There’s a moment, about halfway through most artificial grass installation, where the garden looks considerably worse than it did before anyone turned up. Bare soil, stacked bags of aggregate, maybe a skip on the drive. If nobody warned you this was coming, it’s alarming.
It’s also completely normal. A proper artificial grass installation isn’t really about the grass at all, not for the first two-thirds of the job anyway. It’s about what goes underneath it. Get that part right, and the lawn on top looks after itself for well over a decade. Rush it, and you’ll be looking at soggy patches and lumpy seams within two summers.
This is a walk-through of what actually happens, stage by stage, when a professional crew installs artificial grass in a UK garden, so you know what’s coming and roughly what it should cost.
Before Anyone Picks Up a Spade: The Site Visit
Most Artificial Grass Installation UK projects start with someone walking your garden, not measuring your garden from a photo.
A decent installer will look at three things before quoting: how the ground currently drains, whether the existing surface is soil, an old lawn or a tired patio, and how the space slopes. That last point matters more than people expect. Water needs somewhere to go once it hits the new surface, and if the garden falls towards the house rather than away from it, that’s a problem to solve before installation, not after.
This is also when access gets discussed. A garden reached only through a narrow side gate means materials get barrowed in by hand rather than tipped straight off a lorry, which affects both the timeline and the price.
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Stage One: Stripping Out What’s There
Once work starts, the first job is removing whatever’s currently occupying the space. Existing turf, root systems, old paving, whatever’s in the way, comes out. Installers typically dig down to a depth of around 75mm to 100mm, deep enough to make room for everything that goes back in on top.
If there’s an old patio underneath, this stage can throw up surprises. Buried tree roots, forgotten drainage pipes, or a sub-base from a previous project that has to be dug out before the new one goes in. This is usually where a fixed quote either holds firm or gets revisited, depending on what turns up.
Stage Two: The Sub-Base, or Why This Is the Part That Actually Matters
If you remember one thing about how artificial grass is installed, make it this: the sub-base is the job. Everything above it is finishing.
A well-built sub-base for artificial grass installation typically involves:
- A compacted hardcore layer, usually MOT Type 1, laid to a depth of around 50mm to 75mm depending on the soil underneath.
- Compaction in stages, using a plate compactor, not just one pass but two or three, checking the level as you go.
- A slight camber or fall, sloping gently towards a border or drain so rainwater has somewhere to escape rather than pooling on the surface.
- A finer levelling layer, often sharp sand or grano dust, laid thin (10mm to 25mm) and compacted again to create a smooth, even surface for the turf itself.
Clay soil or a garden that already struggles with standing water usually needs a deeper hardcore layer than a garden that drains well on its own. A good installer will adjust the spec to your soil rather than applying the same depth to every job.
Sub-base build-up at a glance:
| Layer | Typical Depth | Purpose |
| Excavation | 75mm-100mm | Room for the full build-up |
| Compacted hardcore (MOT Type 1) | 50mm-75mm | Load-bearing structure and drainage |
| Levelling layer (sharp sand or grano dust) | 10mm-25mm | Smooth, even surface |
| Weed membrane | N/A | Stops growth pushing through from below |
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Stage Three: The Weed Membrane
A permeable weed membrane goes down over the compacted sub-base, before the turf itself is laid. It’s not a glamorous step, and it’s easy to assume it’s optional. It isn’t, not if you want the lawn to still look clean in three years.
Without it, weeds and grass from below will eventually find a way up through the joins in the turf. The membrane lets water pass through freely while blocking that growth. Edges typically overlap by around 100mm and get pinned down securely, since gaps or loose sections defeat the purpose.
Stage Four: Edging
Artificial grass needs something solid to fix against around the perimeter, whether that’s treated timber, steel, concrete or brick edging. This gets installed and levelled before the turf goes down, not after, since it forms the boundary the sub-base is built up to.
Getting this level right matters more than it sounds. A slightly uneven edge is one of the more common giveaways that a lawn was rushed rather than properly installed.
Stage Five: Laying the Turf
This is the stage most people picture when they think about how artificial grass is installed, and it’s genuinely the quickest part of the whole process.
Rolls get laid out and left to settle for a while, allowing the fibres to relax after being tightly wound for transport. Where more than one roll is needed, joins are aligned carefully so the pile direction runs the same way across the whole lawn (get this wrong, and you’ll notice a visible colour difference between panels, especially in bright light).
Seams are joined and secured, usually with adhesive tape or a specialist jointing compound underneath, then pinned or nailed at the edges at regular intervals to stop lifting. Installers will walk the joints firmly to help everything bed in properly.
The final trim happens last, using a sharp blade to cut a neat line around borders, patios, and any obstacles like manhole covers or drain covers.
Stage Six: Sand Infill and the Final Brush
Once the grass is down and secured, a layer of sand, usually silica sand, gets brushed into the pile. This isn’t cosmetic. It adds weight that helps keep the fibres upright rather than flattening over time, and it protects the backing from UV exposure and general wear.
A final brush across the whole lawn lifts the pile, spreads the infill evenly, and gives you that first proper look at the finished result. Most professional artificial grass fitters will leave the area to settle for a short period afterwards, particularly if any adhesive was used on the seams.
So, What to Expect on Timing and Cost
For a straightforward artificial grass installation UK homeowners are typically looking at, a medium-sized garden with reasonable access usually takes between one and three days from start to finish. Larger or more complex projects, particularly those needing significant groundwork or drainage work, can run longer.
On artificial grass fitting cost, prices across UK trade sources for 2026 generally sit between £50 and £90 per square metre supplied and installed, with higher costs common in London and the South East. As a rough guide:
| Garden Size | Typical Installed Cost (2026) |
| Small (around 20m²) | £1,000 – £1,800 |
| Medium (around 50m²) | £2,500 – £4,500 |
| Large (around 100m²) | £5,000 – £9,000 |
The sub-base preparation, the part you never actually see once the job’s finished, typically accounts for a substantial share of that total cost. It’s worth asking any quote to specify exactly what’s included there. A cheaper quote with a thin, corner-cut sub-base rarely stays cheaper once you’re replacing a lawn that’s failed within a few years.
A Quick Word on Getting the Right Fitters
There’s a real gap between someone who can lay a roll of grass flat and a team that builds a proper sub-base underneath it. The finished lawn can look identical on day one either way. The difference shows up eighteen months later, in the corner that’s started to sag or the seam that’s begun to lift.
If you’re comparing quotes, ask directly what depth of sub-base is included, what material it’s built from, and how many compaction passes it gets. A confident, specific answer is usually a good sign. A vague one isn’t.
Bringing It All Together
Knowing what to expect from an artificial grass installation takes a lot of the anxiety out of watching your garden turn into a building site for a few days. The mess in the middle is normal. It’s actually a decent sign that the groundwork is being done properly rather than skipped.
By the time the final brush goes over the lawn and the sand settles into the pile, you’re left with a garden that needs very little from you beyond an occasional rinse, ready for a decade or more of use.
While artificial grass offers a low-maintenance solution, it’s worth reviewing broader considerations for artificial lawns as you plan your garden design to ensure it meets your long-term needs.
If you’re weighing this up against a full garden makeover or a completely different layout first, it’s worth having that conversation before any digging starts, so the whole space works together rather than in pieces.
FAQs
1. How is artificial grass installed on soil compared to concrete?
On soil, the ground is excavated, and a fully compacted sub-base is built up in layers before the turf goes down. On concrete or an existing patio, the surface is cleaned and any cracks repaired, and the grass can sometimes be laid with a thinner underlay, since the concrete itself already provides a stable, level base.
2. How long does an artificial grass installation take?
Most medium-sized UK gardens take between one and three days, depending on garden size, ground conditions and access. Larger projects or those requiring significant groundwork can take longer.
3. What is artificial grass fitting cost in the UK?
Supplied and installed, artificial grass typically costs between £50 and £90 per square metre in 2026, with London and the South East generally running higher. The sub-base preparation makes up a significant portion of that cost.
4. Do I need a weed membrane under artificial grass?
Yes, it’s a standard and important part of a proper installation. It stops weeds and grass growing up through the joints from below while still letting water drain through freely.
5. Can artificial grass be installed over an existing lawn
Not directly. The existing lawn, along with roots and organic material, needs to be removed first, since leaving it in place risks uneven settling and drainage problems later on.
6. How long does artificial grass last once professionally installed?
Good quality artificial grass typically lasts between 10 and 15 years with proper installation and light maintenance, largely dependent on how well the sub-base was built in the first place.
If you’re picturing a low-maintenance lawn that actually looks the part, get in touch with McLave Landscaping, and we’ll talk you through exactly what your garden needs, starting with a [BOOK A FREE CONSULTATION] to see it in person before anything gets quoted.
