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Playground turf · Fall zones

Playground turf that’s soft, clean and padded for falls.

A play area that stays green and mud-free, with padding under the turf matched to the height of the swing set or play structure.

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A curving artificial turf lawn edged by a concrete curb, with a wooden playset and river rock, near Windsor, Colorado
Turf lawn with a play setNear Windsor

Is playground turf right for you?

A good fit if…

  • The grass under the swings is worn down to dirt or mud.
  • You want something cleaner than wood chips or rubber mulch.
  • Kids play there every day and you want it usable right after rain.
  • You want the play area to match the rest of the yard.

Think twice if…

  • The set is tall. The pad under the turf has to be rated for the fall height, so measure the highest platform.
  • It sits in full afternoon sun. Turf gets hot, so plan some shade.
  • It’s for a daycare or school. Licensing rules cover the surfacing, so plan around them from the start.

What it’s like to live with.

  • Fall safety

    The shock pad under the turf does the cushioning, and it has to match the height of the equipment.

    Read more

  • Anchoring

    Swing sets and play structures can be anchored through turf the right way.

    Read more

  • Materials

    Colorado bans intentionally added PFAS in turf installed from 2026. Ask for the product documents.

    Read more

  • Upkeep

    Rinse it, brush it and keep the fall zones level. No more raking chips back into place.

    Read more

What affects the price.

Every yard is different, so we price yours after we’ve seen it. These are the things that change it most.

Get a price for your yard

  1. 01The size of the play area
  2. 02The fall height of the equipment, which sets the pad thickness
  3. 03Removing old mulch, chips or grass
  4. 04Edging and borders
  5. 05Drainage under the area

What our customers say.

4.7 on Google · Read the reviews

  • The crew was absolutely amazing, even when my curious kiddos were occasionally interrupting, the crew was kind and answered all thousand of their questions!

    Melissa B.Backyard · Google review

  • I had three estimates and NoCo turf was a couple thousand dollars less than the other two! The yard came out looking beautiful!

    Johnny G.Backyard lawn · Google review

  • Brian was super responsive and nice. He came over for an estimate the same day I reached out and had the turf installed a few days later.

    Tim M.Backyard lawn · Google review

How it works.

  1. Book a yard walk

    Tell us about the yard. We’ll set a time to walk it with you, look at the ground and talk through what you want.

  2. Get a plan and a price

    We measure and give you the plan and the price in writing.

  3. We install it

    We take out the old lawn, build and compact the base for your soil, then lay, seam and edge the turf.

  4. Walk it together

    We brush it in, clean up, and walk the finished yard with you before we call it done.

Book a yard walk

Playground turf in your town.

Pick your town to see what it allows and what we build there.

  1. Windsor, Timnath, Johnstown & Severance

Questions about playground turf.

Is artificial turf alone soft enough to fall on?

No. Turf over a compacted crushed-rock base is firm, which is what keeps it flat. Under swings, slides and platforms, a shock pad goes between the base and the turf, rated for a fall height at least as tall as the highest point a child can fall from.

How far around a playset does the padding need to go?

Past the edge of the equipment on every side a child can fall or jump from, and further in front of and behind swings. The equipment maker’s instructions give the use zone for each set, so follow them rather than a rule of thumb.

How hot does playground turf get in summer?

Hotter than grass in full sun. NOAA’s Greeley UNC station averages 58.3 days a year at or above 90°F. On days like that, check the surface with your hand before kids play, hose it down to cool it, and put the play area where it gets afternoon shade if the yard allows.

Can a daycare or HOA still install playground turf in Colorado?

Under state law, yes. Colorado’s 2025 amendment defines functional artificial turf to include playgrounds, and the ban on nonfunctional turf in new development and redevelopment doesn’t reach it. Some town codes are stricter: Evans’ code says artificial turf is not acceptable for public or common areas.

Can my HOA stop turf under a backyard playset?

Not in the backyard of a detached single-family home. Colorado law says an HOA’s landscaping rules may not prohibit artificial turf there, although the HOA can still adopt design and aesthetic guidelines.

Is the turf itself regulated for chemicals in Colorado?

For PFAS, yes. Since January 1, 2026, Colorado law bars anyone from installing artificial turf that contains intentionally added PFAS chemicals anywhere in the state. Ask for the documentation for the turf and the pad before you sign.

Does padded turf meet Colorado child care licensing rules?

Colorado’s family child care home rules list artificial turf with a built-in resilient pad as an approved surface under climbing and sliding equipment 18 inches or higher, and ask for the maker’s written statement that new surfacing meets current federal requirements. Centers and schools have their own rules, so check with your licensing specialist before you build.

Go deeperMore about playground turf, with the rules and sourcesOpen

What decides whether play turf is safe to fall on?

The pad, not the turf. Turf over a compacted base is built to stay flat, and that makes it firm. Where children climb, swing and jump, a shock pad goes between the base and the turf to take the impact.

Three things decide what that pad has to be:

  • Fall height. The highest point a child can fall from: a deck, the top of a climbing wall, the arc of a swing. The pad is rated for a fall height at least that tall.
  • Use zone. The ground around the equipment where a child can land. It runs past the edge of the set on every side, and further in front of and behind swings; the equipment maker’s instructions give it for each set.
  • Test data. A pad’s fall-height rating comes from the manufacturer’s impact testing. Ask for the document, not the adjective.

Wood chips and rubber mulch are the other common play surfaces. Turf over a pad stays level, and it doesn’t get kicked out from under the swings.

How does play turf go in under an existing playset?

  1. Measure the set. The highest platform, the swing beam, and the use zone around both.
  2. Protect or move the set. Some sets can be worked around; others come out and go back once the base is done.
  3. Excavate and grade. The old lawn or mulch comes out, and the ground is shaped to drain away from the house. The Colorado Geological Survey lists poor surface drainage among the landscaping problems on expansive soils.
  4. Build the base. Crushed rock, compacted flat, the same as under a lawn.
  5. Pad, then turf. The shock pad goes down across the use zone, the turf goes over it, and both are cut neatly around every post.
  6. Edges. The play area is secured where it meets lawn, rock or a curb, like the poured curb in the photo at the top of this page.

How hot does play turf get, and what helps?

Hotter than grass in direct sun. NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals put the Greeley UNC station at 58.3 days a year at or above 90°F, and the Fort Collins station at 29.5.

  • Shade. Put the set where it gets afternoon shade, or add a sail over the play area.
  • Water. A quick hose-down cools the surface before kids go out.
  • Check it. Put your hand flat on the turf for a few seconds. If it’s uncomfortable for your hand, it’s too hot for bare legs.
  • Glare. Sunlight reflected off some windows can concentrate on turf and damage it. Look at the afternoon glare before choosing a spot.

Can daycares, schools and HOAs still put in play turf?

Under state law, yes. Since January 1, 2026, Colorado cities, towns and special and metro districts may not install or allow nonfunctional artificial turf as part of new development or redevelopment on the property types the state law covers: commercial, institutional and industrial property, HOA common property, and street rights-of-way, parking lots, medians and transportation corridors. Playgrounds aren’t nonfunctional. Colorado’s 2025 amendment defines functional artificial turf to include playgrounds, sports fields, picnic grounds and parts of parks.

Some town codes go further:

Town What the code says
Evans Artificial turf is not acceptable for public or common areas.
Windsor Artificial turf is barred from any landscape plan for new development or major redevelopment, with functional artificial turf allowed only by the Director’s exception.
Fort Collins Artificial turf is barred from development landscape plans; development on existing single- and two-unit home lots is exempt from that section.
Dacono Artificial plants and synthetic turf can’t be used to meet the code’s landscaping requirements.

At home. Colorado law says an HOA’s landscaping rules may not prohibit artificial turf in the backyard of a detached single-family home, although the HOA can still adopt design and aesthetic guidelines.

More in the town-by-town turf rules and how HOA approval works.

The rules this page is built on.

Each rule as it's recorded from its public source, with a link to that source and the day it was last checked. Not legal advice; for your own address, ask the town or a Colorado attorney.

  1. 01State lawColorado

    Colorado's family child care home rules require at least 6 inches of resilient surfacing in the use zone of climbing or sliding equipment 18 inches or higher, list artificial turf with a built-in resilient pad as an approved solid surface, and want the maker's written statement that new solid surfacing meets current federal requirements.

    Colorado Department of Early Childhood, 8 CCR 1402-1-2.337(B), family child care home outdoor equipment and surfaces (47 CR 04, effective March 16, 2024), via Cornell LII · checked Sep 25, 2026

  2. 02State lawColorado

    Since January 1, 2026, Colorado cities, towns and special and metro districts may not install or allow nonfunctional artificial turf as part of new development or redevelopment on the property types the state law covers.

    C.R.S. 37-99-103(1), SB24-005 as amended by HB25-1113 (signed act) · checked Sep 24, 2026

  3. 03State lawColorado

    Colorado's nonfunctional-turf ban applies to commercial, institutional and industrial property, HOA common property, and street rights-of-way, parking lots, medians and transportation corridors, not to single-family lots.

    C.R.S. 37-99-102(1)(a), SB24-005 (signed act) · checked Sep 24, 2026

  4. 04State lawColorado

    Functional artificial turf stays allowed under Colorado's 2025 amendment, which defines it to include playgrounds, sports fields, picnic grounds, parts of parks and golf playing areas such as putting and chipping greens.

    C.R.S. 37-99-102(6.5), added by HB25-1113 (signed act) · checked Sep 24, 2026

  5. 05Town codeEvans

    Evans' landscape design code says artificial turf is not acceptable for public or common areas.

    Evans Municipal Code Sec. 18.08.020 (codified through Ord. No. 855-26, Jan. 6, 2026) · checked Sep 24, 2026

  6. 06Town codeWindsor

    Windsor's landscape code bars artificial turf from any landscape plan for new development or major redevelopment, allowing only functional artificial turf by the Director's exception.

    Windsor Municipal Code Sec. 15-3-20(b)(2) (codified through Ord. No. 2026-1749, July 13, 2026) · checked Sep 24, 2026

  7. 07Town codeFort Collins

    Fort Collins' Land Use Code bars artificial turf from development landscape plans, but development on existing single- and two-unit home lots is exempt from that section.

    Fort Collins Land Use Code 5.10.1(A) and (D)(2)(d), Ordinance No. 008, 2025 · checked Sep 24, 2026

  8. 08Town codeDacono

    Dacono's code says artificial plants and synthetic turf cannot be used to meet its landscaping requirements.

    Dacono Municipal Code Sec. 16-657(g) (Ord. No. 787, 2014; codified through Ord. No. 1011, March 9, 2026) · checked Sep 24, 2026

  9. 09State lawColorado

    Colorado law says an HOA's landscaping rules may not prohibit artificial turf in the backyard of a detached single-family home, although the HOA can still adopt design and aesthetic guidelines.

    C.R.S. 38-33.3-106.5(1)(i.5)(I)(A), added by SB23-178 (signed act) · checked Sep 24, 2026

  10. 10ClimateNOAA normals

    The nearest NOAA station, Greeley UNC, averages 58.3 days a year at or above 90°F and 6.5 days at or above 100°F, with 14.65 inches of precipitation and 34.9 inches of snow (1991–2020 normals).

    NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, annual/seasonal, station GREELEY UNC (USC00053553) · checked Sep 24, 2026

  11. 11ClimateNOAA normals

    The nearest NOAA station, Fort Collins, averages 15.88 inches of precipitation and 51.4 inches of snow a year, with 29.5 days at or above 90°F and 150 days with a low at or below 32°F (1991–2020 normals).

    NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, annual/seasonal, station FT COLLINS (USC00053005) · checked Sep 24, 2026

  12. 12State lawColorado

    Since January 1, 2026, Colorado law bars anyone from installing artificial turf that contains intentionally added PFAS chemicals anywhere in the state.

    SB24-081 bill summary (as enacted), Colorado General Assembly; approved by the Governor 2024-05-01 · checked Sep 24, 2026

  13. 13SoilColorado

    The Colorado Geological Survey lists poor surface drainage and planting next to foundations, so irrigation water soaks into the soil, among the landscaping problems on expansive soils.

    Colorado Geological Survey, Expansive Soil & Rock · checked Sep 24, 2026

Sources for this page12
  1. 8 CCR 1402-1, Rule 2.337: Outdoor play space and equipment (family child care homes) · checked Sep 26, 2026
  2. HB25-1113 signed act: C.R.S. 37-99-102(6.5) and 37-99-103(1), SB24-005 as amended · checked Sep 24, 2026
  3. SB24-005 signed act: C.R.S. 37-99-102(1)(a) · checked Sep 24, 2026
  4. Evans Municipal Code Sec. 18.08.020 (codified through Ord. No. 855-26, Jan. 6, 2026) · checked Sep 24, 2026
  5. Windsor Municipal Code Sec. 15-3-20(b)(2) (codified through Ord. No. 2026-1749, July 13, 2026) · checked Sep 24, 2026
  6. Fort Collins Land Use Code 5.10.1(A) and (D)(2)(d), Ordinance No. 008, 2025 · checked Sep 24, 2026
  7. Dacono Municipal Code Sec. 16-657(g) (Ord. No. 787, 2014; codified through Ord. No. 1011, March 9, 2026) · checked Sep 24, 2026
  8. SB23-178 signed act: C.R.S. 38-33.3-106.5(1)(i.5) · checked Sep 24, 2026
  9. NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, annual/seasonal, station GREELEY UNC (USC00053553) · checked Sep 24, 2026
  10. NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, annual/seasonal, station FT COLLINS (USC00053005) · checked Sep 24, 2026
  11. SB24-081 bill summary (as enacted), Colorado General Assembly · checked Sep 24, 2026
  12. Colorado Geological Survey, Expansive Soil & Rock · checked Sep 24, 2026

Next step

Let’s talk about your yard.

Tell us how tall the set is and where it sits. Five quick questions, then we’ll reach out to set a time.

What are we building?

Pick any that apply.

Where’s the yard?

We work from Wellington to Longmont.

Roughly how big is it?

A guess is fine. We measure when we walk the yard.

Two quick ones.

Is there an HOA or metro district?

When would you like it done?

How should we reach you?

We’ll get in touch to set a time to walk the yard.

Best way to reach you

Rather talk it through? Call 720-630-0108

Step 1 of 5Your project

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