How much does artificial turf cost to install?
National ballpark ranges before the regional adjustment in the calculator. Every figure here is an estimate, not a quote. Use the tool above for a number tuned to your ZIP and area, then get local quotes.
Installed by a professional, artificial turf usually runs somewhere around $9.40 to $17.00 per square foot for standard-grade turf once you include the turf, aggregate base, weed barrier, infill, and labor. That puts a small 500 sq ft backyard around $4,700 to $8,500 as a rough range, with larger or harder-to-access yards running higher.
Doing it yourself removes the labor line, the single biggest cost in a pro quote, so DIY typically lands around $5.65 to $9.60 per square foot in materials plus tool rental. The trade-off is a physically demanding job and the risk that a poorly built base shortens the life of the turf.
Because installed turf pricing swings so much with yard access, base depth, turf grade, and local labor rates, treat these as planning numbers. The calculator above adjusts for your region, and you should still gather two or three local quotes before you budget.
Artificial turf cost per square foot by grade
Turf grade is the biggest single price lever. These are national estimate ranges from the same model the calculator uses; your ZIP nudges them up or down.
Swipe sideways to see every column.
| Turf grade | Material only /sq ft | Installed by pro /sq ft | DIY /sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | $2.00 to $3.00 | $7.90 to $15.00 | $4.15 to $7.60 |
| Standard | $3.50 to $5.00 | $9.40 to $17.00 | $5.65 to $9.60 |
| Premium | $5.50 to $8.00 | $11.40 to $20.00 | $7.65 to $12.60 |
Material is the turf itself. The installed and DIY columns add base, weed barrier, and infill (plus labor for the pro column). All figures are estimates. Local quotes commonly land outside these ranges.
Economy turf is lighter with a shorter warranty and suits low-traffic or pet-only areas. Standard is the mid-grade most homeowners pick. Premium is heavier, looks the most natural, and tends to last the longest, so it can cost less per year even though it costs more up front. Whichever grade you price, confirm the real number with local quotes.
What drives the cost of a turf install
A turf quote is really five or six line items stacked together. Here is what each one runs per square foot, as an estimate.
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| Line item | Estimated cost /sq ft |
|---|---|
| Turf material (economy to premium) | $2.00 to $8.00 |
| Aggregate base + weed barrier | $1.50 to $3.00 |
| Infill (sand) | $0.40 to $1.00 |
| Professional install labor | $4.00 to $8.00 |
| Existing lawn removal (pro) | $1.00 to $2.50 |
| DIY tools + rental (no labor) | $0.25 to $0.60 |
Use these unit ranges to sanity-check a quote: multiply each line by your area, then compare against the installer's breakdown. Ask any pro to itemize base depth, infill, and labor separately.
The base is the part most people underestimate and the part that most affects how long the turf lasts. A proper install strips the old lawn, lays and compacts several inches of aggregate for drainage, then rolls out a weed barrier before the turf goes down. Skimping here is the most common cause of turf that ripples, puddles, or fails early.
Removing an existing lawn adds a real line. A pro charges roughly $1.00 to $2.50 per square foot to strip and haul it off; a DIYer renting a sod cutter and paying disposal usually spends closer to $0.45 to $1.13 per square foot. The calculator lets you toggle this on or off. Either way, confirm the number with local quotes.
DIY vs professional install: worked example
A 500 sq ft yard, standard-grade turf, national base rates. Same materials; the difference is labor.
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| Yard size | DIY estimate | Professional estimate |
|---|---|---|
| 300 sq ft | $1,695 to $2,880 | $2,820 to $5,100 |
| 500 sq ft | $2,825 to $4,800 | $4,700 to $8,500 |
| 1,000 sq ft | $5,650 to $9,600 | $9,400 to $17,000 |
| 1,500 sq ft | $8,475 to $14,400 | $14,100 to $25,500 |
Standard-grade turf at national base rates, before regional adjustment and before optional lawn removal. Estimates only, not quotes.
For the 500 sq ft example, DIY materials and rental come to roughly $2,825 to $4,800, while a professional install lands around $4,700 to $8,500. The gap is almost entirely labor. DIY saves that labor but costs you a demanding weekend or two, the risk of a base you build yourself, and tool rental. If you are not confident compacting a base and cutting clean seams, the pro premium often buys peace of mind and a workmanship warranty. Get local quotes either way so you are comparing your real options.
Is artificial turf cheaper than real grass long-term?
Turf costs a lot up front and almost nothing to run. A real lawn is the opposite. Where they cross depends on your water bill and how you value your time.
Artificial turf front-loads the cost: a big install bill, then years of near-zero maintenance with no mowing, watering, fertilizer, or weed control. A natural lawn is cheap to establish but costs money every season to keep up. The more you spend each year on water and lawn care, the faster turf pays back.
In our lawn cost model, paying a crew to mow and treat a 500 sq ft lawn runs about $1,076 a year, so a $4,700 to $8,500 standard install pays for itself in roughly 4 to 8 years. If you mow and feed that lawn yourself, materials run about $44 a year, so turf rarely pays back on lawn-care costs alone. Water savings shorten both, most in dry regions with expensive water. Treat any payback year as a rough estimate and price it against your own numbers and local quotes.
Cost is only half the decision. For the rest of it, including heat underfoot, pets, drainage, resale, and what happens at end of life, read our artificial turf vs natural grass comparison.
- Compare cost per year, not just install price. A pricier premium install that lasts 18 years can cost less per year than a cheap one you replace in 8.
- Factor in your water bill and any local watering restrictions. Turf pays back fastest where water is expensive.
- Remember the maintenance you stop paying for: mowing, fertilizer, weed control, and irrigation repairs all go to near zero with turf.
Ways to spend less on artificial turf
- Get at least three local quotes. Installed turf pricing swings widely by crew and yard access, so the numbers here are ballparks, not bids.
- Buy turf by the full roll and plan your seams to cut waste. Narrow or oddly shaped areas waste more material and push the per-square-foot cost up.
- Do the demo and base prep yourself even if a pro installs the turf. The base and removal labor are a big share of the quote.
- Reuse a sound existing sub-base or hard edge where you can, so you are not paying to rebuild what already works.
- Weigh premium turf on cost per year, not sticker price. A longer warranty can make the pricier roll the cheaper long-term choice.