fails in the first year.
You can install sod in summer, but it’s not ideal. Heat stresses new sod and increases the risk of disease and fungus if you’re not watering correctly.
Spring and fall are better. Cooler temperatures and more consistent rain mean less work for you and better establishment for the sod. But if you need a lawn installed in July because you’re finishing a new build or hosting an event, it’s doable. You’ll just need to commit to watering twice a day for the first few weeks.
We don’t recommend summer installation unless timing is critical. If you can wait until September, your sod will establish faster and require less maintenance. But we’ve done plenty of summer installs that turned out fine when the homeowner stayed on top of watering.
Most residential lawns cost between $4,500 and $10,000 depending on size and site conditions. That includes grading, soil prep, and sod installation.
If your property needs major grading work, drainage corrections, or significant amounts of topsoil, costs can go higher. A flat, clean site with decent existing soil costs less than a property that’s all clay or has drainage issues. We give you a clear estimate after looking at your property so you know what you’re paying for.
Sod itself runs between $0.90 and $1.80 per square foot installed. The rest of the cost is site prep, which is the part that determines whether your lawn actually survives. Cheap installations skip the prep work and you end up with sod that dies or doesn’t root properly. We do it right the first time.
Yes. We handle new flower bed design, tree planting, and other landscaping work as part of the same project.
If you’re installing a new lawn, it makes sense to get your beds and trees done at the same time. We can grade and prep planting areas, bring in quality soil, and install plants or trees while we’re already on site with equipment.
Most homeowners want a finished yard, not just grass. That means beds along the foundation, trees for shade, and maybe some landscaping around a patio or walkway. We coordinate all of it so you’re not waiting on multiple contractors or dealing with someone tearing up your new lawn to plant a tree three weeks later. One project, one crew, one timeline.
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