The Real Cost of a Natural Lawn
Maintaining a lawn, especially in warmer regions, is almost like having a part-time landscaping job!
Having a natural sod lawn means Saturday mornings are full of mowing, trimming, putting down fertilizer or pesticides, watering, and more backbreaking tasks. With hours of work gone under the hot sun – it’s easy to lose sight of how much your natural lawn is costing you.
Let’s break down what exactly goes into maintaining your natural lawn and how these costs compare to installing artificial turf.
One of the most significant expenses of a natural lawn is seed and maintenance products such as fertilizer and pesticides.
The average cost to seed a lawn in the USA is $991 – yet this is a midrange estimate. Additionally, those who use sod can expect to re-seed at least once a year to keep things looking fresh and lush.
In some regions, there may be local regulations on the type of fertilizers and pesticides homeowners use. Requirements like these can further increase these basic costs.
A sizable cost of maintaining a natural lawn is utilities. Water, naturally, is a large portion of that.
Some types of sod need more water than others and must be watered daily. Yet, it’s complicated to do that in states like California, with much of the state under strict water use restrictions.
The average homeowner will use between 12,000 and 15,000 gallons of water per month on either a sprinkler system or irrigation system. If the average price per gallon of water is $1.50, this means homeowners can see bills ranging from $180 to $225.
Grass grows, weeds push in, and leaves settle!
Those with a natural lawn will likely have an arsenal of tools in their garage. Lawnmowers, leaf blowers, edgers, weed wackers, rakes, hoes, shovels, and spades – the list goes on!
The average cost of all of that equipment for grass is around $3,500 to purchase. Don’t forget about the additional costs of gasoline and oil too. If you live in an area that requires disposable bags for your grass clippings, you can tack on another $25 or so for the cutting season.
Artificial Grass vs. Natural Lawn
The significant price of natural grass and grass maintenance is why many people consider artificial turf as an alternative, as synthetic grass eliminates many of these accumulative expenses.
While costs vary depending on the product and size of the installation, the average nationwide cost of installing synthetic grass is approximately $4,500. However, once it’s installed, it’s pretty hands-off after!
Artificial grass is the best option for your home and family. No harmful pesticides are necessary, it doesn’t require watering or fertilizer, and synthetic grass is incredibly easy to clean.