Warranties
As a point-of-reference for perspective: Quality synthetic turf very, very rarely fails. If you’re buying synthetic turf from industry leaders like Field Turf, Astroturf or Perfect Turf the chances your synthetic turf will fail and need to be replaced are astronomically low. Lower quality artificial turf obviously has a higher-chance of failing, so take much more care to research not just the warranty but also the company’s ability to uphold it, when purchasing such synthetic turf.
Many styles of materials are warranted to resist fading, stains, blade and backing failure for 8 years or more; With low to moderate traffic well cared for high quality artificial turf should last much longer.
There are two major types of warranties offered in the artificial turf industry:
The first is a 100% 8 year workmanship, undue fading, and fiber degradation warranty. This is the industry standard, and you can find an example here.
This entitles the customer to a full replacement of any defective artificial grass, typically including shipping costs, and in many cases the labor to repair any damaged sections.
The second is a 10-15 year prorated warranty. This warranty may seem preferable because of it’s length, but is actually somewhat of a trap. The fact that it’s prorated means that if your turf breaks down after the 8 year warranty other companies offer would have ended, you’ll be receiving less than half of the price you paid. Moreover if your turf breaks down after 4 years, you’ll receive less compensation than the 8 year warranty would cover.
Moreover the form of compensation is often credit for more turf from the company. While this makes sense if only a small part of your artificial grass is defective and you want to purchase a replacement, you’ll be forced to buy a whole new installation from the company at your cost if your entire installation fails. Moreover you’re often not covered on labor, which can mean you can get hit really hard on the off chance your turf is defective.
Some companies in the market “provide” an excessive warranty that they will not be able to keep their word on in the future. The market standard is there for a reason, so if a company offers you a warranty greater than 8 years, be suspicious.