How much does it cost to install artificial grass in a garden? (UK guide)

The short answer

A fully fitted artificial lawn in the UK usually costs around £40 to £80 per square metre supply-and-fit, so a typical small back garden of around 25 m2 often lands in the region of £1,000 to £2,000, and a medium 50 m2 lawn frequently falls between £2,000 and £4,000. The total combines the grass itself with excavation and waste removal, a compacted stone sub-base, a weed membrane, edging, sand infill and labour. Groundwork and labour usually make up the larger share. Awkward access, heavy clay soil needing extra drainage, intricate shapes and premium grass all push the figure up, while large open lawns cost less per square metre.

The installed cost of an artificial lawn is driven less by the grass roll and more by the groundwork beneath it. Breaking the job into its parts shows where the money goes and why quotes vary.

Fitted lawn cost

Supply-and-fit rate~£40–£80 per m2
Small garden (~25 m2)~£1,000–£2,000
Medium garden (~50 m2)~£2,000–£4,000
Largest cost shareGroundwork and labour
Cost-up factorsPoor access, clay soil, complex shapes, premium grass

What a fitted price includes

A proper installation is a small groundworks project, not just rolling out grass. A typical supply-and-fit quote covers:

Excavation and disposal: digging out existing turf and soil to the required depth and removing the spoil, usually by skip or grab.
Sub-base: a compacted layer of crushed stone such as MOT Type 1, topped with a finer grano or sharp-sand laying course for a smooth, free-draining bed.
Weed membrane: a geotextile layer to suppress weeds beneath the lawn.
Edging: timber, composite or metal restraints around the perimeter to hold the base and grass in place.
The grass: the artificial turf itself, cut to fit, with joints taped and glued.
Infill and finishing: kiln-dried sand brushed into the pile, and pinning around the edges.
Labour: the skilled time across the whole job, typically the single largest line item.

Component	What it is	Share of cost
Excavation + disposal	Digging out turf/soil, skip/grab hire	Moderate
Sub-base materials	MOT Type 1 stone + grano/sharp-sand layer	Moderate to high
Membrane + edging	Weed barrier and perimeter restraint	Lower
Grass roll	The artificial turf itself	Variable by grade
Infill	Kiln-dried sand brushed into pile	Lower
Labour	Skilled fitting across the whole job	Often the largest

Indicative breakdown for guidance only. The exact split varies with garden size, soil, access and the grade of grass chosen.

Example fitted totals by garden size

Because installation is quoted per square metre but carries fixed set-up costs, the per-metre rate falls as the lawn gets bigger. Using a typical £40 to £80 per square metre band, rough fitted totals look like this:

Small garden (~25 m2): often in the region of £1,000 to £2,000. Small lawns sit at the higher end of the per-metre rate because fixed costs spread over fewer metres.
Medium garden (~50 m2): commonly £2,000 to £4,000.
Large garden (~100 m2): frequently £4,000 to £8,000, though the rate per metre is usually lower than for a small lawn.

These are starting estimates, not fixed prices. The same area can cost noticeably more or less depending on what lies beneath and how easy the garden is to work in.

Fixed costs hit small jobs hardest: set-up, access and minimum charges mean a tiny lawn rarely works out cheap per metre. If you are laying a small area, expect the per-metre rate to sit near the top of the range.

What pushes the total up

Several site-specific factors move a quote within or beyond the typical range:

Access: if barrows of stone and spoil have to travel through a house or down a narrow side passage, labour rises. Rear gardens with no side access are the classic example.
Soil and drainage: heavy clay or ground that holds water may need a deeper sub-base or a soakaway, adding materials and time. UK drainage and SuDS considerations matter where you are replacing a soft, permeable lawn with a built-up surface.
Shape and detail: curved borders, trees, raised beds and stepping stones all add cutting, edging and fiddly labour.
Removing hard surfaces: taking up an old patio, decking or concrete before laying adds a demolition cost.
Grass grade: a premium, dense turf adds to the supply cost even though the labour is similar.
Region: labour rates tend to be higher in London and the South East.

For an accurate figure, an installer normally needs to see the garden — measure the area, check access and assess the ground — because those details decide where within the range your project sits.

Supply-and-fit versus doing the groundwork yourself

One of the bigger decisions affecting the total is whether to pay for a full supply-and-fit installation or to take on some of the groundwork yourself. The choice changes both the cost and the risk:

Full supply-and-fit: a single installer prices the whole job, from excavation to the finished lawn. You pay more, but the base, drainage and seams are their responsibility, and any workmanship guarantee covers the result. This suits larger gardens, poor access, clay soil or any site where getting the base right is critical.
Supply-only with DIY fitting: you buy the grass and materials and do the digging, base-building and laying yourself. This removes the labour cost — often the largest single line — but you take on the hardest part of the job, which is producing a level, well-compacted, free-draining base.
A hybrid approach: some homeowners do the excavation and disposal themselves to save on labour and skip costs, then have a fitter build the base and lay the grass. This can trim the total while keeping the technical work in skilled hands.

The economics favour DIY only on small, flat, simple, accessible areas. On a larger or awkward garden, the time, tools and skill needed to build a proper base usually make professional fitting the sounder choice, because a base that settles unevenly or fails to drain undermines the whole lawn and is costly to put right.

DIY saves labour, not difficulty: the part you would be taking on yourself — excavating and building a true, free-draining base — is precisely the part that decides whether the lawn lasts. Save on labour only where the groundwork is genuinely simple.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to install an artificial lawn?

A typical small to medium domestic lawn is often completed in one to three days, depending on size, access and ground conditions. Larger or more complex gardens, or those needing extra drainage work, take longer. Most of the time goes on excavation and building the sub-base rather than laying the grass itself.

Can I lay artificial grass over an existing lawn or patio?

It can be laid over a sound, flat, free-draining hard surface such as concrete or paving with minimal preparation, which reduces cost. Laying over a soft existing lawn is not recommended without proper groundwork, because the soil will settle and weeds can grow through, so a stone sub-base and membrane are normally needed.

Is it cheaper to install artificial grass myself?

Doing the groundwork yourself saves on labour, which is often the largest cost, but you still pay for the grass, sub-base materials, membrane, edging and infill, plus skip hire. DIY suits small, simple, flat areas; getting the base level, compacted and free-draining is the hard part, and mistakes can lead to dips, weeds or poor drainage.

Sources & further reading

Figures on this page are typical UK ranges drawn from published cost guides and are intended as guidance, not a quotation.