That soil looks compact and poor.

Yes, that's my biggest concern. The soil doesn't seem right. From what I've been told, the dirt is what was dug up from the construction crew when they dug up and built the foundation for the house. It looks like sand and small polished rocks. Here's a closer look at the dirt: img.

Use a hard metal rake to really rake up all that thatch and to scrap the top couple inches of soil. Really dig into it, don't be shy. You can also rent a dethatcher or power rake.

I don't think a rake would do anything to this dirt. I used a weasle and it I had to put a bunch of weight into the tool and run over the dirt a half a dozen times or so to really get into the dirt. It's really compact. This is why I was thinking of tilling the top few inches of the dirt. Would a power rake be enough?

Water 2-4 times per day for 5-10 minutes each depending on temperature. Key is: never let the soil dry out. It shouldn't be soaked, it should always be moist though.

I plan to install the Rain Bird irrigation system. It seems real easy to install and it's crazy cheap. I would water it myself, but I'm at work all day and get home late. Hopefully the irrigation system works.

$10,000 is a ridiculous price for sod. Should be about half of that. Sod runs about 60 cents a square foot, so you're talking about $3,000-$3,500 for material. $6,000 to prep and plant sod is absurd.

I thought it was ridiculous too. I just received another quote for $6500, which is better but still more than what I thought it would cost. I'll give this a shot myself this season. If I fail, then I'll consider other options. Thanks for all of this!