As Greene said, soil prep is very important. Unfortunately, most "lawns" start as a cleaned up area after the house is built and sod is brought in and rolled out with little to no prep. Not a very good way to get a happy strong lawn.
I know folks in your area are in for some rough times lawn-wise with the new restrictions on water usage, Kelli. I wonder what effect that will have on big companies like Nestle and all the golf courses and campuses?