How long does it take to install field turf?

Probably depends how much you are paying for install. I believe when the New England Patriots installed it, it only took one week!

install begins june 6th. we're very excited.

I hope the 6 week turnaround is what we get... We open camp on Aug 1st and play our 1st game on Aug 19th! Supposed to break ground as soon as school ends June 7th-ish. Gonna have to sort out practices and 7on7 this summer and hope to have the new field ready to go by the time we open camp.

Our school is going to put 350k in redoing the field drainage, sprinkler system, new score board, goals post and re-crowning the field. I think the money would be better spent in field turf. Beggers can't be choosers.

Wow I dont know who we paid but ours is taking for EVER! They started with ground work in January and It looks the same because apparently they didn't take a big enough sample in the clay the first time and they are telling us the first part of September we will have it done. Now they are putting a track around it as well but 9 months seems ridiculous to me!

I went on vacation for two weeks last summer. When I left they had shipped the equipment and giant bags in but not touched anything. When I came back they had everything finished on the field. They still haven't finished everything... no field house, no pressbox, no bleachers on the visitors side but everything else is done...

Turning the field from an aging traditional soccer field into a best in class turf field took 2 weeks.

The process is pretty extensive. First they remove a couple feet of dirt and clay. Then they trench for the finger drains basically a drain every few feet on angles that tie into the main drain. Then they add limestone. Lime stabilization is usually needed but never in the original bid. So that's a change order. Once that done the crushed limestone goes on and completely leveled with heavy rollers. Once it's flat they lay the green carpet. They shave out the numbers and logos. It comes in 5 yard rolls by the width of the field. They lay it out and sew the ends and hot glue them together. After that's done they apply several alternating layer of silica sand and the rubber pellets. And smooth it out with groomers. The process should take 4 to 6 weeks. The major factors are drainage, soil condition and weather. Also who else is in line to get it done. It pretty cool to watch. I have pictures of the process when they did ours. We have field turf by tarkett. Order extra rubber it disappears rapidly. Each kid takes a shoe full away every night.

I think the best part of field turf is being able to practice where you play. So easy to coordinate practice when you know the grass will always be good and you can practice any signaling or communicaiton from where it will happen in a game.

Race ya......yeah right, I know we'll be behind schedule....

Couple of questions I have about FieldTurf or for that matter, any of the new synthetic surface companies that install this. I was looking at FieldTurf's Performance Analysis pamphlet they give out. It said that "Initial Capital Cost" for a grass field was $540,000. I'm assuming that means if you were starting from scratch on a grass field. For FieldTurf, "Initial Capital Cost" is $720,000. It then gives a 10 year projection of what it would cost for maintenance. For grass, they gave the number $52,500. Over a 10 year period, that total is $1,065,000. For FieldTurf, it is $770,000. Both of these include the "Initial Capital Cost". Now maybe I'm wrong, but if you have an existing field, you wouldn't pay that $540,000 which brings that grass number down to $525,000.

After 10 years, say that you have to replace the surface which would be half of what the original cost is because you don't have to dig the hole and remove the dirt. That would be $360,000. The grand total over a 20 year period would be $1.1 million. For grass, without the "Initial Capital Cost" of $540,000, and 20 years of maintenance at $52,500, the grand total would be $1.05 million. Which means you would be paying more to replace a field with FieldTurf. Now, if your building a new stadium, then the "Initial Capital Cost" kicks in for grass, which would change things.

Am I missing something? We would love to have FieldTurf, but are you really saving? Is $52,500 high for yearly maintenance?

Ours took about 4 weeks. Delays of course, but that's to be expected. They were supposed to start right after school let out last June. Naturally, there were a few weeks of nothing happening. Eventually, they stripped our old grass out of there (which the baseball team actually used some of to re-sod their infield), level, and then lay their base layers (limestone, sand, forgot what else). Once that was all in and they were ready to lay the carpet, it probably took 2 weeks total - and that included multi-colored sideline and endzones, EZ lettering, the numbers, and a midfield helmet logo.

Cant be certain about the exact cost, all I know is that it came from an "anonymous donation." I believe it was in the neighborhood of $850,000 - and that included new uprights.

All in all, money VERY well spent!

We used the Motz (sp?) group.

HIGHLY recommended.

My previous school installed field turf in 2006. Forgot what brand, but I believe 'FieldTurf.' TONS of delays. Total headache. Start date got pushed back about 10 times. They had to level and re-level about 5 times. We missed all of two-a-days and the scrimmages. They somehow miraculously finished literally the day of our first game, the home opener. The workers laid the final layer of rubber/infill, collected their equipment, and drove off at about 4:45, not long before specialists went out and the visiting bus arrived!

If your district is like ours, they will find a thousand ways to rent out the field to youth groups, soccer leagues, etc. to pay for the future replacement. Our field is in use nearly every evening and all-day Saturdays and some Sundays. The district says they are stowing away those user fees for future replacement, and they're making way more than $5,000 per year in user fees.