Turf removal and replacement

Two reasons people call. Either the turf has genuinely reached fifteen to twenty years, or it was cheap product that this sun destroyed in six — faded, brittle, matted flat.

Diagnosis first

Before quoting we determine whether the turf failed or the base did, because it changes the price substantially.

If the base is sound — still compacted, still draining, still graded — we pull the old turf and lay new over the existing base. That removes excavation and aggregate, often 30 to 40 percent of a full installation. Given how much of the cost here is caliche excavation, reusing a good base saves more in Scottsdale than it would elsewhere.

Signs the base failed

• Water standing after a monsoon storm, or a spongy feel
• Ruts or low spots that appeared within a few years
• Turf lifting or rippling at edges
• Seams separated by ground movement

Signs it was just cheap turf

• Colour visibly faded, especially in full-sun areas
• Fibres brittle or snapping rather than bending
• Flat, matted nap that does not respond to brushing
• Single-tone green with no thatch layer

UV-stabilised turf should not do this within a decade. If yours did, the product was wrong for this climate.

Disposal

We haul away and dispose of old turf and infill, routing to recycling where the backing allows.

What it costs

Replacement over a sound base typically runs $6 to $10 per square foot. Full removal and rebuild prices like new installation. See pricing.