The honest 2026 number: $10–$20 per square foot installed — a typical 800 sqft backyard conversion lands $8,000–$16,000. It’s real construction money. The question is the 15-year one: turf is the only yard purchase that deletes a recurring bill instead of adding one.
| Component | Share of a pro install |
|---|---|
| Excavation, haul-off & base prep | 35–45% |
| Turf material (quality tier decides) | 25–35% |
| Infill, seaming, edging, nails | 10–15% |
| Labor & finish detail | 15–25% |
The quote-reading rule: two turf quotes $4,000 apart are almost never about the grass — they're about base depth, compaction passes, and drainage. Ask both crews the same three questions: how deep is the excavation, what's the base spec, and where does water go. The vague answer is the expensive one, delivered later.
Keeping real grass instead? That decision deserves real numbers too — the mowing guide and irrigation guide price the other path. Either way, get a written quote from a crew in your metro.
Describe the yard and what it needs — hear back within one business day.
The turf itself is only $2–$5/sqft — the money is in the earthwork: excavating 3–4 inches, hauling spoils, compacted base rock, weed barrier, drainage, seaming, infill, and edging. It's hardscape construction that happens to look soft.
Run the 15-year math: a 800 sqft lawn costs roughly $2,000–$3,500/year in mowing, water, and treatments in a Sun Belt metro. A $12,000 turf install with near-zero upkeep crosses over around year 4–6 — faster where water is expensive, slower where a teenager mows free.
Heat and dogs. Turf surfaces hit 150°F+ in desert summer sun (infill choice and shade matter), and pet sections need proper drainage design plus enzyme rinses. Cheap installs skimp exactly there — base depth and drainage are where quotes should differ, not turf color.
Quality turf professionally installed runs 15–20 years with the infill topped up occasionally. The failure mode of cheap installs isn't the fibers — it's wrinkles, seams, and drainage, all base-prep problems, all visible by year two.
Weekly lawn mowing runs $40–$70 per visit for most suburban lots in 2026 — small lots from $30, half-acre-plus from $80.
Read the guide →Yard cleanups run $200–$800 for most properties in 2026; heavily overgrown lots run $1,000+.
Read the guide →Tree trimming runs $300–$1,200 per tree in 2026; removals $500–$2,500+, with large or hazardous trees higher.
Read the guide →