Gopher Control Before Installing Artificial Turf — What You Need to Know

Artificial turf installation is a significant investment — a typical residential installation runs $10,000 to $25,000 or more depending on size and quality. Gophers that were present before installation or that move onto the property afterward can cause serious damage to artificial turf by tunneling beneath it and pushing upward through the backing, creating visible humps and tears that require expensive repair or replacement. Treating for gophers before artificial turf installation is one of the most cost-effective things a homeowner can do to protect this investment.

How Gophers Damage Artificial Turf

Artificial turf is installed over a prepared base of compacted decomposed granite or crushed aggregate. When a gopher tunnels beneath this base and pushes upward — as they do regularly when creating new mounds — the upward pressure creates visible humps in the turf surface. If the push-out breaks through the backing, it creates a hole or tear that disrupts the turf surface and allows the gopher to continue activity beneath the installation. Unlike natural lawn where mounds are simply raked away, gopher activity beneath artificial turf cannot be corrected without lifting the turf, addressing the damage, and re-installing the affected section.

Why Installation Is the Critical Window

The best time to address gopher pressure is before the turf goes down — when the native soil is still accessible, when any remaining gophers can be removed with standard trapping, and when the base preparation and installation crew can incorporate additional protective measures if appropriate. Once turf is installed, treating a gopher that establishes beneath it requires lifting sections of turf, which is expensive and may damage the installation.

Before any artificial turf installation on a property with known or suspected gopher activity, schedule professional gopher treatment and confirm the property is clear before the installation date. Most artificial turf installers will confirm existing gopher activity as a reason to delay installation — they do not want warranty callbacks from gopher damage any more than you want the damage itself.

Hardware Cloth as an Additional Layer

For properties with very high ongoing gopher pressure — foothill properties adjacent to open space, or properties with persistent reinvasion history — some installers incorporate a layer of hardware cloth beneath the decomposed granite base as a physical barrier against gopher intrusion. This adds cost and complexity to the installation but provides long-term protection for high-pressure properties where ongoing treatment maintenance is not preferred. Discuss this option with your installer if your property has documented persistent gopher problems.

After Installation

Gophers can colonize a property after artificial turf installation just as they can before. Properties adjacent to parks, golf courses, or natural open space face ongoing reinvasion risk regardless of ground cover. For these properties, periodic professional inspection and treatment as needed remains the appropriate long-term strategy even after artificial turf installation.

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Call 909-599-4711 — schedule gopher treatment before your artificial turf installation date to protect your investment from day one.