Infield-only conversion
How much does it cost to turf a baseball infield?
Turfing only the infield is the common first step: it is where the wear, the rainouts, and the dragging labor concentrate. Here is what it costs by field size, built from the unit costs in a real proposal.
Updated · An estimate, not a quote
The short answer.
The turf surface for a full 90 ft infield runs about $127,000, and a 60 ft youth infield about $67,000. That covers the base, the padded turf, and installation. Earthwork, edges, and hardware are extra, which is why a complete infield-only conversion usually lands between $80,000 and $180,000.
Full-size infield
13,000 SF
The clay-colored infield turf in our 75,000 SF proposal. Smaller infields scale by base-path length squared.
Unit cost
$8.41 per SF
Base, padded turf, infill, and testing, plus a mobilization line of $17,898.
Not included
Earthwork and edges
Taking out the old infield, edge restraint, and mound and base hardware are separate line items.
Turf cost by infield size.
Turf scope only: geotextile, compacted base, padded turf with a clay-colored infield, infill, and G-Max testing. The right-hand column adds flat panel drains at $0.30 per square foot.
| Infield | Typical use | Turf area | Turf scope | With drains |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 ft bases | Youth fields, roughly 12U and under | 5,800 SF | $67,000 | $68,000 |
| 70 ft bases | Intermediate (50/70) fields | 7,900 SF | $84,000 | $87,000 |
| 80 ft bases | Some 13U and 14U fields | 10,300 SF | $105,000 | $108,000 |
| 90 ft bases | High school, college, and full size | 13,000 SF | $127,000 | $131,000 |
How this is built: unit costs from the real 74,960 SF proposal on our synthetic turf baseball field cost page ($8.41 per SF for base and turf, $17,898 mobilization), applied to infield areas scaled from that field's 13,000 SF infield. Smaller jobs usually carry a higher cost per square foot than a large one, and we have not modeled that premium, so treat the small-infield figures as a floor.
In the turf scope.
- Geotextile separation layer
- Compacted, laser-graded crushed-stone base
- Padded turf with a clay-colored infield and inlaid lines
- Seaming, silica infill, and grooming
- Third-party G-Max impact testing
- Groomer and maintenance training
Priced separately.
- Removing the existing infield mix, excavation, and haul-off
- Subgrade stabilization where the soil needs it
- Perimeter edge restraint and the transition to a grass outfield
- Mound and base hardware, bases, and anchors
- Fencing, backstops, dugouts, and lighting
- Permits, sales tax, and bonds
What moves the price.
Infield size
Area grows with the square of the base path. A 90 ft infield has about two-thirds more turf than a 70 ft one, so field size moves the number more than anything else.
What is there now
A skinned infield has to come out before the base goes in. Depth, soil type, and haul distance decide that line, and it sits outside the surface price.
Drainage
Flat panel drains under the base cost about a third of a dollar per square foot in our proposal and are worth pricing on any field that holds water.
Edges and transitions
The line where turf meets a grass outfield or a warning track needs a restraint and a detail that lasts. It is usually priced by the linear foot, not the square foot.
Mound, plate, and bases
Pitching mounds, home plate areas, and base anchors are built or set separately from the field turf.
Clay color or green
Clay-colored padded turf replaces the skinned infield. In the proposal the two colors differed by only $0.24 per square foot.
Infield only, or the whole field?
A turf infield with a grass outfield is a common compromise: the infield takes the wear and the rainouts, and the outfield is cheap to keep as grass. A full turf field, infield and outfield, runs far higher. Our baseball field cost guide breaks down each tier, and the real 75,000 SF proposal shows a full field at $8.65 per square foot for the base bid.
Not sure it pays back? Run your numbers in the field turf ROI calculator, or read how we build turf infields.
Infield cost FAQ
Questions we hear before an infield project.
How much does it cost to turf a baseball infield?
Applying the unit costs from a real 75,000 SF proposal ($8.41 per square foot for base and turf, plus mobilization) to infield areas gives about $67,000 for a 60 ft youth infield and $127,000 for a 90 ft infield, before earthwork, edge restraint, and hardware. Our youth field guide puts a complete infield-only conversion at $80,000 to $180,000 once those are included.
Why is there such a wide range?
Three things: how big the infield is, what has to come out before the base goes in, and how much edge and drainage work the site needs. The surface itself prices by the square foot. Earthwork and edges do not.
What is not included in the estimate?
Removing the existing infield mix, subgrade stabilization, edge restraint and outfield transitions, mound and base hardware, fencing, lighting, permits, sales tax, and bonds. Always confirm what a bid includes before comparing two prices.
Do we need a clay infield on a turf field?
No. Clay-colored padded turf replaces the skinned infield, so there is no dragging, watering, tarping, or rainout downtime.
Can we turf the infield now and the outfield later?
Yes. A turf infield with a grass outfield is a common compromise, and the infield is where wear and rainouts concentrate. We detail the transition so the outfield can be converted later without rebuilding the infield.
Where we build
Building outside Texas?
The prices on this page come from our North Texas work. Soil, frost depth, wind, and how public buyers procure all change by state, and travel is built into one fixed price. Here is the one thing that changes in each state we build in.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma red clay is a different animal from the Texas Blackland.
What travels: A school or facility cage program, an infield conversion, or any field or indoor build. A single backyard cage does not cover the drive.
Oklahoma projects →
Louisiana
Louisiana is a drainage problem first and a surface problem second.
What travels: An infield conversion, a field build, or an indoor facility. Cage-only work does not travel here.
Louisiana projects →
Arkansas
Arkansas has two soil stories.
What travels: An infield conversion, a field build, or an indoor facility. Cage-only work does not travel here.
Arkansas projects →
Kansas
Kansas is a freeze-thaw state.
What travels: A multi-field program or an indoor facility. Single infields and cage-only work do not travel here.
Kansas projects →
New Mexico
New Mexico changes the spec in two ways that most national turf guides skip.
What travels: A multi-field program, a full field build, or an indoor facility. Single infields and cage-only work do not travel here.
New Mexico projects →
Nebraska
Nebraska is the deepest frost line on this list.
What travels: An indoor baseball or multi-sport facility, or a multi-field program. Single infields and cage-only work do not travel here.
Nebraska projects →
Georgia
Georgia red clay is Piedmont clay, weathered from granite, and it behaves a lot like the Blackland Prairie we build on at home: it holds water, it compacts hard when dry, and it needs stabilization or replacement in the top lift before it will carry a field.
What travels: A multi-field complex (four fields or more) or an indoor baseball or multi-sport facility. Nothing smaller travels this far.
Georgia projects →
Outside DFW we start with a video consult so nobody drives out before the budget makes sense. All markets and what travels to each →
Want a fixed price for your infield?
Tell us the base-path length, what is there now, and the timeline. We walk the field, or start with a video call if you are outside DFW, and send a fixed-price scope with the earthwork and edges broken out.
School, league, or city with a bid already written? Send it to our Spec Desk →