Are artificial surfaces a financially viable option for the future?
However, natural pitches also cost money to maintain, costing about £100,000 and soilless pitches, as used by professional sports teams costing around double that, at £200,000. Irrigation costs, fertilisers, pesticides, aeration and other equipment are also required in order to maintain a perfect pitch, with costs for maintenance likely to double the original installation cost over a 10 year period.
Taking this information into account, you can see that although artificial pitches are likely to cost more money, they require less maintenance and also provide a much better playing surface for the additional price, which will only improve the quality at which sport is played.
When considering whether or not artificial pitches are a viable option for the future, the economic aspects are very important, as you have to be able to afford to sustain the surface you are playing on. This page looks into how much synthetic surfaces cost to install and to maintain.
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In the UK, a full size third generation artificial pitch costs between £300,000 and £500,000 to install, as well as having to replace the playing surface at the cost of £300,000 once every decade. However the Northern Irish football team Crusaders F.C managed to install theirs at a cost of only £250,000. They use an artificial pitch, as it cuts the cost of 10 years worth of maintenance and they cannot afford facilities such as undersoil heating. As more and more artificial pitches are installed in various facilites around the world, their price will continue to drop.
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You should also take into account the revenue generated by the artificial pitch. At grassroots level, artificial pitches can earn in excess of £150,000 annually in extra revenue, which can be reinvested into improving other local facilities.
How much would an artificial lawn cost for your garden cost? The artificial turf used here is likely to cost up to £60 per square metre, including installation fees, with an average 20 square metre garden costing £1,200. Maintenance for domestic artificial grass is much less than for sports facilities, meaning that a synthetic lawn is considerably cheaper in the long term than one of natural grass.
In very hot climates, you may even receive tax credits if you install a synthetic lawn, due to the environmental benefits (such as not using water for irrigation), saving you money in the long term. For example in Los Angeles, you can receive £75 per 50 square metres and in some areas, you can receive £40 per 10 square metres. Read more about artificial grass in hot climates here.