Essential, Premium, or Elite: Which Total Turf Tier Is Right for Your Yard?

When you get an estimate from Total Turf, you'll see three options: Essential, Premium, and Elite. All three use USA-made turf, all three include our full 10-step installation process, and all three come with a manufacturer warranty. What's different is the turf material itself, the infill, and the craftsmanship warranty — and those differences matter depending on what your yard actually needs.

Here's how to think about each one.

Essential

Essential is our entry-level tier and it's genuinely good. The turf is USA-made with a 1.5-inch pile height — clean, durable, and appropriate for most residential applications. Infill is silica sand, which keeps the blades upright, adds stability, and performs well in standard residential use.

Essential is the right call when your yard is primarily functional, you don't have dogs, and you're not prioritizing the most realistic visual appearance. A backyard for occasional use, a side yard, or a practical space that doesn't get heavy traffic — Essential handles all of that well. It carries a 1-year craftsmanship warranty on our workmanship.

Where Essential isn't the right call: pet yards, front yard curb appeal installs, or any space that sees heavy daily use.

Premium / Pet Turf

Premium is our most popular tier and the one we recommend for most Sacramento homeowners — especially anyone with dogs. The turf runs 1.5 to 1.85-inch pile height — noticeably fuller than Essential — and the key difference is the infill. Premium uses odor-control infill instead of silica sand.

Odor-control infill is engineered specifically to neutralize pet odors at the bacterial level rather than masking them. In Sacramento's summer heat, this matters enormously. A pet yard with silica sand infill can develop odor within a year. The same yard with odor-control infill stays fresh because the infill is doing active work rather than just sitting there.

Premium also carries a 2-year craftsmanship warranty, which reflects the durability of the product under real use conditions.

If you have dogs, Premium is almost always the right choice. If you want a fuller, more natural look without going to the top tier, Premium delivers that too. Most of our residential installs — front yards, backyards, family yards, and pet yards — land here.

Elite

Elite is our top tier and it's built for specific situations. The turf runs 2.0 to 2.5-inch pile height — the most realistic look and feel available. It pairs with cooling infill technology, which is the biggest differentiator at this level.

Cooling infill is designed to absorb ambient moisture and release it gradually, which measurably reduces surface temperature during peak heat. In a south-facing Sacramento front yard with no shade, standard turf gets hot enough in July and August that it's uncomfortable to walk on barefoot during afternoon hours. Elite with cooling infill brings that surface temperature down significantly — not cold, but usable.

Elite also carries a 3-year craftsmanship warranty and is the product we use on putting greens, where surface consistency and blade behavior matter beyond just appearance.

Who chooses Elite: homeowners focused on maximum curb appeal for a front yard, anyone in a high-sun exposure yard who cares about afternoon comfort, and anyone installing a putting green. If you're doing a large front yard in Granite Bay or El Dorado Hills and the visual result is the priority, Elite is worth the conversation.

The Honest Summary

Most Sacramento homeowners with dogs land on Premium. Most homeowners focused on front yard curb appeal in a high-sun yard land on Elite. Most backyard-only installs without pets land on Essential or Premium depending on how the space gets used.

The best way to decide is to see all three side by side in your actual yard. Tom brings samples to every estimate so you can see the difference in your own light before you commit to anything.

Free estimates, no obligation. Call Tom directly at 916-671-0070 or get started at totalturf.com.