Artificial turf cost

Artificial turf costs $6 to $18 per square foot installed, typically around $11. A 500 square foot backyard is therefore $3,000 to $9,000, and most land near $5,500 once the old lawn is out and the base is down.

The turf itself is roughly a third of that price. The rest is digging out, laying and compacting a crushed-rock base, and fixing the edges, and that is the part that decides whether the lawn is still flat and draining in year eight.

What it costs

Small, cut-up areas with lots of curves, beds and trees to work around sit at the top of the range. A large rectangle with truck access sits at the bottom.

The base is the job

Turf is a carpet. It shows every hollow, ridge and soft spot underneath it, and it does nothing to hide them over time.

A proper installation goes like this:

• Strip the lawn and 3 to 4 inches of soil, and haul it away. This is heavy, and it is where access matters most.
• Kill anything perennial first. Bermuda grass and nutsedge will come up through the seams of a turf laid over them.
• Lay 3 to 4 inches of crushed rock, usually decomposed granite or class II road base, in lifts.
• Compact each lift with a plate compactor, and wet it as you go.
• Grade for drainage, a slight fall away from the house, because rain and dog urine have to go somewhere.
• Fix the perimeter with edging or nails into a header board so the turf cannot creep.

Where the quotes differ by $4 a square foot, it is almost always here. A crew that rakes the soil level and rolls the turf out on top will be cheaper, and the result is a lawn that ripples, puddles and lifts at the edges within two or three years. Ask how deep the base is, what it is made of, and whether it is compacted in lifts.

Infill, pets and heat

Infill is the sand brushed into the fibers. It holds the turf down, keeps the blades standing and protects the backing from sunlight. Plain silica sand is cheapest. Coated sand costs more and does not harbor bacteria. Crumb rubber is mostly avoided now for yards.

Pet turf needs three things plain turf does not: a fully perforated or flow-through backing, a base that drains quickly, and a zeolite or antimicrobial infill that traps ammonia. Without them the smell builds within a summer. Budget a hose-down weekly in hot weather and an enzyme cleaner monthly where a dog uses the same spot.

Heat is the drawback installers mention least. On a sunny summer afternoon turf can reach 150 to 180°F, often 40 to 60 degrees hotter than real grass beside it, which is too hot for bare feet or paws. Cooling infills and lighter fibers take some of the edge off but do not solve it. On a south- or west-facing yard in a hot climate, plan for shade or a quick rinse before use.

Lifespan, and turf against sod over ten years

Good turf lasts 10 to 15 years in a lightly used yard and 8 to 10 under dogs and children. It fails by fading, fibers flattening in the traffic lanes, and seams opening. If the base was done properly, replacement is $4 to $9 a square foot because only the surface is changed.

Take a 1,000 square foot lawn over ten years:

Against a lawn you mow yourself in a temperate climate, turf never pays back. It comes out level or ahead only where water is expensive and restricted, where a service is doing the mowing, or where grass simply will not grow: deep shade, a dog run, a strip too narrow to mow. For the sod side of that comparison, see sod installation cost, and for replacing a lawn with something that is not grass at all, see xeriscaping cost.

What a good quote includes

A quote worth signing states the turf product by name, face weight in ounces and pile height, the depth and type of base, whether it is compacted in lifts, the infill type and pounds per square foot, how seams are joined, and how the edges are fixed. It should include removal and disposal of the existing lawn, and say whether irrigation lines in the area are capped or rerouted.

Warranties come in two layers. The manufacturer covers the fiber against fading, usually 8 to 15 years. The installer covers the workmanship, seams and base, and that is the one that matters. Anything under two years on labor is a warning.

If you are weighing turf against the other ways of getting rid of grass, lawn replacement cost sets them side by side.

Frequently asked questions

How hot does artificial turf get in summer?

Hot enough to hurt. In full sun at 90°F air temperature the surface commonly reads 150°F or more. It cools within minutes of shade or a light spray of water, which is why many owners in hot regions fit a mister or rinse it before children play.

Does artificial turf smell when dogs use it?

Only if the drainage or infill is wrong, or it is never rinsed. A flow-through backing, a fast-draining base and zeolite infill keep it neutral with a weekly hose-down. Turf laid over compacted clay without a proper base will smell by the first summer, and cleaning does not fix it.

Can artificial turf be laid over concrete or an old patio?

Yes, and it is one of the few cases where no crushed-rock base is needed. It needs a foam pad underneath for comfort and drainage holes or a slight fall so water does not sit. Expect $5 to $10 a square foot for a balcony or roof terrace.

How often does the infill need topping up?

Every one to two years in the heavily used areas, less elsewhere. You will notice the fibers lying flat and the backing showing through. A few bags of sand brushed in with a power broom is an afternoon's work, or part of a $150 to $400 professional clean.