Pasadena, California
Artificial Turf Installation in Pasadena, CA
Proper base depth, compacted sub grade and real drainage, so the lawn stays flat instead of rippling in year two. Serving Pasadena and the surrounding San Gabriel Valley.
The short answer
Yes, MKW Homes installs artificial turf across Pasadena, and here is the fact worth knowing first: a back yard is generally exempt from design review, but if your home sits in a landmark or historic district and the turf faces the street, the City may want a look before you dig. We confirm that with Planning before we start, and we build the base to outlast the blades.
PermitsWho signs off in Pasadena.
Permits for Pasadena go through City of Pasadena Planning & Community Development.
Local detail
Parts of Pasadena sit inside landmark districts where exterior changes visible from the street go through design review. It does not stop a project, but it changes the drawings and the schedule.
Housing stockWhat we find in Pasadena.
Craftsman bungalows, Spanish Colonial Revival and mid century post and beam, much of it built between 1900 and 1940.
Neighborhoods we work in
The buildArtificial Turf in Pasadena.
What actually sets the price
The size of the yard is only the start. The real cost drivers are how deep we excavate the base, whether we are hauling out old lawn or breaking up concrete first, and how hard your lot is to reach. A bobcat that can drive to the back keeps it cheap. A narrow Bungalow Heaven side yard, where every wheelbarrow of aggregate goes by hand, does not. Drainage is the other lever. A flat lot that already sheds water needs less than a low corner that pools against the house. We measure all of it on the walk and price from what is actually there.
Choosing the turf itself
Four things on the spec sheet decide how the grass looks and how it holds up: face weight, pile height, blade shape, and infill. Heavier face weight and a shorter, denser pile take foot traffic without matting flat. Blade shape changes the sheen, so a soft W or C blade reads more like real grass than a cheap flat one. Infill is not filler. It holds the blades upright, and with a deodorizing layer it is what keeps a dog yard from turning sour. For a hot south or west yard, a lighter infill and some shade matter more than most people expect.
Permits and the historic-district question
Pasadena runs its own building department through the Planning and Community Development Department, and that shapes how we start. Interior work and back-yard landscaping are generally exempt, so most turf jobs need no permit at all. The exception is the historic side of this city. Bungalow Heaven, Madison Heights, Oak Knoll, San Rafael and many older streets carry landmark and historic-district rules, and a street-facing front-yard change can go through design review. We check your address against those districts before we quote, not after.
How we build it, step by step
The order matters more than any single step. We strip the old lawn or slab and haul it off, then grade the ground to fall away from the house so water has somewhere to go. Crushed aggregate goes down in lifts and gets compacted hard between each one, because a base laid in one loose pile will settle and dip. Then a weed barrier, the turf rolled and seamed so the joins disappear, edges nailed down tight, and infill spread and brushed up through the pile. We groom it last so the blades stand and the yard looks like it grew there.
How long it takes and what the week feels like
Most Pasadena yards run two to four days once we start. A small back yard with easy access can be a single day. A big lot with concrete demolition and real drainage work runs longer. The loud, dusty part is the front end, the excavation and the compacting, so that is when you hear the plate compactor and see the bobcat. After the base is in, the rolling and seaming is quiet. You can keep living in the house the whole time. We clear the access path and tidy the work zone every evening before we leave.
How long it lasts and the upkeep it needs
A good turf on a base that was built right lasts fifteen to twenty years. The blades wear before the ground does, and that is the point: the base outlives the plastic when it was compacted properly. Upkeep is light. Rinse it down now and then, brush the pile up where it sees the most traffic, and top up the infill every few years as it settles. A dog yard wants a rinse more often to stay fresh. You are not mowing, watering, or feeding it, which through a Pasadena summer is the whole appeal.
The mistake that ruins turf
The failure is almost always the base, not the plastic. When turf goes lumpy, drains poorly, or ripples a year in, it traces back to a base that was rushed: not dug deep enough, not compacted in lifts, or laid before the drainage was solved. The blades get the blame, but the blades were fine. A crew that shows up and rolls turf over old ground or a thin scrape of gravel is selling you a yard that will fail. The days spent on the base are the actual job. Everything you see sits on what you cannot.
What to ask before you hire anyone
Ask how deep they excavate and how they compact, and listen for lifts and a plate compactor, not one loose pour. Ask how they solve drainage on your specific lot before any turf goes down. Ask what face weight and infill they are quoting and why those suit your yard and your dog. Ask whether your address falls in a historic district and who confirms it. And ask for their CSLB license and a couple of local turf jobs you can go stand on. A straight answer to all five tells you who actually does this work.
QuestionsArtificial Turf in Pasadena.
Do I need a permit for artificial turf in Pasadena?
Usually not. Back-yard landscaping and interior work are generally exempt from permits here. What to check is whether your home sits in a landmark or historic district and the turf faces the street, because a front-yard change like that can go through design review. We confirm your address with Planning first.
Will artificial turf get too hot in the Pasadena sun?
It can, in a full south or west yard on an August afternoon. That is real, and it is why we spec a lighter infill and talk through shade for those exposures. A yard with tree cover or eastern light stays comfortable. Where the sun is relentless, the product and infill choices matter more than the brand name.
How long does artificial turf last?
Fifteen to twenty years for a good product on a properly built base. The blades wear out before the ground does. When turf fails early it is nearly always the base that was rushed, not the turf itself, so the years you get come down to how the ground was excavated and compacted underneath it.
Is fake grass okay for dogs?
Yes, and plenty of our Pasadena turf yards are dog yards. The trick is the infill and a deodorizing layer, which is what keeps it from smelling. You rinse it down more often than a lawn with no dog, but there is no mud, no holes dug in the grass, and no brown patches to reseed.
How much does artificial turf cost in Pasadena?
It comes down to square footage, how deep we dig the base, whether we are hauling off old lawn or concrete, how hard your yard is to reach, and how much drainage the lot needs. A flat, open back yard costs less than a narrow historic side yard done by wheelbarrow. We price it on the walk, not over the phone.
Can you put turf over my existing concrete or lawn?
Usually we take it out. Turf laid over old lawn will settle and dip as the ground gives way, and concrete has to drain and be prepped right or water sits under the turf. Sometimes a sound slab with good fall can stay, but that is a call we make on site, not a shortcut we sell to save a day.
See it builtReal artificial turf we finished.
ReviewsWhat clients say.
Hired Mike and his crew to redo our entire backyard and driveway. Removal of the asphalt and existing landscaping, running water lines and electrical, artificial grass, plant borders, a paver driveway, raised the patio gazebo, added a paver patio, landscaped borders, irrigation and outdoor lighting.
Teri CraftLocal Guide · 33 reviewsFrom start to finish the job was handled with the utmost professionalism and attention to detail. What stood out most was their communication. Mr. Ward kept me informed every step of the way.
Angela Adams5 reviewsMKW Homes just painted our home. We are very satisfied with the work. During the process everything was clean and organized.
Jake Baloian3 reviewsMike and his crew were great. They did a wonderful job on the stucco patching and painting, and we were very pleased with the results.
Jen B1 reviewHired Mike and his crew to redo our entire backyard and driveway. Removal of the asphalt and existing landscaping, running water lines and electrical, artificial grass, plant borders, a paver driveway, raised the patio gazebo, added a paver patio, landscaped borders, irrigation and outdoor lighting.
Teri CraftLocal Guide · 33 reviewsFrom start to finish the job was handled with the utmost professionalism and attention to detail. What stood out most was their communication. Mr. Ward kept me informed every step of the way.
Angela Adams5 reviewsMKW Homes just painted our home. We are very satisfied with the work. During the process everything was clean and organized.
Jake Baloian3 reviewsMike and his crew were great. They did a wonderful job on the stucco patching and painting, and we were very pleased with the results.
Jen B1 reviewNearby citiesArtificial Turf near Pasadena.
Free estimatesIn Pasadena.
Michael usually gets to the property the same week.