Synthly the Best: Why Synthetic Turf (Part 2 of 2)

Why Synthetic Turf?

Note: This is the second half of a two-part story about synthetic turf. To read first half, click here.

Last time we explored some of the fantastic benefits of synthetic turf. I’m willing to bet that more than a few of you now like the idea of it, but you still wonder what to do about the cost. That’s what we’re tackling today.

Let’s be frank: there is a significant upfront cost to installing synthetic turf; some folks find it prohibitively expensive. My advice is to think of it the way you would think of a long-term investment in your home: view the cost as a way to realize overall savings over the life of the turf.

Easy for me to say, right? But that’s why this time we’ll crunch some numbers and make some concrete comparisons using realistic data.

Welcome to My Sample Lawn 

Let’s suppose we have a 1,000-ft² lawn for our purposes. We’ll compare the total costs of natural and synthetic turf over a 15-year duration (an average lifespan for synthetic turf).

Option 1: Natural Grass 

If we stick to natural grass, we’ve got three basic expenses: irrigation, fertilizer and fungus/pesticide treatments. The first is by far the most expensive, so we’ll calculate that separately now.

Irrigation: Current Atlanta monthly water and sewer rates (for locations inside the city limits) are as follows:

• Water = $6.16 per 750 gallons
• Sewer = $15.69 per 750 gallons

Adding them together we get a total combined rate of $21.75 per 750 gallons, or $0.029 per gallon.

A 1000-ft² lawn requires on average 50,000 gallons of water annually to irrigate.

50,000 gallons x $0.029 = $1,450 annually.

Total cost of irrigation:15 years x $1,450 = $21,750.

Fertilizer and pesticide treatments: The average costs of fertilizers and pesticides for a 1,000-ft² lawn is $0.20/f² per year, or $200 annually.

Total cost of fertilizer and pesticides: 15 years x $200 = $3,000

Option 1 Total Cost: $21,750 + $3000 = $24,750

Option 2: Synthetic Turf

The cost to install synthetic turf can vary depending on a variety of factors, including turf type, infills, base materials and access. All in, costs range from as little as$6/f² to upwards of$20/f². We’ll assume an average of $13/f² for our lawn.

Option 2 Total Cost: $13 x 1,000: $13,000.

That’s it. No spraying, no irrigation, no pesticides. We’re done.

Let’s Compare Our Options

I’ll make this brief.

• Option 1 (natural grass): $24,750
• Option 2 (synthetic turf): $13,000

Say, is that potential savings I see? If you’re like me, you can quickly find a good use for an extra $11,750. Maybe that Camaro we mentioned in Part 1 could use new seats. Maybe you could put in a new patio. The point is you’ve got options.

Turf’s Up: Ready to Catch the Synthwave?

That brings us to the end of this two-part exploration of synthetic turf. Like I said last time, I’m a huge fan, and I’d love to talk to you more about it.

If you’d like to know more about how Maxwell Landscape Construction can transform your outdoors with synthetic turf, give us a shout using the contact form below, and we’ll be in touch right away.

Until next time!

Sources Used in Data Collection: