Laying artificial grass yourself is a real weekend project, not a quick one. Done right, a DIY artificial grass installation looks professional and lasts for years; done wrong, it wrinkles, puddles and shows every seam. This step-by-step guide is how our crews install artificial turf in South Florida, written so you can follow it at home and decide which parts to do yourself.
Order about 10% more turf than the area measures, and check the roll width so seams fall where you want them.
Measure the area and draw it on paper. Plan the turf pieces so all the grass blades point the same way, ideally toward the house or the main view, and so seams avoid paths people walk on most. Call Sunshine 811 a few days before you dig to have underground utilities marked, and cap or reroute any sprinkler heads in the area.
Remove the sod, roots and loose soil to a depth of about 3 to 4 inches below the finished height, so the turf ends up level with patios and walkways. Dirt is heavy; plan where it will go before you start. Never lay artificial grass on top of your existing lawn: the old grass rots, the surface sinks and the turf smells.
Grade the soil so water flows away from the house. Where weeds are a problem, roll out a weed barrier or weed membrane over the soil, overlapping the edges, so the base doesn't mix into the dirt and you don't get weeds pushing up later.
Spread the crushed stone base in layers of about an inch or two, dampen it lightly and compact each layer with the plate compactor until it's hard underfoot. Finish with a thin layer of fine screenings or decomposed granite, screed it flat, and compact again. This hard, level base is what keeps the turf smooth and draining. It's the step most DIY installs rush, and the reason most of them fail. Read more about the best base for artificial turf.
Unroll the artificial grass onto the base with the grain in your planned direction and let it sit in the sun for an hour or two. The backing relaxes and the creases from the roll flatten out, which makes cutting and seaming much easier.
Cut from the back of the turf with a sharp utility knife, a few rows of stitches at a time, and trim along edges, planters and pavers. Change blades often; a dull blade tears the backing. Leave edges a little long and trim them to a tight fit once the turf is in place.
Butt the edges of two turf pieces together with the grain running the same way, leaving no gap. Fold both edges back, center seam tape under the joint, apply outdoor turf adhesive, and lay the edges down onto the glue without trapping grass blades. Press the seam and let the glue set. Good seams are invisible from a few feet away.
Nail or staple the turf around the perimeter, roughly every 6 to 8 inches, and add a few nails through the field on larger areas. Push the grass fibers aside before you hammer so the nail heads disappear. Along concrete, use adhesive instead of nails.
Spread infill evenly with a drop spreader in light passes, brushing it down between the fibers with a power broom after each pass, until you reach the amount the turf manufacturer specifies. Infill holds the turf down, keeps the blades upright and protects the backing. Finish by brushing against the grain and rinsing the area.
If you only get one part of a DIY install right, make it the base. Preparing the base is most of the work and most of the result. Here's what a good base looks like before you start laying the artificial grass:
Tamp the edges by hand where the plate compactor can't reach, and check the surface with a long straight board. Low spots show up as puddles later.
What happens if you just lay artificial grass on soil? It looks fine for a few weeks, then sinks, wrinkles and grows weeds at the seams. If you don't want weeds, you need the weed membrane and a compacted base.
What do you put under artificial grass? Weed barrier, compacted crushed stone, a fine leveling layer, then the turf and infill.
How long does a DIY install take? A few hundred square feet is usually a full weekend for two people, most of it spent on base preparation.
Do I need irrigation? No. Cap the sprinkler heads in the turf area; you'll only rinse it now and then. That's the time once spent on lawn maintenance you get back: a high-quality artificial lawn requires less care than any real grass.
This simple guide covers the steps a pro follows. If you want to install artificial grass yourself, follow them in order, and don't skip the base.
If the yard is larger than a few hundred square feet, has drainage problems, slopes, many curves, or you want a putting green or pet turf, a professional artificial turf installation usually costs less than fixing a DIY job. Our crews install artificial grass across Palm Beach and Broward counties; see our professional artificial turf installation or get a starting price with the cost calculator.
