How K-12 and university facilities teams should plan major landscape projects during the 10-week summer window — sequencing, procurement, and weather risks.
The summer break window (late May through early August) is the only viable time for disruptive grounds renovation on education campuses. Planning should start in January: identify scope (field re-sodding, irrigation system overhaul, tree removal, hardscape repair), issue RFPs by March, award contracts by April, and have crews mobilized within 72 hours of the last student day. Critical sequencing: demolition and grading first (Week 1-2), irrigation and drainage work second (Week 3-4), hardscape and planting third (Week 5-7), sod installation and establishment last (Week 8-10). Florida summer rain is both an asset (free irrigation for new sod) and a risk (delays grading and concrete work). Build 2-week weather contingency into every schedule. Athletic field renovations need extra lead time: Bermuda sod requires 6-8 weeks of establishment before foot traffic, so fields cut for fall sports must be sodded by mid-June at the latest.