What a Condo Board Should Require in a Sod Replacement Proposal
Before requesting sod prices, a condo board needs to agree on what it is buying. Otherwise, one contractor may price installation alone while another includes removal, disposal, preparation, and follow-up. The board receives several totals but still lacks a common project definition.
Think of the request as instructions that a new board member could understand without attending the site visit. It should identify the work, the boundaries, the decisions already made, and the questions that remain open. That preparation makes the eventual approval easier to explain to residents.
Photo: Tima Miroshnichenko / Pexels. Illustrative stock photo; not a Centurion project.
1. Describe the outcome and mark the boundaries
Start with the result the association wants: replace failing turf in the identified common areas, retain healthy areas, and hand the installed sections over to an agreed maintenance plan. Avoid a vague request to make the grounds look better.
Describe the locations to be considered and share photographs or an existing property plan if available. Identify areas that should remain untouched, such as planting beds, private patios, drainage features, and turf scheduled for later work. Ask each bidder to visit the property, take the necessary measurements, and document the included work areas and exclusions. The board does not need to provide square footage.
Give each area a recognizable name, such as Building C courtyard or east parking island. Use those names in the estimate, resident notices, change requests, and completion photographs.
2. Specify what preparation must be described
Ask the contractor to explain the proposed removal method, debris handling, preparation, and finished transitions at walks and beds. Require any proposed soil work to be identified by location, purpose, and included quantity. A phrase such as prepare ground leaves too much room for different interpretations.
UF/IFAS emphasizes that appropriate preparation and care after installation influence whether new sod succeeds. Translate that principle into a request for a documented installation sequence, rather than assuming the grass purchase covers every necessary step.
Unknown underground conditions should be listed as unknowns. Request a process for documenting discoveries, proposing changes, and obtaining written authorization before additional work proceeds.
3. Identify the grass and the conditions it must suit
Have the proposal identify the turf species and cultivar when known, together with the basis for the selection. Ask the contractor to flag shaded sections, repeated traffic routes, and other areas where the proposed turf may be unsuitable.
Also request an explanation of delivery coordination, inspection of incoming material, and treatment of damaged or unsuitable sod. If the specified cultivar is unavailable, require the proposed substitute to come back for review before delivery. The board should not discover a material change after installation.
4. Assign irrigation, access, and resident coordination
List who will evaluate irrigation before work, authorize repairs, operate controllers during establishment, and monitor newly installed sections. State whether irrigation repairs are included, separately priced, or handled by the association’s existing provider.
Describe delivery access, staging space, equipment restrictions, parking conflicts, and protected features. Identify who prepares resident notices and who answers questions while crews are onsite. A single association contact can consolidate instructions and prevent contradictory requests from individual residents.
Ask for the assumptions behind the proposed schedule. A start date that depends on repairs, access, or water availability needs those dependencies written beside it.
5. Define the handoff before the project starts
Separate installation completion from the later assessment of establishment. Ask what will be inspected at each stage, who attends, and how unresolved items are recorded. Completion evidence can include area photographs, a walkthrough record, care instructions, and an agreed list of remaining work.
Request any warranty terms in writing, including coverage, exclusions, reporting deadlines, and the responsibilities assigned to the association. Do not interpret a general promise to stand behind the work as a defined warranty.
UF/IFAS publishes guidance for community associations selecting landscape contractors. Its emphasis on clear communication and documented responsibilities is useful here, while the association’s own advisers should review its agreement.
6. Check the request before sending it
Use this compact checklist to test whether contractors can price the same project:
Clearly identified work areas and exclusions, with measurements supplied by the contractor.
Preparation, disposal, material selection, and substitutions.
Irrigation responsibilities and unresolved site conditions.
Access, resident communication, scheduling assumptions, and phases.
Price inclusions, exclusions, allowances, and change approval.
Walkthroughs, care handoff, written warranty terms, and completion records.
Board decision: approve a defined scope
A useful proposal request makes uncertainty visible before it becomes a disagreement. The board does not need to prescribe every installation technique; it needs enough detail to understand what the contractor proposes and what the association must provide.
To discuss a common-area sod scope with Centurion Landscaping, request a planning review at Request a common-area sod planning review. Include the property address, descriptions or photographs of the areas of concern, and any existing irrigation findings. The contractor can identify the work areas and take measurements during the site assessment.
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