To Sod or Not to Sod my backyard..that is the question

You HAVE to sod the backyard. trust me on this one. You should get the builders to do it for you if you can. If not, it will be a lot of work, and throwing out seed and hoping for the best just won't cut it.

 

it can also affect your drainage areas in the backyard once rain starts to hit if theres no sod

 

Yes. Grass holds the dirt in. No grass, and runoff will be terrible, your yard will have to be leveled if you do decide to put grass in one day, then you are paying for dirt, grass, and labor. Just do it now and avoid the headache.

 

since it sounds like you are in a new neighborhood, hire some of the workers to do the manual labor (it will be cheap and worth it).
Get the pallets of sod delivered.

and water a lot

 

my brother and I pulled up my section of grass which just dies in summer due to water restrictions and also a section of paving and put down some artifical grass, it is awesome, looks great (has 3 different cuts it including one that is brownish) and a result doesn't look as fake.... it awesome to lie on.... will try to post a pic tonight when i get home