How much will it cost you to have artificial grass installed on your property? This is a difficult question to answer even when you have an artificial grass cost calculator. That is mostly because there are so many different moving parts:
- What size lawn do you have?
- Where do you want the synthetic grass installed (lawn, patio, around your swimming pool, etc.)?
- What kind of artificial grass do you want?
- Do you need an infill? If so, what kind?
- Are you going to be doing it yourself, or are you hiring a professional contractor? If so, which contractor and how much do they charge?
Do you see how quickly you can go down a rabbit hole and never really get a definitive answer to your question? In fact, all these questions have varied answers because every single homeowner is different and has different needs when it comes to artificial grass installation.
What is true across the board, however, is that the initial cost will be slightly considerable (in the thousands of dollars), but that will be about the only real cost you have to bear as far as your lawn is concerned.
Artificial grass does not call for additional care and expenditure as natural grass, which means you will have no recurrent costs over the years, which is a good thing.
How Much Does It Cost to Install Artificial Grass?
Now, since it’s already been stated that arriving at an exact number is difficult and can only be done through sourcing out quotes, let’s look at a few figures that might help you get a good idea of how much this whole process is going to cost.
Note: These figures are variable averages and may change with each contractor as well as with time.
The Average Cost of Installing Synthetic Grass
Artificial grass is sold by the square foot. A quick look at the different types available on Amazon will show you that you can expect to pay anything between $5 – $20 per square foot depending on the type of grass you choose.
That figure, however, is indicative of the total cost required to have it installed in association with the necessary materials. The grass itself is about $2 – $8 per square foot.
This price is dependent on the kind of material used to make the synthetic grass itself:
- Polyethylene grass: This is the cheapest option with a typical price range falling between a dollar or two per square foot depending on the vendor. This particular option goes for $1.45 per square foot.
- Polypropylene grass: It is not as cheap as polyethylene, but it’s soft and moderately long-lasting. This particular option goes for about $1.70 per square foot.
- Nylon grass: Artificial turf made out of nylon is considered the best in the industry. It doesn’t stain; it lasts long and its child and pet-friendly. These types of turf are usually a bit pricier than the first two.
Now to get the average cost to install artificial grass on your lawn, all you have to do is multiply the price per square foot by the size of your lawn. Let’s say, for example, you have a 500-square-foot lawn and have decided to go for synthetic grass costing $10 per square foot.
$10X500(sq. ft.) = $5,000
That’s how much you would have to pay to have artificial turf installed on that lawn.
You need to consider the fact that this $5,000 isn’t exactly the total amount of money you will spend. There are other associated expenses that come with the installation of artificial turf.
Associated Expenses that You Need to Include in Your Artificial Grass Cost Calculator
Other than the cost of artificial grass, there are a few other expenses you have to consider. These are associated costs that you will have to foot thanks to the materials and tools necessary for the successful completion of the project.
Here is a shortlist of some of the associated costs that come with the installation of artificial turf:
- Road Base: This is what will form the base of this entire project. The cheapest options here go for about 35 cents per square foot.
- Weed Suppressing Material: This is one of the most important pieces of material since it will create a barrier between your synthetic turf and the natural weed that grows on the lawn. This will save you money by preventing the use of weed killers, pesticides and the replacement of your turf should it be taken over by weeds. You will typically find the fabric selling for about $70 per 1000 square feet.
- Poly or Bender Board: Whenever you want to install turf on soft-scape edges, you will need to include a bender board to support the turf that runs alongside those edges. You will typically find bender boards selling for about $20 per roll, with each roll giving you 20ft.
- Sand, Crushed Stone, or Grit: The price of gravel for the foundation also varies greatly depending on a few factors: the brand you buy; where you buy it; if you buy it wholesale and whether or not you pick it up yourself or have it delivered to you. Typically, you can expect to spend about $10 – $90 per cubic yard.
- Labor Costs: This is yet another area where the costs will vary greatly depending on who you hire. Typically, however, you can expect to spend about $3 per square foot.
As mentioned earlier, it’s not easy determining the cost of artificial grass installation because there are very many variables involved. Thankfully, however, most contractors have included an artificial grass cost calculator that can help clarify things.
The best approach would be to find a trustworthy contractor, and either use the calculator on their website to get an approximate figure or have them send you a quote based on the information provided.
You can expect to spend about $5,000 – $8,000 for the installation of artificial turf on a 500-square-foot lawn. Of course, this figure will also vary depending on the type of grass you choose, the contractor you hire, and the materials you use.