"How much for artificial grass?" is one of the most common calls we get, and the honest answer is the same as it is for a patio: it depends. Two gardens the same size can land hundreds of pounds apart depending on the grass you pick and the state of the ground it's going on.
What follows is real pricing for the Derby area, the figures we actually work to, so you can budget before anyone comes out. If you'd rather skip to a number for your own garden, our instant quote tool does that, but this gives you the lay of the land first.
The short answer: price per m²
Most of the cost comes down to two things: the grade of grass on top, and the base going in underneath. Here's where the grass itself tends to sit, supply only:
| Grass grade | Cost (per m²) | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | £10 – £16 | Rental properties, low-use areas |
| Mid-range | £16 – £25 | Most family gardens |
| Premium | £25 – £35 | Front gardens, high-traffic, realistic look |
Those are the rolls off the shelf. They are not the installed price, and that gap is where people get caught out.
What a finished installation actually costs
Once you add the groundwork, edging and labour, a fully installed artificial lawn in Derby usually works out around £60 to £100 per m². For a typical back garden that looks like this:
| Lawn size | Typical installed cost |
|---|---|
| Small (up to 30m²) | £1,800 – £3,000 |
| Medium (30 – 60m²) | £3,000 – £6,000 |
| Large (60 – 100m²) | £5,500 – £10,000 |
The spread inside each band is mostly the dig. A flat garden with easy access and sound ground sits low. A garden where the old lawn has to come out, levels need rebuilding and everything is barrowed through the house sits high.
What you're really paying for
People assume they're paying for the grass. The grass is the cheap bit. Most of the cost is in the base you never see once the job's done.
A lawn that stays flat and drains is built up in layers: the old turf stripped off, the ground dug down 75 to 100mm, a compacted Type 1 stone sub-base, a weed membrane, then the grass pinned and jointed tight. Skip any of that and the lawn sinks in patches, holds water, and sprouts weeds through the seams within a season or two. That groundwork is the difference between a lawn that looks good for fifteen years and one that looks tired in three.
What pushes the price up
- Digging out an old lawn. Stripping turf and removing the spoil is labour and skip cost, and it's the single biggest add-on.
- Awkward access. Everything barrowed through the house instead of off a drive means more time.
- Levels and slopes. A sloping garden that needs building up or a retaining edge is more groundwork and materials.
- Premium grass. The most realistic ranges cost more per roll and are slightly slower to lay neatly.
- Edging and detail. Clean edges against borders, paths or a new patio all add a little.
What keeps it down
- Good, level ground that needs minimal digging.
- Easy access straight off a driveway.
- A simple rectangular shape with less cutting and fewer joins.
- A mid-range grass, which is honestly all most family gardens need.
Be wary of a bargain quote
If one quote comes in well below the rest, find out what's missing before you jump at it. With artificial grass the corner that gets cut is the base, and it's the one part you can't inspect once the grass is down.
Laying grass over the old lawn or a thin scrape of sand looks perfect for a few months. Then it dips where feet land, ripples in the heat, and weeds find the gaps. Putting it right means lifting the lot and starting again. A proper installation costs more because the day of digging and basework is included, not skipped.
Getting an accurate number
Every garden is different, so the only way to a firm price is for someone to see the ground, the access and the levels. When we come out we look at all three, talk through grass options, and give you an itemised quote with no pressure attached.
Get a free quote, try the instant quote tool for a fast estimate, or call Jamie on 07891 632305. If you're weighing up grass against paving the whole garden, our guide to what a new patio costs in Derby is worth a read alongside this one.