Artificial turf costs $10 to $25 per square foot installed per HomeGuide, or $2 to $8 per square foot for the turf plus $4 to $9 for labor ($6 to $17 combined) per HomeAdvisor and Angi – sister brands sharing one dataset, with an average project of $5,783.1,2,3*
$10 – $25
per sq ft installed, HomeGuide
$6 – $17
per sq ft, HA/Angi
$5,783
average project
Quick math: a 500 sq ft lawn at HomeAdvisor’s combined $6 to $17 per sq ft is $3,000 to $8,500 – our multiplication. HomeGuide’s $10 to $25 range would price the same lawn at $5,000 to $12,500; the guides genuinely disagree, so get two local quotes.
Published prices at a glance
Three references, all fetched and read October 2026 (HomeAdvisor and Angi share one project dataset):
The installed ranges disagree: HomeGuide’s $10 to $25 per sq ft all-in sits well above HomeAdvisor’s $6 to $17 combined. Quality tier explains part of it – premium nylon turf with heavy infill lands high – but treat anything over $17 as a premium quote, not the norm.
Cost by turf material
HomeAdvisor’s per-square-foot material prices: polypropylene $2 to $7, nylon $5 to $8+.2 Polypropylene is the soft, good-looking budget pick; nylon is the stiff, durable one for heavy traffic.
Three worked examples (we did the math)
| Project | Material ($2-$8/sq ft) | Installed ($6-$17/sq ft) | HomeGuide ($10-$25/sq ft) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dog run 200 sq ft | $400 – $1,600 | $1,200 – $3,400 | $2,000 – $5,000 |
| Small lawn 500 sq ft | $1,000 – $4,000 | $3,000 – $8,500 | $5,000 – $12,500 |
| Lawn 1,000 sq ft | $2,000 – $8,000 | $6,000 – $17,000 | $10,000 – $25,000 |
The 500 sq ft installed row ($3,000 to $8,500) brackets the HA/Angi average project of $5,783 – a reasonable cross-check.2
What else to budget for
Excavation: $50 to $200 per cubic yard to prep the site per HomeAdvisor – see our excavation cost guide.2
Drainage: $2,100 to $7,000 if the yard needs it.2,3
Edging: $5 to $18 per linear foot per HomeGuide.1
DIY savings: $3 to $5 per sq ft of labor if you handle prep yourself per Angi – but botched drainage is the expensive DIY failure.3
The sod comparison: sod runs $1 to $2 per sq ft installed – turf costs 5-10x more upfront but skips watering and mowing. See our sod cost guide.1
Related guides and tools
Sod cost, sprinkler system cost | Yard leveling cost | Excavation cost | Driveway cost calculator
FAQ
How much does artificial turf cost per square foot? $6 to $17 installed by HomeAdvisor’s material-plus-labor math, or $10 to $25 per HomeGuide. Material alone is $2 to $8.1,2
Is artificial turf cheaper than sod? Not upfront – sod is $1 to $2 per sq ft installed versus $6 to $17 for turf. Turf’s case is lower water and maintenance costs over its life.1
Can I install artificial turf myself? Angi prices DIY at $2,000 to $4,000 all-in for a typical project versus $5,783 average professional – real savings, but drainage mistakes cause the flooding repairs they warn about.3
What is infill and what does it cost? The sand or crumb-rubber layer that cushions the blades and blocks UV – $0.30 to $1.75 per pound per Angi.3
Sources
- HomeGuide – Artificial Grass Cost
- HomeAdvisor – Cost to Install Artificial Grass
- Angi – How Much Does Artificial Turf Cost?
*Prices are 2025-2026 national averages from the cited sources and vary by turf quality, site prep, drainage and region. Get local quotes before budgeting.