But after that, many people do wonder if artificial grass is expensive. It's not quite as simple as a yes or a no. Many home projects have high upfront costs but pay for themselves over time. Redoing a roof is expensive, but it lasts a long time and prevents serious damage to the home. Upgrading appliances costs money, but doing so makes your life easier. In the same way, artificial turf is an investment in your property.
The initial costs are certainly higher for installing artificial grass when compared to sodding live grass. Artificial turf can cost anywhere from $5-20 per square foot. What homeowners should consider, however, are the long-term benefits. Pricing artificial turf has to factor in the cost of upkeep. Unlike live grass, which needs mowing, watering, and eventually reseeding when some parts of it die, turf requires virtually zero maintenance. This saves the average American thousands of dollars per year.
And that's not even thinking about the landscaping. Long-term use of weed killers and fertilizers is more expensive than artificial grass. Plus, you save the effort of needing to constantly weed or re-mulch where grass seed has crossed the boundary of a flower bed. From a future perspective, artificial turf certainly saves time and money versus constantly caring for live grass.
Water especially can add up in warmer climates reliant on sprinkler irrigation systems. In recent years, it's become an environmentally friendly and money-saving approach to simply let lawns go dormant in the summer. Yet too long without water leads to more than just brown grass—eventually, patches die or the soil loses nutrients—meaning homeowners must eventually choose between paying to water their lawns or paying to reseed the following season.
Artificial turf avoids the price of irrigation and holds up year after year. A durable turf not only keeps your lawn looking comfortable and inviting all months of the year, but it also saves money on annual maintenance and utilities.
These benefits only multiply when you consider larger facilities such as a football stadium. Investing in a high-quality artificial turf is easily comparable to the pricing of mowing and repainting the lines frequently throughout a sports season. Yes, some NFL stadiums have real grass and take pride in it, but many facilities lack NFL-sized budgets to meticulously mow and maintain the field. Well-designed turf lasts for years, even with high-action wear from athlete cleats.
It doesn't have to be a sports stadium for turf to save a facility money. Playgrounds can use turf in place of mulch or pea gravel, again saving the annual cost of maintaining and resurfacing the floor. As an added benefit, many donors may be more willing to participate in playground fundraisers when they know the materials are long-lasting, safe, and visually appealing.
Unless you're a farmer, you probably don't have insurance on your crops. So when something goes wrong with your live grass, you're left to fix the problem out of pocket. Droughts can destroy live grass, or—the opposite—heavy floods can create stagnant pools or trenches in your yard. The pricing of artificial turf includes several hidden benefits such as excellent drainage and a manufacturer warranty.
Turf is easy to clean and won't get muddy in a rainstorm. If in some event your turf needs replacing, it's often available under warranty, meaning artificial grass can be less expensive than making major landscaping repairs after severe weather. Artificial grass is both easier to maintain and easier to replace in a worst-case scenario. That said, you likely won't need to replace your turf after a strong weather event. Most turfs can last for years or even decades without needing any extensive repairs.
With all these considerations, it's easy to see that although artificial grass seems expensive during the initial installation, over time the investment pays for itself. Homeowners who care about the health and appearance of their lawns will see immediate savings to both their wallets and free time when they choose artificial turf.
The exact cost of installation will depend on the size of your lawn and which turf you choose. FusionTurf has the perfect type of artificial grass for nearly any application. We only use the best materials available to create a natural-looking landscape that suits your needs. With our many options, you'll find artificial turf priced to match your budget.
We provide customized estimates based on the exact specifications of your project. Our national network of distributors can process your order in a matter of days. When you're ready to start saving on your lawn, contact us online or call 844-213-8873 for a consultation.