Frequently Asked Questions

National cost guides put it roughly between $1,300 and $5,500: HomeAdvisor lists $1,300 to $4,400 for a half acre and HomeGuide lists $3,500 to $5,500. Where your yard lands depends on how much prep the clay needs, the slope and access. Once we have walked the yard, we put a total in writing and that total does not creep up later.

Yes, when the clay is prepared first. Compacted clay is the usual reason seed fails, so we loosen it, add topsoil where it is missing and grade for drainage before spraying. The mulch layer then keeps the seed moist and in place on bare clay, which dry seed cannot do.

For most sunny-to-partly-shaded home lawns, tall fescue. NC State Extension lists it as best adapted to the Piedmont and the best choice for a lawn that stays green year round. Bermuda and zoysia work for hot, full-sun areas but go brown after the first heavy frost.

For tall fescue, early fall. NC State Extension recommends seeding cool-season grass between mid-August and October 1 depending on location, with mid-February to early March as the Piedmont fallback. Bermuda and zoysia are seeded from late spring through July.

Usually four to six weeks under good conditions. With tall fescue, mow once it reaches about 4.5 inches and take it back to 3 inches, never shorter than 2.5.

Seeding an existing yard does not usually need one. Grading or clearing is different: North Carolina requires an approved erosion and sedimentation control plan for disturbing more than one acre, and Guilford County runs its own local program, so check with them for smaller sites too.

Short, light rounds several times through a hot day, enough to keep the mulch damp without puddling. On clay, short frequent watering works better than long soaks that run off. Taper off as the grass roots in over about three weeks.

National guides list roughly 7 to 35 cents a square foot ($0.07 to $0.35), and HomeGuide's numbers put a 5,000 square foot yard at about $1,000 to $1,750. Heavy clay prep, topsoil and slopes add to that. We quote after seeing the yard.

Once established, yes. A hydroseeded fescue lawn roots directly into your soil, while sod has to root down from a layer grown elsewhere. Sod is a finished lawn the day it is laid; hydroseed needs several weeks before it thickens into one.

You can, but fescue seeded in spring has to survive its first summer with shallow roots. NC State lists mid-February to early March as the Piedmont spring window. Fall seeding is more reliable.

The green dye in the mulch fades over several days. It is there so the crew can see coverage, not to color the lawn.

No. The wood fiber breaks down into the soil as the grass grows.

NC DEQ says graded slopes must be vegetated or otherwise stabilized within 21 calendar days of completing a phase of grading. Some local programs and sensitive watersheds require faster stabilization, so check your approved plan.

They should. We use the plan's seeding schedule, mulch rate and matting details so the work passes inspection.

Yes, with a temporary cover grass and mulch to hold the soil, then permanent seed in the right window. Stabilization deadlines do not wait for September.

Yes. We work for builders, grading contractors, developers and property managers, from single lots to multi-phase sites.

Moderate slopes with sheet flow usually do fine with heavy hydromulch. Steep banks, long slopes and any spot where water concentrates usually need a blanket or bonded fiber matrix.

No. Straw and coir rot away on their own while the turf grows up through the fibers. Certain blankets are made with plastic netting, which we can avoid where wildlife or mowing is a concern.

Bare clay sheds water, and loose seed washes off before it roots. The slope needs a cover that holds seed and soil in place, and sometimes a change in where the water comes from.

Not always, but North Carolina requires erosion control for land-disturbing work regardless of size, and sediment must stay on the site. Bigger disturbances need an approved plan.

North Carolina requires erosion and sediment control for land-disturbing work regardless of size, and sediment must stay on your property. For small jobs, silt fence on the low side is often the simplest way to do that. Check with Guilford County's program for local rules.

Check it after every heavy rain and clean it out before sediment gets halfway up the fabric. Repair any sagging, undermined or run-over sections right away.

It should not. Silt fence is for sheet flow; a ditch carries concentrated water that will overtop or blow out the fence. Channels need different measures.

After the area above it is permanently stabilized with established grass or pavement. Removing it early can send sediment off-site in the next storm.

You can, but it works poorly. Topsoil over packed clay creates a layer that roots and water stop at. Loosen the clay first, then spread topsoil so the two blend.

NC State Extension recommends about a 2 to 3 percent fall away from buildings, roughly a quarter inch per foot.

Many, yes: regrading, shallow French drains, downspout lines and swales. Deep storm lines, walls and foundation waterproofing go to other specialists.

Most new lawns do well with several inches of good topsoil over loosened subsoil; NC State notes typical stripped topsoil runs 4 to 8 inches. We recommend a depth after seeing your soil.

Some will grow, but much of it dries out, washes off or gets eaten. Aerating or slit seeding first, or covering it with hydromulch, puts the seed in contact with soil and gives far better results.

Early fall, usually September. NC State Extension recommends mid-August to October 1 for cool-season seeding, with mid-February to early March as a weaker spring fallback in the Piedmont.

Tall fescue grows in clumps and does not spread to fill gaps. Heat, drought, shade and disease thin it each summer, so new seed replaces what was lost.

Only once weeds, bermuda or bare dirt take up over roughly half the yard. Short of that, overseeding is cheaper and faster.