What is the labour cost to lay artificial grass? (UK guide)

The short answer

Labour is usually the single largest part of an artificial grass installation, often accounting for somewhere around a third to a half of the total fitted cost. As a rough guide, a fitting team's labour can work out at roughly £15 to £30 per square metre on a typical job, or expressed as day rates, an installer commonly charges in the region of £150 to £250 per person per day. Most of that labour goes on the groundwork — excavating, removing spoil, building and compacting the sub-base — rather than rolling out the grass. Difficult access, heavy clay soil, intricate shapes and removing old hard surfaces all add labour hours and push the cost up.

It is the digging and base-building, not the grass-laying, that takes the time. Understanding the labour element helps explain why two quotes for the same area can differ so much.

Artificial grass labour

Labour share of total~one-third to one-half
Indicative labour rate~£15–£30 per m2
Day rate per fitter~£150–£250
Biggest time sinkExcavation and sub-base
Cost-up factorsPoor access, clay, complex shapes

How labour splits from materials

A fitted artificial grass price has two parts: materials (the grass, sub-base stone, membrane, edging and sand) and labour (the time to do the work). On most domestic jobs, labour is the larger or equal share, because building a level, compacted, free-draining base is physical, skilled work.

The labour does not divide evenly across the job. The bulk of it goes on the groundwork rather than on the grass itself:

Excavation and disposal: digging out turf and soil to depth and barrowing the spoil to a skip is the most labour-intensive stage.
Sub-base build: spreading, levelling and compacting the stone and laying course takes care and time to get a true surface.
Edging: fixing perimeter restraints accurately around the lawn.
Laying and finishing: rolling out, cutting, joining, pinning and brushing in the sand — usually the quickest stage.

Stage	Labour intensity	Why
Excavation + disposal	High	Heavy digging and barrowing spoil
Sub-base build + compaction	High	Levelling and compacting to a true surface
Edging install	Moderate	Accurate perimeter restraint
Grass lay + joints	Moderate	Cutting, taping and gluing seams
Infill + brush-up	Low	Spreading and brushing in sand

Indicative breakdown of where labour time goes. The split shifts with garden size, ground conditions and access.

Day rates versus per-square-metre pricing

Installers price labour in two common ways, and many use a blend of both:

Day rate: a charge per fitter per day, often in the region of £150 to £250 each, with a typical team of two. A small to medium lawn might take one to three days, so the labour element can be estimated from the expected duration.
Per square metre: a labour figure folded into the supply-and-fit rate, often roughly £15 to £30 per square metre for the fitting alone, with materials on top.

Whichever method is used, the underlying driver is hours on site. A flat, accessible, simple rectangle is quick; a sloping, enclosed, intricately shaped garden is slow. That is why per-metre labour rates are higher for small and awkward jobs than for large open ones.

Time on site is the real cost: however labour is priced, it ultimately reflects how many hours the job takes. Anything that adds hours — bad access, clay soil, lots of cutting — adds labour cost, even if the area is small.

What makes the labour take longer

Several site factors lengthen the fitting time and therefore the labour cost:

Poor access: a rear garden reached only through the house means stone and spoil are carried by hand, which can add hours or even days.
Heavy or wet soil: clay is hard to dig and slow to handle, and may need extra base depth for drainage.
Removing hard surfaces: breaking out and disposing of an old patio, decking or concrete is a labour-heavy extra.
Complex shapes: curves, trees, raised beds and stepping stones all mean more careful cutting and edging.
Slopes and levels: uneven ground needs more excavation and base-building to create a true, well-draining surface.
Drainage works: installing a soakaway or extra drainage adds a separate labour stage.

Because labour is hours-based, the most reliable way to judge a quote is to ask how many fitters for how many days, and what groundwork is included. A very low labour figure can signal a thin sub-base or skipped steps that show up later as dips, weeds or poor drainage.

Why two labour quotes can differ so much

It is common to receive labour quotes for the same garden that vary widely, and the reasons are usually legitimate rather than one firm simply being dearer. Understanding them helps you judge value rather than just picking the lowest number:

Scope of groundwork: a higher labour quote may include a deeper excavation, a thicker compacted sub-base and more careful levelling, while a lower one assumes a thinner build-up. The cheaper labour can mean less work, not better value.
Team size and experience: an experienced two-person team works faster and to a higher finish than an inexperienced one, so day rates and total days vary. Faster is not always cheaper if the day rate is higher, but the finish is often better.
Disposal arrangements: whether the quote includes skip or grab hire and removing spoil makes a real difference, since that is labour and cost a bare figure might exclude.
Access assumptions: a quote given without seeing the garden may not account for hand-barrowing through the house, so it can rise once the site is assessed.
Finishing standards: careful seam joining, edge fixing and brushing-in take time; a rushed finish is quicker but more likely to lift, fray or flatten unevenly.

The practical lesson is to compare what the labour buys, not just its price. Ask each installer to confirm the excavation depth, the sub-base specification, whether disposal is included, and how access has been allowed for. A labour quote that looks high may simply reflect a more thorough job that lasts, while a strikingly low one can point to a thin base or skipped steps that cost more to remedy later. Judging labour on scope and finish, rather than on headline cost alone, is the surest way to avoid a false economy.

Compare what the labour buys: a low labour figure can mean a shallower dig, a thinner base or excluded disposal — not better value. Ask each installer to spell out excavation depth, sub-base spec and whether spoil removal is included before comparing prices.

Frequently asked questions

Why is labour the biggest part of the cost?

Because the hard work is the groundwork, not the grass. Excavating, removing spoil and building a level, compacted, free-draining sub-base is physical, skilled labour that takes most of the time on site. Rolling out and finishing the grass is comparatively quick.

Can I cut the labour cost by doing the base myself?

Yes — on a small, flat, simple area a confident DIYer can excavate and build the base, paying only for materials and the grass. The skill lies in getting the base level, well compacted and free-draining; if that is not done properly the lawn can dip, hold water or let weeds through, so it is not ideal for large or complex gardens.

How many days should fitting take?

A typical small to medium domestic lawn is often laid in one to three days with a team of two. Larger gardens, poor access, heavy clay soil, removing old hard surfaces or adding drainage all extend the time. Asking for the expected number of fitters and days helps you sense-check a labour quote.

Sources & further reading

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