The number on a turf bid is not the pile height. It is the base. If the estimate does not name demolition, compaction, drainage, and edge restraint as separate lines, you are comparing a lawn to a rug. That is why Encino bids for the same yard can run from ten thousand to fifty-five thousand.
Option 1 Builders installs artificial grass in Encino and across the San Fernando Valley. We remove the old lawn, compact a draining base, then seam, nail, and infill so the lawn stays flat. Every artificial grass installation we complete is backed by a 15-year warranty, written into the scope at the estimate.
What a cheap turf bid usually skips
Price depends on square footage, how much demolition and grading the yard needs, the turf pile you choose, and drainage. That is why estimates you collect can range so widely. We measure on site and give you a written number tied to a specific material and base spec instead of a per-foot guess over the phone. The same is true for installation cost in Encino — we do not quote a per-foot number before we walk the property.
A cheap line item often leaves out one of these:
- Demolition of the existing lawn or failed turf, including haul-off.
- Compaction of the base so the surface stays flat in year five.
- Drainage so water leaves the yard instead of pooling under the lawn.
- Edge restraint so the turf and any pavers next to it do not creep.
We quote demolition, base, material, edging and drainage as separate lines. So when a cheaper estimate lands on your kitchen table, you can see exactly which one of those it left out.
The base you cannot see
Compaction, edge restraints, and drainage decide whether pavers stay level and the turf surface stays flat in year five. That is where the labor goes. A front yard replacement is also curb appeal — the lawn neighbors see from the street.
Pet installations use a permeable base and drainage layer so urine passes through instead of pooling, plus infill chosen for pet use. Tell us at the walkthrough that you have dogs so the base is built for it from the start.
If you already have turf that failed, we remove and dispose of the existing turf, inspect the base underneath, correct any drainage or compaction problems we find, then install the new turf. Reusing a failed base is the most common reason a second turf job goes wrong.
Why Encino numbers swing so far
One Google review on our site puts it plainly. A homeowner collected eight estimates. The range was extremely wide — anywhere from $10k to $55k — until someone walked the property and explained the design and the spec. The written scope is what makes two bids comparable.
A front yard turf replacement is often a few days. A larger back yard or a lawn paired with pavers usually runs about one to two weeks. A full front-and-back transformation with irrigation, drainage, and hardscape can take several weeks. Your written proposal includes the expected timeline.
What we put in writing before demo
Materials, base depth, drainage, and price go in writing before anything is torn out, so the number at the end matches the number at the start. Our own installers do the turf, the pavers, and the concrete. Nothing is handed to a rotating cast of subcontractors.
Option 1 Builders is licensed, bonded, and insured under California license #1122918. The Encino showroom is at 16400 Ventura Blvd, Suite 319. You can compare turf pile and color at full size before you sign.
Read more notes on the Encino landscaping blog, or request a written estimate. Call 818-297-2475 and we will walk your yard and name every line the cheap bid left out.