The cost of installing an artificial lawn can ultimately be the decision-maker between yay or nay.
Whether you’re planning to install an artificial lawn for your garden at home or you intend to add astroturf to your commercial property in London, the following article will help you determine whether installing artificial grass will be a worthwhile investment.
The total fake grass cost, of course, will be calculated on a number of factors, all of which should be taken into consideration. We will discuss all the artificial grass costs you need to take into account below.
First of all, let’s talk about quality. This is a key area, and unless you’re aware of the types of artificial grass in the London marketplace, you could easily be duped.
Quality of Artificial Grass
When you’re considering the artificial grass cost, take longevity into account. A top quality turf should last 15-20 years if it’s installed properly and you take good care of it.
Quality plays a key factor in the longevity of your lawn. As you’re shopping around, look at the manufacturer's guarantee. Top-quality astroturf should come with at least a 10-year guarantee.
Another key indicator is to ask your artificial grass supplier where the astroturf was manufactured. Most astroturf is manufactured in Asia or Europe.
Due to stricter manufacturing regulations in Europe, the materials, techniques and processes are higher in Europe than in China and other parts of Asia.
The health and safety measures are also higher - which is an important factor if people will be playing on the sports on the grass or you have young children or pets. Low-quality astroturf can contain dangerous particles such as lead or titanium.
Low-quality shipped from China also fades within 2 to 3 years. The low artificial grass price may appear more attractive, but the saying, ‘you get what you pay for’ is totally applicable to fake grass.
You should look to be paying anywhere from £10 for a budget-friendly turf and up to £35 per square metre for a top of the range pile.
My Lovely Lawn has selected a range of high-quality fake grass to suit every type of budget:
- £22.50 - £35 per m2 for a luxury range
- £15 - £22.50 per m2 for medium range
- £10 - £15 per m2 for budget range
How to identify low-quality artificial grass?
Low-quality fake grass is not a good investment because it needs replacing within five years. On the face of it, lower artificial grass costs may appear to be the most reasonable - and tempting - proposition.
But further down the line, investing in cheap artificial grass tends to be a regrettable decision.
It’s, therefore, important to understand how to detect the types of fake grass you want to avoid. To get the most from your investment, we recommend installing high-quality artificial grass.
When you’re browsing artificial grass on various websites, the first thing to look for is the type of material the astroturf is made from. Good quality turf is made from either nylon, polypropylene and polythene (polyethene).
Nylon is the most expensive because it is considered a superior material. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean it's the best material for you. How you intend to use the lawn should also be taken into consideration.
Polypropylene and polythene are more or less the same prices. Polythene is more robust and hardwearing. Polypropylene is softer.
In most cases, woven with a blend of polypropylene and polythene is the best option because this makes your grass more versatile and more likely to last longer if you expect to receive heavy traffic.
Not every website will reveal where they source their lawns, but the next question to ask about is the origin. As mentioned above, we recommend avoiding artificial grass sourced from China and other parts of Asia simply because the quality cannot be guaranteed.
That’s not to say that all grass manufactured in China is low-quality. To be honest, we can’t answer that because we don’t trust it enough so only ever source our materials from Europe.
We would ordinarily recommend looking at the price. Low prices that are ‘too good to be true’ are usually a dead giveaway. Having said that, some manufacturers supply low-quality artificial grass in London at overinflated prices.
You’ll know you have a poor quality material if the artificial grass fades after 2 or 3 years. Of course, it’s too late if you’ve already installed it, but do your research and follow up with customers that have installed fake lawns.
Fortunately, there is a litmus test you can perform to identify low-quality artificial grass before you purchase it.
All artificial grass is manufactured with two layers, a top layer and a lower layer. The top layer is where you will find the fibres stitched into the fabric. The lower layer is the most important. This is the layer that maintains the integrity of proudness of your lawn.
The backing on artificial grass is made from latex. However, there has to be a sufficient quantity of latex in the mix in order for the fibres to maintain an upright posture. Low-quality grass, needless to say, does not have an insufficient amount of latex.
This is easily tested by pulling away at the two layers on your artificial grass sample. If the sample cannot be pulled apart, it’s a sign that the material has plenty of latex and thus a good quality astroturf.
The reverse is true. If the bottom layer peels away from the surface layer, there is an insufficient amount of latex. This means the grass fibres will have a poor bounce back and will be limp in a few years.
In a nutshell, it’s not worth investing in low-quality grass for the sake of cutting down on artificial grass installation costs.
Size and State of Garden
This is fairly obvious, but the surface area will naturally impact the artificial grass installation cost. Fake grass is sold per square metre. For example, £23 per sq.metres.
So you will need to work out the surface area of your garden to determine how much material you will need. This will give you a ballpark figure of how much it will cost to install artificial grass in London.
But there are a few other considerations as well which we will discuss below. An expensive factor, however, may be the state of your current garden or area you intend to install an artificial lawn.
Bear in mind, that labour costs will be included in the total artificial grass cost of an estimate should you also require the artificial grass company to install the lawn for you.
If you have an area that needs clearing first, or there is a lengthy preparation period, the artificial grass installation cost is going to be higher.
Let’s take a closer look in more detail.
Foundation Materials
The type of surface you lay artificial grass on will determine how much preparation is needed. This will also have an impact on the amount of time it takes to lay a fake lawn.
The foundation also has significance in the longevity and stability of your lawn. It’s important that the correct sub-base is used otherwise your lawn could be unusable and look unsightly before its time.
Professional artificial grass installers will be able to recommend the best sub-base for you. There are several factors to take into account such as how well your garden drains water, the surface you're installing on to and whether or not you have pets.
The two preferred choices of sub-base among professionals are sharp sand and MOT Type 1 granite with granite chippings. You can read more about these options in this article.
Again, the cost of the sub-base and artificial lawn cost will be determined by how much you need to cover the entire surface on which you are installing the fake grass. Some gardens will also require a deeper foundation to ensure the drainage system is adequate.
Artificial Grass Accessories
You will need a few accessories when installing an artificial lawn. The good news is that artificial grass accessories are not expensive.
Jointing tape is only 80p per metre and adhesive shouldn’t cost any more than £6. We also recommend installing a weed barrier to prevent weeds poking through the drainage holes in the backing. Weed membranes are only £0.67p per m2.
You will also need to order an infill. For most installations, kiln-dried sand or plastic pellets is fine. 20kg bags are approximately £5. We recommend using about 5kg of sand per 1 m2.
If you have pets, the best infill option is zeolite because it absorbs ammonia so reduces the unpleasant smell of pet pee. A 25kg bag of zeolite costs £44.99. You will need about 3kg of zeolite per m2.
Labour Costs for Artificial Grass Installers
The artificial grass installation cost in London will obviously increase the overall costs of your installation. Fake grass prices may vary from one company to the next, but you should budget for around £30-£65 per sq. metre.
Also bear in mind that the ground has to be prepared first. Installing the foundation can be the most time-consuming aspect of installing fake turf, particularly if there is debris such as stone, walls and tree trunks to clear before we can flatten the surface.
If the state of your current garden is in need of an overhaul before you start laying the foundations you will be able to cut down on professional labour costs by removing some of the debris yourself.
As a matter of fact, there is nothing to say that you cannot do the entire installation process yourself if you have the right materials. Homeowners that are DIY enthusiasts should be able to follow instructions. Check out our blog for step-by-step guides.
However, before you dive into such an undertaking, it should be understood that the groundwork is vitally important. If you get it wrong it could wreck your installation the first time it rains.
For example, your draining system needs to be effective for the surface you’re laying your artificial grass over and the type of soil you have. You also need to consider things like weed membranes and which sub-base to use.
You, therefore, need to decide whether you want to run the risk of getting it wrong and ruining your lawn. It will probably cost more for a professional artificial grass installer to repair and reinstall your lawn than it would be for them to lay it in the first place.
When professional artificial grass installers price a job, they will take various factors into account. These include:
- Surface area
- Preparation - stump removal, wall removal, sub-base etc
- Installation of underlay or weed membrane
- Edging
- Infill
- Clean up
For an accurate quote, get in touch and we will send one of our professional artificial grass installers to the site and provide you with an estimate - together with impartial advice of course.
After our visit, we will be able to confirm precisely how much an artificial lawn will cost for your London property. We also send you free grass samples. There is no obligation to buy.
Professional Artificial Grass Installation Cost
To get the most from your investment, we highly recommend taking advantage of the knowledge, skill and experience of our professional artificial grass installers.
We also recommend using a trusted artificial grass company in London that supplies, designs and installs high-quality turf. Avoid low-quality artificial grass at all costs.
It’s not worth the risk of installing a low-cost astroturf that deteriorates in just a few years. The lifetime of high-quality artificial grass is far less expensive when it’s installed by reliable London professionals.
