Should I hire a pro to seed my lawn or do it myself?

Seed the lawn yourself if the job is mostly patching: thin areas or bare spots in an otherwise healthy lawn, on ground you can work with a rented machine, at the right time of year, with someone home to water. Hire a pro when the job turns into a renovation, with old turf to kill, soil to till or regrade, a large or steep area, or nobody available to water for the first few weeks.

How big is the job, really?

Most seeding jobs are smaller than they look. Most lawns will likely have problem spots measuring anywhere from 50 to 150 sq feet^[1] surrounded by healthy grass, and complete renovation is costly, very labor-intensive, and often is not required.^[1] Reseeding a few patches is a weekend job for most homeowners. Replacing a whole lawn is a project with heavy equipment and herbicides, and that is where hiring starts to make sense.

When doing it yourself makes sense

• You are overseeding or patching. The tools are within reach: do-it-yourselfers can often reserve core aerators, power rakes and power seeders at equipment rental stores, and most lawn care operators offer renovation services with that equipment.^[1]
• You will prepare the soil. This is the step people skip. Simply applying seed over the top of an existing turf without any soil preparation usually does nothing more than feed birds and wildlife.^[2] At a minimum, plan on multiple passes with a core aerator or a power rake^[1] before you spread seed.
• The timing works. For tall fescue and other cool-season grasses, late summer to mid-fall is the window, and you can plant on the right weekend rather than when a crew has an opening. See the best time to overseed in Virginia.
• You can water. Newly sodded or seeded lawns require more frequent watering for the first three to four weeks,^[3] and seedling or recently established lawns (less than a year old) have little to no drought tolerance.^[3] Someone has to be there, or a timer has to be set up, whoever does the seeding.

Our step-by-step guide to aerating and overseeding a lawn covers the DIY route in detail.

When to hire a pro

• The old lawn has to be killed. A full renovation usually starts with a non-selective herbicide such as glyphosate.^[1] Timing matters: the herbicide should go on at least a week in advance of seeding, but longer is better.^[4]
• A weed preventer went down this year. Turfgrass seeding may be restricted for 60 to 120 days following treatment with preemergence crabgrass preventers,^[4] and a good lawn company will ask about this before it quotes. If you are unsure what was applied, it is worth paying someone to plan around it.
• The soil needs real work. For a new lawn, tilling the soil to a 4- to 6-inch depth is desirable prior to seeding,^[2] and regrading low spots or slopes that drain toward the house takes equipment and skill. Before anyone tills or digs, contact Virginia 811 at least 3 working days in advance.^[11]
• The area is large. Commercial applicators might use a tool with vibrating solid tines, called an aeravator, to prepare a seed bed,^[2] and slit seeders and hydroseeding rigs usually cover ground faster than rental machines.
• You cannot water. If you travel or work long days, ask about companies that include watering or follow-up visits, or consider whether sod fits better. Our guide to seed or sod in Virginia compares the two.

Licences to check before you hire

Which licence applies depends on what the business does on your lawn.

Herbicides and other pesticides. Under Virginia law, no person may apply or recommend for use any pesticide commercially without a pesticide business license and the employment of a certified commercial applicator.^[7] Ask for the licence if the quote includes spraying.

Fertilizer. Virginia requires certification for licensees and contractor-applicators engaged in the commercial application of fertilizers to non-agricultural lands.^[8]

Grading and site work. Virginia law says anyone who contracts to improve real property needs a contractor licence once a single job is over $1,000.^[5][9] The specialty that covers soil work is landscape service contracting, defined as the alteration or improvement of a land area by excavation, clearing or grading.^[6] Hiring a licensed contractor means you become eligible for compensation from Virginia's Contractor Transaction Recovery Fund in cases of improper or dishonest conduct.^[9]

A license number in an advertisement or on a business card does not necessarily mean the contractor's license is valid,^[9] so check it on DPOR's licence lookup.^[10]

Getting quotes you can compare

Get at least three written bids based on the same specifications, and do not automatically accept the lowest.^[9] Virginia law requires all licensed contractors to provide a written contract for residential work.^[9] For a seeding job, the quote should name the grass and variety, the seed rate, the preparation (aeration passes, slit seeding, tilling or a full kill), any lime, fertilizer and straw, who waters and for how long, and what happens if areas fail to come up. Our guide to what it costs to seed a lawn in Virginia lists the materials so you can check the numbers.

Stop and call a pro if

• You find heavy clay, buried debris or rock when you start loosening the soil.
• The seeded areas wash out in the first rain, or water runs across the lawn toward the house.
• A herbicide went down this year and you cannot tell from the label how long to wait.
• Seed fails twice in the same place; see why grass seed is not germinating.

Browse more lawn and landscaping answers, compare sod and seeding services, or find lawn and landscaping businesses near Blacksburg. If you decide to hire, describe the seeding job once and local businesses can quote it.