How Much Do You Save With Artificial Grass?
Read time: 6-7 minutes
You can save $1,000 a year or more in maintenance costs by switching from natural grass to artificial grass.
Over the life of a patch of artificial turf, that amounts to a huge saving — even taking into account the higher installation costs.
Indeed, it’s one of the main reasons why homeowners in the Dallas-Fort Worth area keep making the switch: not only does your home benefit from evergreen lawn areas for many years with virtually no effort from you — but you actually save money in the longer term.
If the generous return on investment of synthetic grass, low maintenance, and lack of mud/dead grass patches don’t interest you, perhaps the water conservation, environmental benefits, safety, and pet friendliness might.
Any way you cut it, synthetic grass makes a lot of sense for many households in the DFW area.
Let’s take a closer look at what you can save with artificial grass…
Expected cost savings of artificial grass: Summary
1,000 square-foot artificial lawn in the DFW area
Estimated savings in 1 year:
(minus) -$6,550 to $7,250
Estimated savings in 5 years:
(minus) – $750 to -$2,250
Estimated savings in 10 years:
$4,000 to $6,500
Estimated savings in 15 years:
$10,250 to $13,750
Estimated savings in 20 years:
$16,500 to $21,000
How can artificial grass save money?
Synthetic turf saves on yard maintenance costs, water bills, lawnmower fuel and more. As you will see in the next section, this can amount to a saving of more than $1,000 per year.
Maintenance costs
Real grass needs a lot of love and attention to remain looking healthy, lush and inviting all year round — especially in the extreme heat of the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
If you’re not one of those homeowners who loves to spend every spare moment in the yard, you may need to hire a lawn care service or watch your lawn wither and die before your eyes or become an overgrown eyesore that damages the value of your home.
Lawn care services cost money and, even if you do love to look after your lawn, you’ll need to spend many hundreds or even thousands of dollars on it every year to keep it looking the part.
Costs include:
- Watering/irrigation costs
- Fertilizers
- Pesticides and herbicides
- Weedkillers
- Leaf/debris removal
- Re-seeding costs
- Equipment costs (mower, trimmer, tools)
- Fuel for the mower/trimmer
Even conservative estimates place the average lawn care cost per month at $100 (or $1,200 per year) but also include an average range from $65 to $150 each month (that’s $780 – $1,800).
Others suggest higher costs at $200-300 per month ($2,400-$3,600 per year) but there are so many variables that it’s tough to generalize.
Rising lawn irrigation costs
For most homeowners, around 30 percent of all water usage comes from exterior usage (in the yard). In Dallas, that volume could be even higher because of the extreme heat we experience here.
We need to remember that water costs are on the increase all over Texas. The average cost of water usage of 5,000 gallons in all cities surveyed in the state in 2018 was $38.38. In 2023, the average cost of water usage of 5,000 gallons in all cities is $52.91.
So, monthly water bills are on the rise: in five years, the cost of water across Texas has increased by over 70 percent.
The beauty of artificial turf is that it stays green without any water. It rarely if ever needs to be watered to maintain its inviting and natural appearance although you may want to rinse it occasionally for aesthetic reasons.
By switching, you’ll use a tiny fraction of the water needed by real grass and very few of the other expenses associated with natural turf.
Provided you use high-quality polyethylene lawn turf (or similar) and it’s professionally installed, your synthetic grass landscape will look immaculate for many years with the bare minimum of attention. Synthetic grass blades never turn brown, cry out for water or are damaged by the sun. An occasional cross brush is sufficient to keep it looking perky and inviting all year round.
Keep in mind that lawn maintenance costs vary not only according to lawn size but also the complexity of the landscaping, grass type, climate, frequency of maintenance (homeowner preferences) and the scope of work required.
What are the cost savings over the years?
How much do you save with artificial grass over five years, 10 years or 20 years?
When considering the costs of artificial grass vs real grass, we need to start with their different economies.
With synthetic grass, the costs are largely upfront (when you install it). Thereafter, year on year, the maintenance costs are minimal. With natural grass, the reverse is true. It’s relatively cheap to install but expensive to maintain.
Given that artificial grass can easily last up to 20 years, this becomes a major consideration when calculating how much you can save. Over time, you’ll see a significant return on investment (ROI) thanks to artificial turf’s ultra-low maintenance requirements.
We’ve done some calculations for you based on a 1,000-square-foot lawn in the Dallas-Fort Worth area:
Artificial grass installation and annual care costs
- Installation: $10,000 (high-quality grass professionally installed)
- Watering: $0-$100
- Fertilizing: $0
- Brushing: $150/year
- Infill replenishing: $100/year
- Other lawn services: $0
Total Annual Costs: $250-$350
Real grass installation and annual care costs
- Installation: $1,500 to $2,000 (cheaper if seeding rather than sod)
- Mowing/edging: $650/year ($25 every two weeks)
- Watering: $500/year
- Leaf and debris clearance: $175/year
- Fertilizing: $100/year
- Spring/fall cleanup: $75
- Aeration: $75/year
- Weedkilling: $40/year
Total Annual Costs: $1,600-$1,700
Based on the above calculations, let’s look at how much you save after one year, five years, 10 years, 15 years and 20 years…
1-year savings:
Artificial grass: $10,250 – $10,350
Real grass: $3,100 – $3,700
Cost savings: (minus) – $6,550 to $7,250
5-year savings
Artificial grass: $11,250 – $11,750
Real grass: $9,500 – $10,500
Cost savings: (minus) – $750 to – $2,250
10-year savings
Artificial grass: $12,500 – $13,500
Real grass: $17,500 – $19,000
Cost savings: $4,000 to $6,500
15-year savings
Artificial grass: $13,750 – $15,250
Real grass: $25,500 – $27,500
Cost savings: $10,250 to $13,750
20-year savings
Artificial grass: $15,000 – $17,000
Real grass: $33,500 – $36,000
Cost savings: $16,500 to $21,000
(NOTE: the above estimates do not take inflation into account)
It’s clear from the above calculations that you can expect to save many thousands of dollars by switching to artificial grass from real grass. Even with the conservative estimates we’ve used, the artificial grass pays for itself within six years and then turns a profit over real grass every year thereafter.
The longer you keep synthetic grass, the better the ROI. So, provided you opt for quality from the start — both with the turf you choose and the installation team you hire — you’ll be saving plenty of money and ensuring that your yard looks as pristine as this all year round:
And if inflation remains high and there are more potential water restrictions imposed in the Dallas area, the cost of ownership of real grass could go even higher in the coming years.
Of course, many factors go into a decision on whether to switch to artificial grass from real grass but on long-term costs alone, there’s only one winner!
FAQs
Save more with your artificial grass…
The low cost of ownership, minimal maintenance requirements, evergreen appearance and minimal water usage make artificial grass a serious consideration for many homeowners in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.To learn more about how much you can save by switching to synthetic grass, call 940-365-9165 and speak to the team at DFW Turf Solutions. We’ve been installing high-quality artificial turf in Dallas-Fort Worth since 2014 and will be happy to provide a free quote.
