How Much Does Artificial Grass Cost?

If you’re considering switching over to artificial grass, the upfront costs can sometimes leave you feeling a little green. While artificial grass is initially more expensive than natural turf - especially when you include the cost of installation – it will save you lots of time and money over the course of its life. Imagine having a perfect lawn without having to lift a (green) finger! Over time, the savings and benefits that come with artificial grass more than make up for the initial expense. You’ll rejoice at not having to spend money maintaining your garden, on things like lawnmowers and other gardening equipment, watering, reseeding, fertiliser, food and more. When you choose artificial grass, you’re paying for the convenience of very little maintenance and year-round good looks.

Is artificial grass expensive?

As with anything, you can spend as much or as little as you like on artificial grass. Our artificial grass starts at £19.99 per m2 for the Sophia range and goes up to £24.99 per m2 for our more premium ranges such as Lords, Par 3 and Trafford. Generally, the price of artificial grass will determine how ‘real’ it looks and feels. As you move up the price range, you’ll get more variation of greens and browns for that natural look, and the fibres are longer and denser to provide a more luxurious feeling underfoot. Of course, it’s possible to find cheaper artificial grass elsewhere, but it’s usually low quality and only suitable for temporary installations.

• Tapi Top Tip All of our artificial grass product pages have a calculator built in to work out the exact cost for your project.

Things to consider in the cost of artificial grass

As a very rough guide, artificial grass costs between £60 - £80 per m2 to install, not including the cost of the turf itself. It’s possible to lay artificial grass yourself to save money but when you include the cost of hiring tools and how long it will take you to do, it might not be as attractive a proposition as you first thought. For both professional turf installation and the ‘doing it yourself’ option, there are extra costs to consider.

• Installation In the UK, the size of the average area for installing artificial grass is around 40-50m2. Professional fitters will generally charge between £100 and £150 per person, per day. If they are also required to do some prep work, then the whole project could take 2-3 days. If it’s just the installation, they may be able to do it in a single day.
• Prepping the base However, if you need to lay a concrete base underneath your artificial grass, this will need time to dry before the grass can be installed. The additional prep work and extra time required will also increase the cost.
• Additional materials You also need to consider the cost of the materials for the sub-base, as well as the sand infill, and any foam underlay you may decide to use. For a project of 40m2, you would need 4-5 tonnes of sand for the bedding, to cover it at a depth of 50mm. This would cost you in the region of £300-400. You would need another half a tonne of fine sand to brush over the top. This would cost around £50.
• Skip hire Finally, you should find out how much it would cost to hire a skip to dispose of your old turf and soil. A medium skip is around £200 to rent for one week.

How much does it cost to have artificial grass installed?

At Tapi, we only supply the artificial grass itself and leave the installation in your capable hands. The price of installation can vary due to location and materials needed, but we’ve put together a rough estimate. If you take our mid-range Oval artificial grass at £22.99 per m2 then the costs for a 40m2 project would look something like this:

Please note, this total doesn’t include smaller costs such as adhesives, joining tape, and pins. It’s also important to remember that this is for a square- or rectangle-shaped artificial lawn - more complicated shapes will require extra artificial turf as there will be more offcuts.

When you book in your home visit, our friendly consultant can talk you through all your options and give you an accurate quote for the cost of the artificial grass.
 

How much does it cost to install artificial grass myself?

Did you look at the estimate above and baulk? In that case, you may be thinking that you can save some money by installing it yourself. However, there are several costs you need to factor in which may mean it doesn’t work out that much cheaper.

For example, there are a lot of tools you’ll need to hire to install your artificial grass and these are usually on a weekly basis.

• A turf cutter - £100
• Compactor plate - £40-£50
• Skip hire - £200
• Turntable trolley (to carry the turf) - £45
• Sand spreader - £200-£400

The main bonus of opting to install artificial grass yourself is that these costs don’t rise with the size of the project, so in the case of a larger project where you’d pay a professional by the square metre, doing it yourself could save you a significant amount. 

How much does artificial grass cost compared to real grass?

The main drawback of artificial turf is the upfront cost, which, for many, is significant. However, maintenance costs are essentially zero, and with an expected lifespan of 15 to 20 years, the artificial grass will often end up paying for itself. Natural grass, on the other hand, requires the purchase of a lawnmower (maybe two in that time frame) at several hundred pounds. It also requires watering during the summer months. For example, a 50m2 lawn would require roughly 1.5 cubic metres of water every time. This is 1500 litres (nearly 20 bath tubs), which at around £2.50 a cubic metre would cost around £375 - £400 a year if watered every week.

Lawn feed or fertiliser will also need to be used if you want a pristine lawn, and this costs around £25 per bag. A 5L bottle of weed killer will cost around £20. Therefore, you could potentially be looking at upkeep costs of around £500 a year if you want a lawn you can be proud of.

Our handy buying guide answers all your questions about artificial grass and will help you discover if it’s the right choice for your home. If you’ve already decided you want a hassle-free garden for years to come, book a home visit or contact us to get your journey started.