Hey all,
I'm watching the landscapers for the new build next door, and the prep work for the sod seems lazy. They basically just knocked down the weeds, did a quick leveling pass with a truck, and are now rolling out sod right over the remaining weeds and loose gravel.
This hits close to home because my own lawn (from the same builder) has multiple dead patches. I poked around with a screwdriver and, sure enough, found rocks and construction debris under the turf in those exact spots.
So, am I witnessing the root cause of my own lawn problems? Is laying sod over gravel and debris a guaranteed way to get a patchy, unhealthy lawn, or am I overthinking it?
TL;DR: Neighbor's new sod is being laid on weedy, gravel-covered ground. My lawn from the same builder has dead spots where I found buried rocks. Is this poor prep the reason my lawn is struggling?
by Complex_Luck_2928
27 Comments
If they didn’t put any topsoil down then that’s definitely a problem.
Of course they are cutting corners. Yards I’d assume are a no warranty line item(at least that’s how my new constructions homes warranty was). As long as it looks good the day of the sale, the builder gives no shits about the weeds or dead patches you experience in the near future. With that being said, with good lawn maintenance from the start that sod looks pretty healthy and they should be able to maintain a nice lawn with the right up keep.
Welcome any tract home built in the last 50 years
It’s pretty standard procedure for most of these builders.
Is it the best way to lay sod? Not at all.
But it’s what people pay for. “Lawn quality” just isn’t that high a priority for folks.
And if you’re game for it, it can absolutely grow into a nice lawn if you care for it.
I’m a rough grader and when you buy a production house then this is what you get. It would take forever to dig out every single boulder and scrape up every bit of gravel. Plus you’d then need to bring in more material to fill it back in. We’ve worked in subdivisions with more boulders than dirt and the lawns still look great. A little bit of gravel is good for drainage in many cases, even though homeowners don’t want to hear it. Proper lawn maintenance will keep it looking great
It’s fine and the sod looks good.
Just keep it watered and chemically treated
Yep, the yard is where they bury all the evidence. On any basic spec house the cheapest always wins…
My yard next to the garage I found part of a stone sticking up, so I started digging, found a huge paver type rock, pulled it out. Under it was a pit full of broken bricks, I guess it was too much effort for the bricklayers to throw them in the dumpster instead of just piling them against the building and calling it good.
My neighbor’s yard had a crunch in one spot. He digs it up and finds several discarded plastic bottles…
Nobody takes pride in their work these days… It’s just how fast can it get done to move on to the next job.
https://preview.redd.it/yhsjwmhj2uhf1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=133d25bce7e677d5460e3ee66e32dbf2d6cf5427
I spent weeks getting mine ready for sod. Thankfully the lot next door was and still is vacant. I don’t even know how many wheelbarrow loads I dumped next door. My builder left it like shit. Other neighbors just threw sod down…and looks like shit now.
water like hell and starter fert.
Follow up next spring with core aeration and milorganite.
Mulch mulch mulch
You can build up that dirt layer.
This is an adventure, not the end of the world.
It’s insane. My parents built a new home in a new community. 100 or so homes. They were in early so a lot building around them past couple years. I now never want to buy a new build unless from a custom builder.
These homes are being built in months. But the dirt they think is acceptable is basically half rock half clay. (Southern OH).
I watch workers scoop gravel to fill gaps between the sidewalk and then lay sod overtop……my parents yard, you dig into the ground it’s 1/3 gravel.
I’m sorry what seems to be the problem?
Developers sometimes scrape down to hardpan and sell the topsoil before beginning construction, so this doesn’t look too bad to me.
Nope not cutting a corner. This is kind of the point of sod that it’s an anywhere instant lawn.
I love find pop cans and plastic bottles under my sod still
Bro builders do not care about your lawns substrate. Be thankful they left any top soil, they usually strip all of the top soil first, sod the fronts, seed the backs with p rye and call it good.
This is not a bug it’s a feature. Have they broken any codes doing this?? Nope, but does it improve margin? Hell yes. You would be retarded not to do this as a builder
Dude, this is fine and typical for a builder. They are well aware that most people just want their lawn to look not terrible. Few people care about the state of their lawn like people on this sub. Why put time and money into the lawn, thereby raising the cost of the home, or eating into your margins if 99% chance your buyer won’t give a shit?
The sod itself looks great, however, the soil quality and prep work is terrible.
You’re not getting full prep from a builder. It’s just not going to happen unless it’s specifically spelled out in the contract or you’re working with a landscaper who’s taking care of the grading, hardscape, softscape, etc. Most builders would rather roll the dice and replace any that dies in a month. After that, it’s your problem. This is a great analogy for end stage capitalism. Looks great from a distance, but the more you dig, the more bullshit you find in the base.
Pretty much what every cookie cutter builder does.
It just needs to look nice until it’s sold then it’s your problem.
There’s a saying that goes round the trades.
“Building it, not buying it”
I’m not sure what you imagined a builder would do otherwise.
What exactly do you expect them to do?
So they’re using a machine to lay SOD. What’s the big deal? Do you use a machine to make your coffee?
It’s better than what my builder did
That looks like an excellent job done compared to what was done in my neighborhood before sod was put down. I’ve dug up paint cans, 12 water bottles, 2 full jugs of used automotive oil and a carseat out from under my “sod”…
90% of people are going to let the lawn go to shit anyways so its not worth it for them to accommodate the 10% that are going to care for their lawn enough that it would make a difference.