Since artificial turf’s inception, home and business owners in Laguna Nigel and across the country have been skeptical of installing it on their properties. This is not just because of how turf of decades’ past looked, but also because of misconceptions about the cost of synthetic turf compared to natural grass. However, time and technological advances have proven that artificial grass is not just as aesthetically pleasing as its natural counterpart, but that it is also far superior at conserving water and earning you a substantial return on investment.

Let’s dig into the annual cost of a natural grass lawn. It costs roughly 0.623 gallons of water to irrigate a single square foot of natural grass. The average lawn is about 700 square feet, so 436 gallons of water are required to properly water a lawn. Multiply that by 365 days a year, and that can be 150,000 gallons of water per year just to water your lawn every day! In the Los Angeles area, roughly 68% of all water consumption occurs at the residential level, for uses such as this. 

In addition to water usage, there are expenditures for lawn maintenance equipment and services such as cutting, weeding, mowing, trimming, and pesticides. All told, the average homeowner can look forward to spending roughly $200 per month, or $2,400 per year, on lawn maintenance. 

Using up this many resources just to maintain a green lawn is not only irresponsible in an age where conservation is becoming increasingly important, but it is also very expensive. Water costs roughly 0.004 cents per gallon, so it costs about $1.75 to water a 700 sq/ft lawn. That doesn’t sound too terrible, but if you water every day of the year, the cost comes out to roughly $635 annually just to keep the grass fresh. Tack on the maintenance and services costs that average $200 per month, and we end up with this equation:

200 x 12 + 635 = 3,035

That’s $3,035 dollars per year on a 700 sq/ft lawn, and that’s just for maintenance! Laying down a brand-new lawn can cost $2,000 if it’s a DIY project and even more if you hire a professional service.

Now, let’s compare installing a synthetic turf lawn. Artificial grass costs roughly $9 per square foot, depending on the type used, so a 700 sq/ft lawn would run about $6,300 for initial costs. This is much more money upfront, but your artificial turf will never need to be mowed, trimmed, watered daily, or treated with pesticides. The most maintenance that synthetic turf requires is an occasional rinse-down and cross-brushing, and it’s capable of lasting up to fifteen years. This means that an artificial grass lawn will cost less than a natural lawn after just a fifth of its lifespan. Lower long-term costs and less maintenance mean more time to spend on the things you actually want to use your lawn for, whether it’s playing with the kids or hosting BBQ nights.  A splash of green adds vibrancy and a sense of good health to a fitness center, and thanks to the fact that synthetic turf looks good at all times, it presents a clean and professional style for your business. Synthetic turf comes in a broad range of colors, pile heights, yarn compositions, and backings, so it’s suitable for any application. Some businesses prefer rubber or cork infill and padding, while some go without. Synthetic turf can also feature inlaid lines, hash marks, numbers, and business logos to facilitate training sessions and enhance brand awareness.

If you’d like to get an artificial grass lawn for your Laguna Nigel home or business, contact the experts at OC Turf & Putting Greens. We use market-leading artificial grass products and perform installations with sub-base and infill materials that can handle wet weather environments. With five-star customer service ratings, we’re one of the most trusted synthetic turf installers in Southern California. If you’d like to learn more about our artificial grass products and services or would like to get a free installation estimate, call us today at (888) 526-2289.