New sod, properly prepared — Chestermere

This is our standard sod process, shown on a real Chestermere yard: the same ground-up rebuild every installation gets.

Hard, compacted soil, old weeds and roots, and a grade that was never right are the usual reasons a lawn needs replacing. Rolling new sod over the top fixes none of them.

Updated October 23, 2026

Scope: sod installation and grading in Chestermere

Neighbourhood: Chestermere
Services performed: Sod installation, ground preparation, grading

How we rebuilt the ground before laying sod

1. Strip. Where there's an existing lawn, it comes out first — grass, weeds and thatch — with the Bobcat MT100, taking as little good soil along with it as possible.
2. Inspect. Checked what was underneath. Hard, compacted or clay-heavy soil under the old lawn or builder's fill is common in both Calgary and Chestermere, especially on newer builds.
3. Loosen. Scarified the compacted ground with the MT100 so the new topsoil isn't sitting on a sealed layer roots can't get through.
4. Grade. Rough-graded with the Bobcat, checking fall against the house, sidewalks, fence lines and downspouts so water moves where it should instead of pooling.
5. Topsoil. Brought in quality growing soil and built it up where the existing ground was poor — not just a thin skim coat over hard clay.
6. Firm & settle. Firmed the new soil enough to prevent dips and footprints showing up later, without compacting it so hard roots can't move through it.
7. Hand-finish. Raked out machine marks, rocks and clumps by hand, and set the soil slightly below sidewalks and edging so the finished sod sits flush, not proud.
8. Sod. Laid fresh #1 nursery sod with tight, staggered seams and clean cuts around beds and hardscape.
9. Roll & water. Rolled the new lawn for full soil contact, then watered it in immediately.

Materials: #1 nursery sod and quality growing topsoil

• #1 nursery sod
• Quality growing topsoil

Equipment: Bobcat MT100, dump trailer, roller and rakes

Bobcat MT100 track loader, dump trailer, sod roller, landscape rakes.

Result: a Chestermere lawn on a rebuilt base

The lawn has a rebuilt base underneath it instead of resting on the same compacted ground that was there before — which is what actually decides whether a new lawn holds up past the first season, not just how it looks on installation day.

“Local Lawns did a great job installing sod at our house in Chestermere. They leveled the yard properly and the new lawn looks amazing. The crew was on time, worked fast, and cleaned everything up after. Highly recommend them if you need sod installed in Chestermere.”

New sod, properly prepared — Chestermere: common questions

Why not just roll new sod over the old lawn or existing ground?

Because sod is only as good as what's underneath it. Soil that's still compacted, full of old roots, or poorly graded doesn't get fixed by fresh turf on top — it shows up later as dips, soft spots, thin patches or standing water. Roots are the clearest case: on a SE Calgary front lawn where a tree had been taken down, the root plate and roots were pulled and the soil rebuilt before any sod went down. The prep is most of the job; the sod itself is the last hour of it.

How soon does new sod need water?

Immediately — the first watering should soak all the way through the sod into the soil below. From there it needs to stay consistently moist through establishment, more often in Calgary summer heat than in spring or fall. The new sod watering guide sets out the first three weeks.

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