Artificial grass installation cost UK: labour per m², fitted vs DIY

The roll is the cheap part of an artificial lawn. The base under it and the person laying it are where the money goes, and the gap between a DIY lawn and a fitted one is bigger than for almost any other garden job. This guide gives 2026 UK labour rates per square metre, what a fitted lawn costs against doing it yourself for three real gardens, and the three ways to bring a quote down without cutting corners.

The short answer

Landscapers and artificial grass installers in most of England charge £25 to £45 per square metre for labour on a straightforward lawn, which covers the dig-out, the base and the laying. Add the grass at £7.49 to £21 per square metre and base materials at £8 to £15, and a fitted lawn comes to £45 to £80 per square metre all in. A 30m² family lawn is therefore £1,300 to £2,400 fitted, or £500 to £1,000 laid yourself over a weekend. Buying the grass yourself and paying labour only is the biggest single saving.

What the labour covers

1. Dig-out. Removing the old turf and 60 to 80mm of soil. This is most of the effort on a lawn and most of the skip.
2. Edging. Timber or composite edging to pin the grass to, if there is no wall or patio edge.
3. Base. Weed membrane, 40 to 50mm of MOT Type 1 compacted with a plate whacker, 20 to 25mm of sharp sand screeded level.
4. Laying. Rolling out, trimming, joining with tape and adhesive, pegging the edges.
5. Infill. Kiln-dried sand brushed in.

A quote that skips the MOT layer and lays onto sand alone, or onto soil, is cheaper and the lawn will dip and puddle within two years. Ask what the base is.

Labour rates by job

Job	Labour per m²	Notes
Lawn onto soil, full base	£25 to £45	The standard job; the range is mostly regional
Onto existing concrete, slabs or decking	£10 to £20	No dig, no base; underlay and adhesive instead
Small or awkward areas under 15m²	£40 to £60	Minimum charges of £300 to £500 apply
Removing an old artificial lawn	£5 to £10	Base is usually reusable
Skip for the dig-out	£200 to £300 per skip	A 30m² lawn fills most of a 6-yard skip

Three gardens, fitted against DIY

Side return, 2m by 6m, 12m², Rocco 18mm. Grass £90. Base materials £120. DIY total about £250 with a hired whacker. Fitted: minimum charge applies, about £550 to £700.

Family lawn, 4m by 6m, 24m², Dan 38mm. Grass 4m by 6.1m at £8.99, £219, delivered free. Base materials £220 to £300, tool hire £90. DIY total about £530 to £610. Fitted at £35 per m²: £219 plus £840 labour plus base, about £1,300 to £1,450.

Large lawn, 5m by 8m, 40m², Rum 40mm. Grass 5m by 8.1m at £10, £405. Base materials £400 to £550, tool hire £90. DIY about £900 to £1,050 over two weekends. Fitted at £35 per m²: £405 plus £1,400 labour plus base, about £2,200 to £2,400.

The artificial grass cost guide itemises the base materials for each size.

What pushes a quote up

• Access. A terraced house with no side gate means every barrow of soil goes through the house. Add 20 to 30%.
• Clay or waterlogged ground. A deeper gravel layer or a soakaway.
• Shapes and joins. Curves and multiple joins take time; a rectangle from a single roll width is the cheapest lawn to lay. The roll widths guide shows how to avoid a join.
• Distance. Installers cover a radius; outside it, travel is added.

Three ways to cut the cost

1. Supply the grass yourself. Installers routinely mark up grass by 50 to 100%. Buy it at our price, hand the fitter the roll, and pay labour only. Almost all fitters will do this.
2. Do the dig-out yourself. It is unskilled, heavy work. A weekend with a spade and a skip takes £10 to £15 per square metre off a quote, and the fitter does the base and the laying.
3. Do the whole thing. A confident DIYer with a helper lays 30m² in a weekend: one day for the dig-out and base, one for the grass. The laying guide is the same method our installers use, and a plate whacker hires for £40 to £50 a day.

Is a fitter worth it?

For a lawn on concrete or a simple rectangle on soil, no; the job is within reach and the saving is £800 or more. For a large, sloping or oddly shaped garden, a fitter earns the money on the base, which is the part that decides whether the lawn still looks right in ten years. Either way, the grass is the same and so is the price of it: order free samples, choose outdoors, and put two measurements into the calculator for the delivered price before you ask for a single quote.

Frequently asked questions

How much does artificial grass installation cost in the UK?

Installers charge £25 to £45 per square metre for labour on a straightforward lawn, covering the dig-out, the base and the laying. With the grass at £7.49 to £21 per square metre and base materials at £8 to £15, a fitted artificial lawn costs £45 to £80 per square metre all in. A 30 square metre lawn is £1,300 to £2,400 fitted, or £500 to £1,000 laid yourself.

How much does it cost to lay artificial grass per square metre?

Three parts: the grass, £7.49 to £21 per square metre; the base of MOT Type 1 and sharp sand, £8 to £15; and labour, £25 to £45. Laying onto existing concrete or decking needs no base, and labour drops to £10 to £20 per square metre.

What does an artificial grass fitter's price include?

Removing the old turf and 60 to 80mm of soil, edging, a weed membrane, 40 to 50mm of compacted MOT Type 1, 20 to 25mm of sharp sand, laying and joining the grass, pegging the edges and brushing in kiln-dried sand. A skip is usually extra at £200 to £300. A quote that skips the MOT layer is cheaper and the lawn will dip within two years.

Is it cheaper to lay artificial grass yourself?

About half the price. A 4m by 6m lawn in Dan 38mm is roughly £530 to £610 laid yourself including base materials and tool hire, against £1,300 to £1,450 fitted. A confident DIYer with a helper lays 30 square metres in a weekend.

How can I reduce the cost of an artificial lawn?

Buy the grass yourself and pay labour only, because installers commonly mark grass up by 50 to 100 percent. Do the dig-out yourself, which takes £10 to £15 per square metre off a quote. And choose a roll width that covers the lawn in one piece so there is no join to pay for.

Every range and its price per square metre is on the artificial grass price list.