Artificial turf cost in 2026

Installed cost per square foot

HomeGuide’s 2025 cost guide puts installed turf at $10 to $25 per square foot, including materials and installation. LawnStarter’s 2026 figures put mid-quality turf at $15 to $19 per square foot for materials and labor. Lawn Love’s 2025 range is $5.45 to $20 per square foot, with an average of $12.75. Thumbtack’s 2026 range is $5 to $20 per square foot, with $7 to $15 per square foot for jobs under 1,500 square feet.

HomeAdvisor’s 2026 figures list turf at $2 to $8 per square foot and labor at $4 to $9 per square foot separately. Angi and HomeAdvisor are one company and publish the same national numbers. LawnStarter and Lawn Love share an author and the same tables, so the table contains fewer independent sources than publisher names.

Cost by yard size

HomeGuide’s 2025 size table puts 400 square feet at $4,000 to $10,000, 1,000 square feet at $10,000 to $25,000, and 3,000 square feet at $30,000 to $75,000, including labor and materials. HomeAdvisor’s 2026 normal whole-project range is $3,244 to $8,711, with an average of $5,781. Thumbtack’s 2026 range is $2,709 to $7,660, with an average of $4,569. LawnStarter’s 2026 average artificial grass project covers about 500 square feet, so a typical project sits near the small end of HomeGuide’s table.

Where the money goes

HomeGuide’s 2025 cost guide puts labor at 50% to 60% of the total bill. Angi’s 2026 figures put turf material at $2 to $8 per square foot and installation labor at $4 to $9 per square foot.

Ground prep accounts for the rest of the bill, and Angi’s 2026 figures put installed base rock at $1.20 to $2.25 per square foot. Angi’s 2026 figures put removing the old lawn at $1 to $2.75 per square foot. Excavation runs $50 to $200 per cubic yard in Angi’s 2026 figures. Some yards also need a separate drainage system, which Angi’s 2026 figures put at $2,100 to $7,000.

What pushes a price up or down

Angi names “turf type, installation area size, and the extent of ground prep required” as the main price drivers. For turf fiber, HomeGuide’s 2025 guide calls polyethylene the most popular choice for residential lawns, polypropylene the most budget-friendly, and nylon the strongest at a premium, while LawnStarter’s 2026 guide says nylon turf costs about 20% more. HomeGuide’s 2025 guide says pile height, or how tall the blades stand, is typically 1 to 2 inches for residential lawns. Manufacturer spec sheets also list face weight, measured in ounces of fiber per square yard.

LawnStarter’s 2026 guide says a slope adds 50% to 60% to the price and curved areas add 15% to 20%. Access can affect labor, too. HomeAdvisor’s 2026 putting green guide says severely limited access can double labor costs when crews can’t bring in large equipment and have to work with shovels and wheelbarrows.

Pet turf

For pet turf, Angi’s 2026 pet turf guide puts project costs at $3,000 to $7,800, with an average around $5,420. Angi’s 2026 pet turf guide puts labor at $3 to $12 per square foot and says non-toxic, pet-friendly turf sometimes costs a little more.

Angi’s 2026 main cost guide puts zeolite infill, used for odor control, at $1.15 per pound and says it takes about 1 pound per square foot. Angi’s 2026 pet turf guide puts turf life with dogs at about 10 to 15 years.

Putting greens

For backyard putting greens, HomeAdvisor’s 2026 figures put the cost at $15 to $40 per square foot, with a normal project range of $3,500 to $9,000 and an average of $4,300. HomeAdvisor’s 2026 size tiers put greens under 400 square feet at $25 to $40 per square foot and greens over 2,000 square feet at $15 to $25 per square foot, so the cost per square foot drops as the green gets bigger. HomeGuide’s 2024 figures put upkeep at $250 to $550 a year for cleaning, minor repairs, and infill.

Playgrounds

The 2025 and 2026 cost guides we’re comparing don’t publish a price for playground turf. Fixr’s 2022 cost guide puts installed playground turf at $6 to $20 per square foot, though Fixr doesn’t say whether that figure includes a shock pad. For any playground surface you’re considering, including playground turf, ask for ASTM F1292 test data with a critical height rating, the fall height the surface is rated for.

Turf next to sod

HomeGuide’s 2025 cost guide puts new sod at $1 to $2 per square foot installed, compared with $10 to $25 per square foot installed for turf. LawnStarter’s 2026 figures put installed sod at an average of $1.65 per square foot. HomeAdvisor’s 2026 figures put sod at $1 to $6 per square foot all in. The turf vs. sod comparison looks at both options in full.

Upkeep and removal later on

LawnStarter’s 2026 figures put yearly upkeep at $250 to $350 for brushing, minimal watering, and occasional infill, which is sand or granules brushed between the blades. Angi’s 2026 figures put maintenance and cleaning at $0.25 to $0.35 per square foot.

Published lifespan estimates vary. HomeGuide’s 2025 guide lists 15 to 25 years, Angi’s 2026 guide lists 10 to 20 years, and HomeAdvisor’s 2026 guide lists 5 to 10 years. For removal, HomeGuide’s 2025 guide lists $50 to $100 an hour plus $50 to $60 per 100 square feet for hauling. HomeGuide’s 2025 replacement figure is $10 to $25 per square foot, the same as a new install.

Rebates and rules in Central Texas

Austin Water’s WaterWise Landscaping rebate guide says “Not eligible for the rebate” when it lists artificial turf. In San Antonio, the San Antonio Water System’s WaterSaver coupon helps pay for replacing 200 square feet of grass with a new water-saving flower bed.

Texas Property Code section 202.007 bars HOAs from prohibiting “drought-resistant landscaping or water-conserving natural turf” through their rules. The section doesn’t mention artificial or synthetic turf, so an HOA’s own rules decide whether turf is allowed.