Free Resource
10 questions to ask any turf installer in DFW.
Before you sign a turf contract, hand your installer this list. If they can't give specific answers to any of them, get another quote. No fluff. No sales pitch. Just the questions that separate a 15-year install from a 2-year failure.
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Base prep
1. How deep are you excavating?
A proper DFW turf install removes 3-4 inches of existing soil. If the installer says "we'll just till and lay on top," the turf will pillow, dip, and develop puddles within two seasons on Parker County clay. Ask for the excavation depth in writing on the quote.
Good answer: "3-4 inches across the full install area, more for pet runs."
Base prep
2. What weed barrier are you using?
A commercial-grade weed barrier, rated for a 15-year service life, installed on top of the compacted sub-base and below the turf. Cheap landscape fabric fails inside of five years and lets Bermuda or nutsedge push through the turf from below. A thin install-grade barrier is about $0.05/sq ft cheaper and a permanent mistake.
Good answer: "Commercial 15-year weed barrier on top of the sub-base, below the turf."
Base prep
3. What sub-base material and depth?
Crushed concrete (cheapest, workhorse), decomposed granite (premium, best for putting greens), or #57 limestone (drainage specialty). Minimum 3-4 inches for residential, 4-6 inches for sports fields and playgrounds. A 1-1.5 inch base looks fine on paper and fails within a year on clay.
Good answer: "3-4 inches of DG or crushed concrete, installed in two lifts."
Base prep
4. How many compaction lifts, and to what spec?
Compaction happens in two to three "lifts" — layers of sub-base material laid down and compacted separately before the next goes on. Industry standard is 95% Standard Proctor density. A single-pass compaction on a 4-inch base creates soft layers that settle into the familiar waves and dips you see on bad turf installs two years in.
Good answer: "Two lifts, 95% Standard Proctor, plate compactor or vibratory roller."
Drainage
5. What's the drainage slope and where does it exit?
The finished sub-base should be laser-graded to a consistent 1-2% fall (1-2 feet of drop per 100 feet of run) toward a specific exit point: the street, a daylighting edge, or a French drain. "It'll drain somewhere" is not an answer. Flat installs pond. Reverse-sloped installs (pitched toward the house) can damage foundations.
Good answer: "1-2% slope to the [driveway / rear fence / French drain manifold]."
Drainage
6. Are you installing a French drain? If not, why not?
Many DFW lots are effectively flat or slope toward the house. In those cases, a French drain isn't optional — it's engineered drainage infrastructure. The installer should be able to tell you whether your lot needs one and why. If they haven't looked at the grade, that's a red flag.
Good answer: "We walked the grade. You need a French drain along the [X] edge because [Y]."
Turf system
7. What's the ASTM F2898 drainage rating of the turf?
F2898 is the standard test for turf drainage permeability. Residential systems should be 30+ inches per hour. Pet turf: 80+ in/hr. Commercial sports fields: 150+ in/hr. An installer who can't cite the F2898 rating is quoting turf they haven't technically evaluated.
Good answer: A specific number with the product spec sheet attached.
Craft
8. How do you handle seams?
Seams are the #1 visible defect on a bad turf install. Done right, you can't find them. Done wrong, you see ruler-straight lines across the yard for 15 years. A good installer uses full-width seam tape and polyurethane seam glue, pins the seam before the glue sets, and stitch-cuts the fiber so color and blade direction match across the join. Installers who nail down the seam edge without tape or glue are cutting a small per-foot corner that shows up forever.
Good answer: "Full-width seam tape, polyurethane glue, pinned while it sets, stitch-cut so the seam disappears."
Trust
9. What's your full warranty — product AND labor, in writing?
Industry standard is 15-year manufacturer product warranty + 1-year installation workmanship warranty. Some competitors advertise 25-year warranties — ask to see the actual warranty document, because the fine print usually restricts it heavily. The install warranty is what matters most: if the base settles in year one, who pays to fix it?
Good answer: "15-year product warranty + 1-year install warranty, both documented. If the base settles in year one, we cover it."
Trust
10. Are you HUB-Certified and fully insured? Can I see the certificate?
HUB Certification (Historically Underutilized Business, administered by the Texas Comptroller) signals the business meets state professional standards and is eligible for public-sector bids. Fully insured means commercial general liability coverage — protecting your property during the install. Both should be provable with documentation on request.
Good answer: "Yes, HUB Certified under the Texas Comptroller. Commercial liability insurance. Certificates on request."
How we answer these
Every answer above is how Bearcat Turf installs. If you're shopping installers and want a second opinion on a quote you already received, send us the scope — we'll give you a read. No sales pitch, no obligation.