For a small garden with a 20 m2 lawn laid on flat soil it can take a gardener a day to complete the job and cost around £300 using budget turf and topsoil.
If you are thinking about replacing turf in your garden or want to turf over soil that has previously been used for something else, there are steps you need to take to make sure you get value for money and a beautiful new lawn.
Laying turf is all about preparation and after care as any qualified gardener will tell you. The soil you are laying the turf on needs to be level, free from weeds and stones and the right type. The gardener will know what turf is best for your particular garden and how to best prepare your new lawn.
You will need to purchase new rolls of grass from reputable sellers who can advise you on the best type of grass to buy. Or leave it up to the gardener (if you are going to hire one) to make that decision for you. Hiring a professional gardener in the UK cost on average £28 per hour and they should be able to lay a lawn on a medium sized garden in a couple of days depending on how much prep. work is required. Gardeners will usually quote per m2 of turf but for a small lawn the job can take as little as a day to complete and the average daily rate of a gardener in the UK is £200.
Once laid the gardner will advise you on aftercare because if you do not water your lawn regularly after it has been laid it will probably not root successfully.
Grass loves growing in the UK and because of that there is a lot of it for a very affordable price. The turf is sold in m2 rolls and costs from £2 per m2. They will deliver it to your home so as soon as it arrives you can get it laid and watered. Don't leave your rolls of grass lying around too long because they will dry out and you risk getting a patchy lawn.
If you are going to lay a lawn you will need to first add a topsoil layer to a minimum depth of 50mm. Topsoil is a rich soil that is usually screened to remove stones and weeds and will help your lawn bed in after it has been layed. There are different qualities of topsoil and they cost depending on how much you buy. Many online sellers do so in large bulk bags that can cover a small lawn with one bag and cost around £80. Best to get googling or get the advice of a qualified gardener.
Job | Estimate |
Cost to weed a garden | £45 |
Cost to turf a lawn | £320 |
Cost to prune a tree | £60 |
Cost to plant shrubs | £25 |
Cost to mow the lawn | £25 |
Cost to remove a hedge | £144 |
Garden clearance | £500 |