Cost Guides · Landscaping
Artificial Turf Cost in 2026: Price by Pile Height, Labor, and Base Prep
Artificial turf cost per square foot from two turf suppliers’ live product pricing and two installers’ own labor and base prep rates, broken out by pile height and job size.
In a hurry? Turn a photo into an itemized estimate in about 6 seconds.
What is the artificial turf cost per square foot in 2026?
The number breaks into three prices: material, labor, and base prep. Two suppliers, LITA and Greatmats, post live pricing that moves with pile height. A 0.4 to 0.8 inch pile runs $1.78 to $2.94 per square foot. A 1.5 inch pile runs $3.10 to $3.76. A 1.77 inch PU or padded roll runs $4.00 to $4.54. Labor and base prep ride on top, so budget the full artificial turf cost, not just the roll price.
How does pile height change the price?
Pile height, the blade length, is the biggest lever on price. A thin blade uses less yarn and costs less; a dense blade costs more. LITA and Greatmats each publish their own price, and the numbers differ because they sell different products, not because one is wrong.
| Publisher | Tier | Pile height | Per sq ft | Captured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LITA | Economy | 0.4 inch | $1.78 | Sept 5, 2026 |
| Greatmats | Economy | 0.75 inch | $2.94 | Sept 5, 2026 |
| LITA | Standard | 1.5 inch | $3.10 | Sept 5, 2026 |
| Greatmats | Standard | 1.5 inch | $3.13 | Sept 5, 2026 |
| Greatmats | Standard | 1.5 inch | $3.76 | Sept 5, 2026 |
| LITA | Premium | 1.77 inch | $4.00 | Sept 5, 2026 |
| Greatmats | Premium | Padded | $4.54 | Sept 5, 2026 |
What does installation labor cost?
Big Bully Turf’s California pricing page, since taken down, listed labor at $5 to $10 or more per square foot. GLScapes Inc, a landscaping installer, posts $3 to $10. The two installers overlap at $5 to $10, the range to plan a standard yard around.
Turn a yard photo into an itemized turf estimate, free →
What does base prep add to the price?
Base prep, the road base and grading under the turf, is where a shortcut shows up later as drainage problems. Big Bully Turf listed $1.50 to $3.00 per square foot for excavation, road base or decomposed granite, and a weed barrier. GLScapes Inc posts $1 to $2 for base materials alone.
| Publisher | Line item | Per sq ft | Captured |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Bully Turf | Installation labor | $5.00 to $10.00+ | Sept 5, 2026 |
| Big Bully Turf | Base prep | $1.50 to $3.00 | Sept 5, 2026 |
| GLScapes Inc | Installation labor | $3.00 to $10.00 | Sept 5, 2026 |
| GLScapes Inc | Base prep | $1.00 to $2.00 | Sept 5, 2026 |
Big Bully Turf’s California pricing ran $14 to $17 per square foot on a 400 to 700 square foot job, dropping to $9 to $10.50 past 2,000 square feet.
How do you price a turf job?
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Measure the yard and convert to square feet
Length times width in feet gives square feet. Our gravel and base yardage calculator handles the base material math.
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Price the material by pile height, not by brand
Match the tier to the use: economy for a side strip, standard for a family yard, premium for a front lawn. Ask for pile height and face weight, not a tier name.
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Add base prep and labor as separate lines
Base prep and labor are not in the roll price. Quote them as their own lines so the client sees where the money goes.
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Set your margin and send the quote
Add markup on material and labor, then send a branded quote the client signs. Every line stays editable if the measurement changes.
What do landscaping crews earn?
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn a $20.33 mean and $18.82 median hourly wage nationally, per BLS OEWS data for May 2025 (code 37-3011). That is the wage paid, not the rate billed. Burden, overhead, and margin sit on top before it becomes the labor line in a bid.
SimplyWise Cost Estimator for artificial turf cost
SimplyWise Cost Estimator turns a job-site photo into an itemized estimate in about 6 seconds. Material, labor, and fee lines are editable, so enter your own supplier’s price and labor rate. Send a branded quote the client signs to approve. It is $29.99/mo or $239.99/yr, about $20/mo on annual, with a 7-day free trial.
Keep reading
- Landscaping Contractor Pricing Guide: pricing every landscaping line item.
- Gravel and Base Yardage Calculator: the base prep math behind every bid.
Sources
- LITA, live product pricing, captured 2026-09-05.
- Greatmats, Traffic Blade Silver and related product pages, captured 2026-09-05.
- Greatmats, Sof Step and Fit Turf Outdoor pages, captured 2026-09-05.
- Big Bully Turf, turf cost in California (archived copy), captured 2026-09-05.
- GLScapes Inc, turf cost per square foot, captured 2026-09-05.
- BLS OEWS, May 2025 national estimates, occupation 37-3011, verified 2026-09-05.
- SimplyWise Cost Estimator on the App Store, 4.8 rating, verified 2026-09-05.
Frequently asked questions about artificial turf cost
The price
How much does artificial turf cost per square foot?
Material runs $1.78 to $2.94 per square foot for a 0.4 to 0.8 inch pile, $3.10 to $3.76 for a 1.5 inch pile, and $4.00 to $4.54 for a 1.77 inch PU or padded roll, per live LITA and Greatmats pricing. Labor and base prep ride on top.
Installation
How much does artificial turf installation cost?
Big Bully Turf and GLScapes Inc, two independent installers, overlap at $5 to $10 per square foot for labor. Total installed cost, material, labor, and base prep together, ran $9 to $20 per square foot, per Big Bully Turf’s California pricing tiers.
What is included in artificial turf base prep?
Excavation, compacted road base or decomposed granite, and a weed barrier. Big Bully Turf listed $1.50 to $3.00 per square foot for this, and GLScapes Inc posts $1 to $2. Skipping it shortens a lawn’s life.
Estimating the job
Can I measure my yard with my phone camera instead of a tape measure?
Tape or wheel the yard for the footprint, then enter it. SimplyWise Cost Estimator turns a job-site photo into an itemized estimate in about 6 seconds once you have the dimensions. On a Pro iPhone, the room scan captures interior measurements with LiDAR. Every line stays editable.
Does SimplyWise Cost Estimator price artificial turf jobs?
It builds material, labor, and fee line items, each with unit, quantity, and price per unit. Enter your supplier’s price and your labor rate, then send a branded quote the client signs. Pricing is $29.99/mo or $239.99/yr, with a 7-day free trial.
Turn artificial turf cost into a bid that holds margin.
Snap a photo and get an itemized estimate with editable material, labor, and fee lines. Send a branded quote before you order the roll. Free to try, then $29.99/mo or $239.99/yr after a 7-day trial.