SoCal Artificial Turfs Team
Artificial turf, pavers, and landscaping specialists serving the Inland Empire.
Last updated: 2026-06-09
What we actually did on this San Jacinto job
We split a 1,200 square foot San Jacinto backyard down the middle in June 2024. North half got Marathon II sod. South half got 80 ounce face weight pet-grade artificial turf. The homeowner asked us to track both sides for two years. We did. Here is what each side looks like now.
Last updated: June 2026
The yard sits off Mountain Avenue near the Soboba Road intersection. East-facing. Full sun from 11 a.m. to sunset. Standard San Jacinto Valley soil, which means decomposed granite over heavy clay at about 14 inches down.
The homeowner had two kids and a golden retriever. He wanted to know which surface would actually survive both, and he was willing to pay for the experiment.
How much did each side cost up front?
Sod side, 600 square feet:
- Sod material at $0.85 per sq ft
- Irrigation expansion, four new pop-ups on a dedicated zone, about $640
- Soil prep, leveling, install labor at $1.20 per sq ft
- Total: roughly $1,830
Turf side, 600 square feet. 80 oz pet-grade turf with antimicrobial infill, full base prep with 4 inches of compacted Class II, hand-seamed rolls. We charged this customer $9.50 per square foot. Total: $5,700.
So the turf cost roughly three times more on day one. That is the honest math.
What happened during summer one?
July 2024 hit 109 degrees at the San Jacinto airport. The sod side burned at the edges where the spray pattern overlapped weakest. The homeowner was running it 22 minutes per zone, three days a week. Water bill jumped from $94 a month to $187 by August.
The turf side stayed cool to the touch in the morning. By 3 p.m. surface temperature read 138 degrees on an infrared gun.
That is the dirty secret about turf that we tell every customer. It gets hot. Pet-grade infill brings it down maybe 8 to 12 degrees compared to standard sand. We installed a hose-quick-connect on that side for a 90 second rinse on triple digit days.
What happened during summer two?
Summer 2025 was the real test. The sod side had three brown patches by August, despite the homeowner adding fertilizer in June. One patch turned out to be a low spot where water pooled and rotted the roots. The other two were dog urine from the golden retriever.
The turf side looked the same as install day after a quick power-broom and a refill of infill at the dog rest spot. Total maintenance time over two years: about 4 hours of our crew time at $95 an hour plus $40 of infill.
Sod vs artificial turf in San Jacinto: 2-year comparison
| Category | Sod (Marathon II) | 80 oz pet-grade turf |
|---|---|---|
| Install cost (600 sq ft) | ~$1,830 | ~$5,700 |
| Water added over 24 months | ~$2,250 | ~$45 (rinse only) |
| Surface temperature at 3 p.m. in July | 78-82 degrees | 134-141 degrees |
| Maintenance hours over 2 years | ~38 (mow, edge, fertilize) | ~4 (brush, top up infill) |
| Visible condition after 2 summers | 3 brown patches, edge burn | Same as install day |
| Pet damage | Yes, urine spots | None, rinses clean |
Which side made financial sense?
If you do the math purely on out-of-pocket, the turf side breaks even against the sod side somewhere around month 38 at current San Jacinto water rates. After that the turf is cheaper.
The homeowner still likes the look of the sod side and is keeping it because the kids prefer it for soccer. Both sides can coexist. That is what we tell people who ask whether they should rip everything out.
What we would do differently
The sod side should have had a deeper soil amendment. We added 2 inches of compost on top of the existing soil. Should have been 4 inches mixed in to 6 inches. That extra organic matter would have held water through the brown patch issue. We have changed our default sod prep on every job since.
On the turf side we would have used 90 ounce instead of 80 ounce on the high-traffic stripe near the back door. The 80 is fine. The 90 reads better against bare feet after kids run on it 200 times a summer.
Weighing sod against turf in San Jacinto or anywhere in the Inland Empire
Both options work. We install sod and artificial turf across San Jacinto, Hemet, Menifee, and Beaumont.
The right answer depends on water budget, kid and pet load, sun exposure, and how often you actually want to think about your lawn. We have walked customers away from turf when the answer was sod, and the other way around.
If you want a free walk-through, we can come measure your yard and write up both numbers so you can decide with real costs in front of you. Bill or Steve runs every estimate.
If we built your sod or turf job and you live in San Jacinto, Hemet, or anywhere in the Inland Empire, leave us a Google review mentioning your neighborhood and which install we did. It helps the next homeowner find honest cost numbers.