Things to Consider when Buying Artificial Grass

It’s every homeowner’s dream to have a beautiful landscape all year round with natural grass. However, with real grass, you have to deal with mowing, watering, and fertilizing, and can be annoying if you are busy.

You can enjoy the best of both worlds with artificial turf, you can have a beautiful garden with low maintenance.

But before you have the artificial grass installed, consider these four things we have listed.

Consider Your Budget

Knowing the cost will give you an idea if your budget can cover the price for the installation of synthetic grass.

The guide we prepared is for a garden area of 1,000 (25 feet wide x 40 feet long) with a garden wall on one of the 25 foot sides. The values for materials, fees, labor, and company costs do not reflect the existing market values and may vary depending on the company you deal with and your location.

Cost of Artificial Grass

Most homeowners prefer medium to high-grade synthetic grade. The price ranges from $2 to $4 per square foot exclusive of tax. About 10 to 20 percent of artificial grass is wasted on a project.

For the price guide, we use the medians of $3 for the material and 15 percent for waste, and 8 percent for tax.

Total artificial grass material: 1,000 sq. ft. + 150 waste = 1,150 square feet

Artificial grass material cost before taxes: $1,150 x $3 = $3,450

Artificial grass material cost after taxes: $3,450 + 0.08 = $3,726

Artificial grass material cost per square foot: $3,726/1,000 sq. ft. = $3.73

Weed Barrier Fabric

Weed barrier fabric is used to prevent weed from growing through your artificial grass. They sell it in a roll of 1,500 square feet at $78 including tax, enough to cover 1,000 square feet landscape in our guide,

Bender Board or Mow Strip

Bender board or mow strip will separate your artificial lawn from your landscape. A four-inch poly board costs about $18 including taxes and is 20 feet long. For our price guide, we will need bender boards for two 40 foot sides and one 25-foot side.

Perimeter of project: 25 feet + 40 feet + 40 feet = 105 feet

Bender board rolls: 105 feet per roll/20 feet = 6 rolls

Bender board cost: 6 rolls x $18 per roll = $108

Glue, Nails, Seaming Tape, and Stakes

The cost of these materials is roughly $200 for 1,000 square feet.

Total Material Costs

The very basic material cost for a 1,000 square feet of artificial turf is

Total material cost = $3,726 (artificial grass) + $78 (weed barrier fabric) + $108 (bender board or mow strip) + $200 (glue, nails, seaming tape, and stakes) = $4,112

Operation Fees

Operation fees cover actions for transportation of materials that include dump fees, fuel costs, and delivery fees. The costs mentioned are estimates and do not reflect actual costs of the project.

Dump fees: $600 for two trips to the dumpsite to discard dirt.

Fueling costs: $450 throughout the course of the project.

Delivery fees: $400 for the delivery of artificial grass and pertinent materials.

Total operating fees: $1,450

Labor

Almost all prices offered by artificial grass providers for items mentioned are the same. The difference lies in the labor department, for a crew with installers of over 15 years of experience you have to shell out about $5.50 per square foot.

For this guide, we chose a crew with less than 15 years of experience but can get the job done with integrity and quality. This is a crew of 4-5 people and would take about 3 days to complete the project at a cost of $4 per square foot. The labor cost for this guide is about $4,600.

Labor costs: 1,150 square feet x $4= $4,600

Company Overhead Cost

Aside from the material, operation, and labor costs, you have to deal with a company’s overhead cost. The company overhead cost is $1,016.12 from a 10 percent figure.

Company overhead cost: $4,112 (material cost) + $1,450 (operating fees) + $4,600 (labor) = $10,162 x 0.10 = $1,016.12

Total Project Cost

Summing up all the information on the costs, the total cost of the artificial grass project is $11, 178.12 or $11.18 per sq. ft.

Total project cost: $4,112 (material cost) + $1,450 (operating fees) + $4,600 (labor) + $1,016.12 = $11,178,12

Ask for Samples of Artificial Turf

Order for samples of artificial grass before buying. What might look good in photos might disappoint you when you see the samples.

It’s a long-term investment and you don’t want to get stuck with something you don’t like.

This will allow you to compare the quality of the yarn, backing, and the right color, and help you decide if it will fit your landscape. It should look and feel like natural grass and the color should be stable throughout. The artificial turf should be UV stabilized so it won’t fade under the sun. There should be holes in the backing for drainage.

Pile Height and Density of the Artificial Turf

Pile height plays a big part in the overall appearance and feel of your artificial turf. It is the length measured from the tip of the grass blades to the backing.

Shorter ones around 16-27mm. will look like the grass was freshly cut. This pile height will fit your needs if you have children, pets, or like outdoor sports. A 30-37 mm height will give a luxurious look and longer grasses of 40 mm. is soft to the feet but the weight of the pile will flatten it.

Pile density is the number of fibers attached to the backing and suited for areas with high foot traffic or furniture placed on top. Artificial turf with more fibers will have a higher density.

Color of the Grass

Artificial grass comes in various shades of green and some homeowners go with two-tone colors that appear like stripes.

You can easily spot the difference between cheaper ones and natural grass from their flat green shades. Avoid artificial grass that is perfectly green. Choose one with various shades of green and small brown patches for a natural look.