Your Long Beach Water Bill vs. Fake Grass ROI: Calculating the 5-Year Savings

For Long Beach homeowners, the “golden” Southern California lawn comes at a steep price: endless watering, weekly mowing, and constant fertilizing. As water rates climb and maintenance costs add up, many residents are asking a simple question: Is fake grass worth it?

The answer lies in a clear, data-driven calculation of your artificial grass ROI (Return on Investment). At GAGA US Construction, we believe in transparency. This isn’t about a vague “payback”; it’s about hard numbers. This article provides a granular, Long Beach-specific analysis to calculate the real 5-year savings of switching to synthetic turf.

The GAGA US Construction Expertise Guarantee: Honesty About Rebates

First, we must establish a critical, trust-building fact. Many homeowners ask about “cash for grass” or “turf removal” rebates. Here is the honest, expert answer: Artificial turf is not eligible for these rebates.

The primary programs for Long Beach residents, such as the Long Beach Water “Lawn-to-Garden” (L2G) program and the regional SoCalWaterSmart program, explicitly do not include synthetic turf as an approved conversion.

These rebates are not just for saving water; they are environmental programs designed to fund habitat development, 65% plant coverage, and organic, drought-tolerant landscaping. Artificial turf is specifically listed as an ineligible material.

Our fake grass cost vs savings analysis is not based on a one-time rebate you would be denied. It is based on the permanent and guaranteed elimination of your two biggest, most expensive yard chores: watering and maintenance.

The Investment: The 2025 Cost of Artificial Grass in Long Beach

To calculate an ROI, we must first establish a transparent, all-in cost for a professional installation.

• Materials: The turf itself can range from $1.40 to $6.95 per square foot, depending on quality, pile height, and features like cooling technology.
• Installation Labor: This is the most significant cost, covering excavation, base preparation, and installation. This ranges from $8.45 to $15 per square foot.

The “all-in” price for a professional installation in Southern California generally falls between $10 and $20 per square foot. A critical factor is project size; smaller yards (under 400 sq. ft.) have a higher cost per square foot, while larger projects are more economical.

For this ROI calculation, we will use a typical 1,000 sq. ft. Long Beach lawn.

• Average Cost Per Square Foot: $15.00
• Total Upfront Investment (1,000 sq. ft.): $15,000

The Savings, Part 1: Eliminating Lawn Care and Maintenance Costs

The first component of your artificial grass ROI is the immediate elimination of all lawn care expenses.

Local cost data for the Long Beach area shows that basic lawn mowing averages $50.94 per visit or can range from $49 to $103 per service. However, a healthy natural lawn requires far more. Full-service lawn care—which includes mowing, fertilization, aeration, weed control, and seeding—costs between $900 and $4,000 annually or $100 to $400 per month.

To ensure our calculation is credible and conservative, we will use a modest figure for full-service lawn care:

• Annual Maintenance Savings: $150/month, or $1,800 per year.

The Savings, Part 2: A Deep Dive into Your Long Beach Water Bill

This is the most significant and complex component of your savings. To be accurate, we must use the official, approved tiered water rates for Long Beach single-family residential customers.

As of October 1, 2025, the rates for Long Beach Utilities single-family residential customers (non-exempt) are:

• Tier 1 (Base): First 6 HCF (billing units) = $3.474 /unit
• Tier 2 (Inefficient): Next 7 HCF (7–13 HCF) = $6.652 /unit
• Tier 3 (Excessive): Over 13 HCF = $9.706 /unit

A 1,000 sq. ft. natural lawn in Southern California requires an average of 8,000–10,000 gallons of water per month to stay green. One HCF (billing unit) is 748 gallons, meaning that lawn consumes 10–13 HCF of additional water.

Because indoor water use usually consumes your entire Tier 1 allotment, the water used for your lawn is billed entirely in Tier 2 and Tier 3.

Let’s calculate the savings from eliminating 10 HCF of lawn watering per month:

• 7 HCF @ Tier 2 ($6.652): $46.56
• 3 HCF @ Tier 3 ($9.706): $29.12
• Total Monthly Water Savings: $75.68
• Annual Water Savings: $75.68 × 12 = $908.16 per year.

The Verdict: A 5-Year artificial grass ROI Calculation for Long Beach

Now, we bring all the data together into a simple payback analysis.

• Total Annual Savings: $1,800 (Maintenance) + $908.16 (Water) = $2,708.16
• Total Initial Investment: $15,000.00
• Breakeven Calculation: $15,000 / $2,708.16 = 5.54 Years

The verdict is clear: The artificial grass ROI is realized in approximately 5.5 years. After that, you enjoy over $2,700 in pure profit every year for the remaining 15–20 year lifespan of the turf.

This fake grass cost vs savings analysis only covers water and maintenance. For dog owners, the ROI is even higher when factoring in the savings on re-sodding, mud cleanup, and property damage. Learn more about the specific benefits of pet-friendly backyard turf and its benefits.