Eco-lawns Take Two Years to Break Even with Savings from Mowing and Watering

Transitioning from a traditional grass lawn to an eco-lawn can seem like a daunting task. Inevitably, the question of cost comes up. So let’s talk about how the up-front costs of eco-lawn fair with their long-term financial and ecological benefits.

The biggest financial savings of an eco-lawn are in maintenance costs. A traditional lawn needs to be watered several times a week during the spring and summer. This frequent watering can increase a water bill by up to $500 a year! The millions of gallons used to water traditional lawns every year also contributes to fresh water shortages around the country. On the other hand, established eco-lawns only require one-fourth of the water that a grass lawn needs. In some climate, eco-lawns don’t need to be watered at all. This amounts to hundreds of dollars a year in cost saving and positively impacting our fresh water reserve.

	Established Grass Lawn	Established Eco-Lawn	Savings
Lawn Service	$975-$3,900/year	$0-$600/year	$975-$3,300+/year
DIY Lawn Maintenance	19.5-78 hours/year	4.5-18 hours/year	15-60+ hours/year
Water Bill	$300-$900/year	$75-$225/year	$225-$675+/year

Of course watering is only a small part of lawn maintenance, the time and cost of mowing a grass lawn also needs to be considered. Lawn services generally charge $25-$100 every time they come out, and a grass lawn needs to be mowed once a week during the spring and summer. That adds up to thousands of dollars a year! Even if a lawn service isn’t used, hours of time a year will be spent mowing a grass lawn. Some eco-lawns, only grow to be 4-8 inches tall. Depending on your preference, they rarely, if ever, need to be mowed. Using a gas mower for one hour has the same carbon footprint as a 100-mile car trip! When you don’t have to mow, you are not only saving a lot of money and time, but also helping preventing the release of 89 pounds of CO2 and 34 pounds of other pollutants per year.

Eco-lawns are significantly better for bees, butterflies, birds, and other wildlife, by providing a more suitable habitat, nesting materials, and food. On the other hand, traditional lawns often have invasive grasses that end up spreading into local ecosystems and destroying native habitats.

Eco-lawns are beneficial for humans too. They can be much softer on your skin, making them more comfortable to walk or lay on. They might not be as tolerant to foot traffic as traditional invasive turfs used for sports, but still tolerant enough for occasional family gatherings and playtimes. They are also shade and drought tolerant, thus less likely to fade to the ugly yellow color.

Completely transforming a traditional lawn to an eco-lawn can seem daunting. The upfront cost for a 500-1000 square feet eco-lawn installation can range from $1,000 to $6,000 in material and labor depending on the existing soil condition. But when you account the much lower maintenance cost of an eco-lawn, the investment can be made back in 2-3 years. Not to mention the positive ecological impacts, such as saving water, restoring wildlife habitats, and reducing carbon footprint from lawn equipment use.

Transforming a grass lawn to an eco-lawn will not only save thousands of dollars over the course of a lifetime, but also help keep this planet a little greener.