Artificial Grass, Playground Rubber and Epoxy Floors in Orange County

Census Bureau 2024 five year estimates put Orange County at about 3.17 million residents in roughly 1.08 million households. Owners occupy 56.4 percent of those households, and the median home was built in 1977.

That 1977 midpoint tells you the county is neither brand new nor ancient. Many garages and patios have been in service for decades, which is why we see steady demand for concrete repair, new floor coatings and walkway grinding. At the same time the county includes some of the newest housing in the region, which is where association managed common areas, play lots and shared lawns are most common.

The spread among the 29 larger communities we list is wide. The median build year runs from 1965 in Buena Park to 2002 in Irvine, and owner occupancy runs from about 40 percent in Costa Mesa to about 87 percent in North Tustin. A building owner in a rental heavy city thinks about durability and downtime. A household in an owner heavy city thinks about curb appeal and resale. We adjust our recommendations to who will live with the surface.

NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals, using the nearest reporting station to each community, show a gradient that matters for surfacing. Average July highs run from about 72 degrees in Costa Mesa to about 88 degrees in Rancho Santa Margarita. Days at or above 90 degrees run from fewer than 1 a year in Costa Mesa to about 62 in Rancho Santa Margarita. Annual rainfall runs from about 9 inches to about 15 inches across the group.

By our distance calculation, 8 of the 29 larger communities sit within about five miles of the coast, 17 are between five and fifteen miles inland, and 4 are farther in. What that means in practice:

• Near the beach, damp mornings and salt air make drainage, clean base work and slab moisture testing the first questions for turf and floors.
• In the central county, mild summers make year round use of play yards and patios realistic, so surfaces tend to see steady traffic.
• In the foothill and south county communities, hotter afternoons raise the importance of shade, color selection and surface maintenance on playgrounds.

None of this replaces a site visit. We measure, check drainage and talk through how the space is used before we recommend a product.

Orange County water agencies take part in the Metropolitan Water District's SoCalWaterSmart turf replacement program. Its terms are clear that no synthetic turf is allowed, that the lawn must be living when you apply, and that projects must not begin until a reservation is approved. The Municipal Water District of Orange County (MWDOC) also publishes guidance for its member agencies on the state's nonfunctional turf rules.

So a rebate project and an artificial grass project are two different decisions. If a lawn is purely decorative, a planted conversion with rain capture may be worth pursuing through your water agency. If it is a play area, a dog run, a putting green or a small side yard, artificial grass may fit the job better. Many properties do both.

State law is also moving the deadline for common area lawns. AB 1572 prohibits potable irrigation of nonfunctional turf beginning January 1, 2028 for commercial, industrial and institutional properties and January 1, 2029 for HOA common areas. Associations that have not yet decided what to do with decorative strips along entrances, medians and slopes should put the decision on a board agenda now.

Associations. Orange County has a large number of planned communities, and boards here juggle reserve planning, landscape standards and member requests. California's reserve study requirement (Civil Code section 5550) calls for a study at least every three years, so a tot lot surface or a worn walkway belongs on the replacement schedule before it fails. Civil Code section 4735 limits how far governing documents can go in banning artificial turf, though reasonable design rules can still apply. Your association's attorney should read your documents.

Public and school projects. Work paid for with public funds generally falls under prevailing wage rules, which come with contractor registration and payroll reporting duties. If your district or city is writing a bid, send us the documents and we will tell you what we can provide.

Child care and church programs. Licensed child care centers must cushion the area under and around climbing equipment, swings and slides under Title 22, section 101238.2. Churches that host preschool or after school programs often face the same questions from insurers.

Homeowners. Most private projects here are front and back yards, garage floors, patios and pool decks. We schedule around your family and keep the work area tidy.

Most projects follow the same path. You send photos and a few measurements. We call within 24 hours, ask about use, timing and any association rules, and schedule a site visit. After the visit you receive a written scope that lists the area, the surface, the base work and the schedule.

If an association is involved, we can provide product information and drawings for the architectural request. If a school or city is involved, we ask for the bid documents early so nothing is missed. When the job starts, we protect adjacent areas, prepare the base or slab, install the surface and clean the site. Afterward we walk the work with you and note any maintenance tips.

Artificial grass for lawns, pet areas, play yards and common area replacements, installed over a prepared and drained base.

Poured in place rubber for playgrounds, walking paths and play lots, with the thickness set by the fall height of your equipment.

Epoxy and polished concrete for garages, shops, patios and commercial floors, including grinding to prepare or smooth a slab.

Turbo Surfacing is licensed, bonded and insured and has completed projects in all seven Southern California counties and many cities in each. You can scan our cost guides for planning purposes before you request a quote.

These larger communities have their own pages: Anaheim, Santa Ana, Irvine, Huntington Beach, Garden Grove, Fullerton, Orange, Costa Mesa, Mission Viejo, Westminster, Lake Forest, Newport Beach, Buena Park, Tustin, Yorba Linda, Laguna Niguel, San Clemente, La Habra, Fountain Valley, Placentia, Aliso Viejo, Cypress, Brea, Rancho Santa Margarita, Stanton, San Juan Capistrano, Dana Point, Laguna Hills, North Tustin.

We also serve the smaller communities listed at the bottom of this page. If your address is not on the list, ask anyway.

• A few photos of the space, taken from the street or the doorway and from the far corner.
• Rough dimensions, or the length of the longest run and the width.
• Your association's contact and its approval steps if you share walls or common areas.
• Any gate codes, parking limits or work hours the community enforces.
• The date you would like the work finished, including school breaks or events.
• For a playground, a list of equipment and the height of the tallest platform.

Send them through the free estimate form and we respond within 24 hours.