Orlando · Winter Park · Oviedo · Lake Mary
Artificial Turf Cost in Orlando vs. Real Reel-Cut Zoysia
We don't install artificial turf. We install the lawn people are trying to copy with it — living, striped Zoysia — for a fraction of the price.
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How much does artificial turf cost compared with real Zoysia?
Artificial turf typically costs $6 to $17 per square foot installed — about $6,000 to $17,000 for a 1,000 sq ft lawn. Real Zoysia sod — CitraZoy, Empire or Zeon — is $2.15 per square foot installed with Michael Geist's Yard Works, about $2,150 for 1,000 sq ft, including old-grass removal and standard grading.
Turf pricing: Angi, 2026 artificial grass installation cost. Zoysia pricing: Yard Works installed price.
What Does Artificial Turf Really Cost?
Side-by-side installed prices for the lawn sizes homeowners ask about most.
| Lawn size | Artificial turf, installed ($6–$17 / sq ft) | Real Zoysia sod, installed ($2.15 / sq ft) | St. Augustine sod, installed ($2.00 / sq ft) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 400 sq ft | $2,400 – $6,800 | $860 | $800 |
| 1,000 sq ft | $6,000 – $17,000 | $2,150 | $2,000 |
| 2,500 sq ft | $15,000 – $42,500 | $5,375 | $5,000 |
| What it is | Plastic blades on a backing, infill on top | Living grass rooted into real soil | |
| Surface in full Florida sun | Gets far hotter than natural grass | Cools itself through transpiration | |
| Rainwater | Drains through a synthetic system | Absorbed and filtered by soil and roots | |
| End of life | Torn out and replaced — it doesn't regrow | Regrows and repairs itself when cared for | |
Turf ranges use Angi's 2026 national installed pricing; your quote from a turf installer may differ. Sod prices include old-grass removal and standard grading; heavier regrading is quoted on site.
The "Turf Look" Is a Reel-Cut Lawn
Most people shopping for artificial turf want one thing: a dense, even, perfectly striped lawn. That look comes from golf courses — and golf courses get it from real Zoysia cut with a reel mower, not plastic.
A reel mower slices each blade cleanly like scissors, so the lawn stays tight and uniform; a rotary mower tears the tips. We reel-cut to the height each cultivar is built for:
- CitraZoy — about 1.0" · our premier estate Zoysia
- Zeon — about 0.75" · the finest, softest blade
- Empire — about 1.25" · the toughest for play and pets
Why Homeowners Are Choosing Living Grass Over Plastic
In a time when people are paying close attention to microplastics and chemical exposure, a real lawn is the simpler choice — and the cheaper one.
Cooler Underfoot
Synthetic turf absorbs Florida sun and gets dramatically hotter than natural grass — which is why turf fields are often watered just to cool them. Living grass cools itself and the air above it.
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No Plastic or "Forever Chemical" Questions
Regulators and researchers have raised concerns about PFAS and shedding plastic fibers in synthetic turf. A Zoysia lawn is grass, roots and living soil — nothing to wear down into your yard, pool or storm drain.
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About One-Third to One-Eighth the Price
At $2.15 per square foot installed, a Zoysia lawn costs a fraction of turf's $6–$17 — and the price already includes removing the old grass and standard grading.
Get a quote$2.15per sq ft, Zoysia installed
24 hrsharvest to installed
1.0"CitraZoy reel-cut height
5.0 ★Google rating, 37 reviews
Is Real Grass More Work Than Turf?
Yes — a real lawn needs mowing, water and care. That's the honest trade-off, and it's why many people consider turf in the first place.
Here's what changes the math: Zoysia grows dense enough to crowd out most weeds, and on a soil-first program a healthy lawn needs fewer inputs than a struggling one. If you don't want to think about it at all, we reel-mow and care for estate lawns across Winter Park, Oviedo and Winter Springs so it stays at golf-course standard. Maintenance is contact for pricing.
Already have tired grass or old turf? We remove it as part of the install.
📞 Talk it through with MichaelOur Approach
"Healthy lawns and landscapes do not exist without healthy living soil."
Artificial turf sits on top of the ground. A real lawn is built from it. We prepare the soil, grade it so the new sod ties in level with the rest of your yard, and lay Zoysia within 24 hours of harvest — owner-operated since 2005, with UGA turfgrass training behind every install.
Real Lawns, No Plastic
Reel-cut Zoysia we've installed and cared for across Central Florida.
See more: CitraZoy Zoysia in Winter Park · Sod installation in Oviedo · Reel mowing in Winter Park · Reviews
Where We Install Zoysia
Serving north Orlando and Seminole County estate neighborhoods.
Winter ParkOviedoWinter Springs
Lake MaryMaitlandCasselberrySanford
Artificial Turf vs. Real Grass: Questions We Hear
How much does artificial turf cost per square foot in Orlando?
National 2026 pricing from Angi puts artificial turf at about $6 to $17 per square foot installed — roughly $2 to $8 for materials plus $4 to $9 for labor. Real Zoysia sod installed by Michael Geist's Yard Works is $2.15 per square foot, including removal of the old grass and standard grading.
How much does 1,000 square feet of artificial grass cost compared with real sod?
At $6 to $17 per square foot, 1,000 square feet of artificial turf runs about $6,000 to $17,000 installed, and Angi reports typical 1,000 sq ft projects at $10,000 to $17,000. The same 1,000 square feet of CitraZoy, Empire or Zeon Zoysia is about $2,150 installed; St. Augustine is about $2,000.
Do you install artificial turf?
No. Michael Geist's Yard Works installs real sod — premium Zoysia and St. Augustine — across Oviedo, Winter Park, Winter Springs, Lake Mary and Maitland. This page exists to show homeowners pricing artificial turf what a living, reel-cut Zoysia lawn costs instead.
Are there health or environmental concerns with artificial turf?
Yes, concerns have been raised by researchers and regulators. California's Department of Toxic Substances Control published a 2026 technical document on PFAS (forever chemicals) in artificial turf, and Mount Sinai's Institute for Exposomic Research has called for caution on synthetic turf. Turf also sheds plastic fibers and gets much hotter than natural grass in full sun.
Is real grass more work than artificial turf?
Real grass does need mowing, water and care — that is the honest trade-off. Zoysia's dense canopy crowds out weeds, and on a soil-first program it needs fewer inputs than a struggling lawn. Yard Works offers reel mowing and lawn care so the lawn stays at golf-course standard; call for maintenance pricing.
Which Zoysia gives the best artificial-turf look?
For the tight, uniform, carpet-like look people want from turf, CitraZoy is our premier estate choice, reel-cut at about 1.0 inch. Zeon is the finest-bladed, cut near 0.75 inch; Empire is the toughest, cut near 1.25 inch. All three are $2.15 per square foot installed.
What is included in the $2.15 per square foot Zoysia price?
The price covers removing the old grass or turf, standard grading so the new sod sits level with the rest of the lawn, and installation by our own crew with sod laid within 24 hours of harvest. More extensive regrading is quoted after an on-site look. Estimates are free.
Get the Turf Look — With Real Grass
Free on-site estimate. We answer the phone, we measure, and you get a real installed price — usually a fraction of what turf would cost.
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