How much does new turf cost?
New turf in Worcestershire is priced per square metre. The two main cost components are the turf itself and the ground preparation:
Turf supplied and laid on prepared ground:
• Hard-wearing turf (ryegrass/fescue mix) – standard family-lawn tier
• Shade tolerant turf blend – upgrade for north-facing or canopy-shaded gardens
• Ornamental fine fescue (show lawn) – premium tier for low-mown formal lawns
Ground preparation (where needed):
• Full prep – remove old turf, kill weeds, rotovate, level, add topsoil, consolidate – priced per area
• Light prep – rake, level, top dress only – priced per area
• No prep needed – clean prepared site, no charge
For a typical 50 m² family lawn with full preparation and hard-wearing turf:
Final cost depends on the turf grade chosen, the lawn area and the level of ground preparation needed. Every quote is written and itemised.
What's included in the per-m² price: fresh turf from a UK farm cut within 48 hours of delivery, laying tight with offset joints, rolling in for soil contact, watering on completion, printed aftercare schedule. What's quoted separately: edging works, removal of significant rubble or roots, irrigation systems.
See full detail on the turfing services page.
What is the best time to lay turf in Worcestershire?
Autumn (September to November) is the optimal window. Reasons:
• Warm soil – the ground retains summer warmth, encouraging fast root growth.
• Reliable rainfall – you don't need to water as heavily because the weather does most of the work.
• Low evaporation – cooler air means moisture stays in the soil longer.
• Established before winter – roots take well before the cold sets in, giving a robust lawn ready for spring.
Spring (March to May) is the second-best window. Soil is warming up, growth is starting, daylight hours are increasing. Spring-laid lawns establish well but need more attentive watering than autumn ones.
Summer (June to August) – turf can be laid but needs significantly more watering, especially in dry spells. We don't recommend summer turfing during heatwaves or drought conditions. Hose ban areas should hold off until autumn.
Winter (December to February) – possible outside hard frost. Soil temperature is low so rooting takes longer (sometimes 6–8 weeks vs 2–3 weeks in autumn). The lawn establishes but is more vulnerable to traffic and frost heave for the first few months. Best avoided unless you specifically need a winter install.
What we don't lay turf in:
• Hard frost – the turf can't bond to frozen ground
• Heavy persistent rain – ground prep is impossible
• Drought / hose ban conditions – you can't water enough to establish
If your project window is fixed and the season isn't ideal, we'll lay and adjust the aftercare schedule to compensate. Most Worcestershire lawns are laid year-round successfully.
How long until I can walk on new turf?
The schedule for walking on a new lawn:
Day of laying – we walk on it ourselves with boards (planks laid across the turf to spread weight) for the laying process. Once we leave, stay off entirely.
Weeks 1–2 – stay off completely. The turf needs to bond to the soil below and any foot traffic in this window can lift edges, create gaps and disturb the rooting.
Week 3 – light foot traffic only. Mowing if growth is significant. Children and pets should still be kept off.
Weeks 4–5 – first full mow (cutting off the top third of the grass only, never more). Light family use.
Week 6 onwards – full use. Children, pets, garden parties, paddling pools.
Why the wait matters: the turf is a layer of grass and root mat that has just been cut from a turf farm. The roots are short and have nothing yet anchoring them to the soil below your garden. Walking on it before the roots reach down lifts the turf at the edges, creates gaps, kills the grass under foot pressure, and creates uneven settlement.
Checking root establishment: lift a corner of a turf gently after 2 weeks. If it lifts easily without resistance, the roots haven't reached the soil – wait another week. If you feel firm resistance, the roots have taken – light traffic from week 3 is fine.
For households with active pets or children, plan the timing around when you can guarantee 4–6 weeks of careful supervision. Autumn turfing is easier than spring/summer because the children naturally spend less time on the lawn.
How often should I water new turf?
The watering schedule for the first 6 weeks determines whether your new lawn establishes or fails. The pattern:
Weeks 1–2 – water heavily once a day (or twice on hot days >20°C). Best times are early morning (6–8am) or evening (6–8pm) to minimise evaporation. The aim is to get water through the turf and into the soil beneath where the roots need to grow.
How to check it's enough: after watering, lift a corner of one turf and feel the soil underneath. It should be visibly moist down 25–50mm. If only the top is wet, water more next time. Surface-only watering encourages shallow roots that fail in the first dry spell.
Week 3 – reduce to every other day, maintaining the deep-watering approach.
Week 4 – once a week is usually sufficient unless the weather is dry. Check the soil moisture before watering – if it's still moist below the turf, skip the watering.
Week 5 onwards – only during dry spells. An established lawn rarely needs watering in a typical Worcestershire climate; deep rooting is by then complete.
Tools that make this easier:
• Sprinkler on a timer – the most reliable way to guarantee consistent watering. We can recommend setups.
• Rain gauge – pin one in the garden so you can see whether overnight rain hit your watering target.
• Soil moisture probe – cheap meters that show whether the soil is wet or dry at root depth.
Symptoms of under-watering: turf colour fades from rich green to pale yellow-green; edges lift; cracks appear between turf strips. Symptoms of over-watering: persistent puddles; moss starting to grow at the edges; fungal disease appearing as patches. The right amount is consistent, deep, and matches the season.
What are the different turf grades?
UK turf is supplied in three main grades, each suited to different uses:
Hard-wearing turf (also called "family" or "sports" turf) – the standard tier for most homes. Composition is typically 70–80% perennial ryegrass + 20–30% fescue mix. The ryegrass is robust and recovers fast from wear; the fescue gives finer texture and density. Best for: family lawns, gardens with children and dogs, paddling pool zones, garden play areas.
Shade tolerant turf – the upgrade tier for less light. Composition shifts toward fescues and meadow grass which tolerate dappled shade better than ryegrass. Best for: north-facing gardens, lawns under tree canopy, gardens shaded by neighbouring buildings. Less wear-resistant than hard-wearing – not the best choice if dogs and kids are using it heavily.
Ornamental fine fescue turf (sometimes called "bowling green" or "show lawn" turf) – the premium tier. Composition is 90–95% fine fescue with no ryegrass. Beautiful dense fine texture, perfect for low-mown formal lawns. Best for: front lawns kept as a feature, formal gardens, anyone wanting that bowling-green look. Major caveat: not suitable for family use, doesn't tolerate kids, dogs or heavy traffic. Needs more mowing (twice a week in summer at 15–20mm height) and regular feeding.
For 90% of Worcestershire homes we recommend hard-wearing turf. The premium grades are for specific use cases where their drawbacks are acceptable.
Do you remove the old lawn first?
Yes – always. Laying new turf over an existing lawn or over weedy ground is the single biggest reason new lawns fail. The mechanism: the old growth dies underneath the new turf, rots, and creates an unstable layer that the new turf can't root through. Within months you have a patchy, lumpy, unrootable lawn.
Our standard ground preparation process:
1. Remove existing turf – powered turf cutter peels the old turf off in strips. Disposed of off-site.
2. Treat persistent weeds – if there's significant docks, dandelion or bramble we treat with glyphosate 7–14 days before laying. (Most weeds come up with the turf cutter, but stubborn perennial roots need killing.)
3. Rotovate – powered rotovator breaks up the top 100mm of soil, lifting any remaining roots and breaking compaction.
4. Rake out – remove stones, roots, debris and any large clods.
5. Add fresh screened topsoil – where existing soil is poor or low-volume, we bring in screened topsoil and grade to finished levels with falls.
6. Consolidate – tread or roll the surface to firm it. Loose soil sinks under the new turf later if not consolidated.
7. Fine rake – create a level fine-tilth surface ready to lay onto.
This typically takes most of Day 1 for a 50 m² lawn. Day 2 is laying. Skipping ground prep saves money but costs the lawn – we won't lay over inadequate prep because the result reflects on our work.
How long does turfing take?
For a typical 50 m² lawn, full preparation and turfing takes 1 to 2 days:
Day 1 – Ground preparation. Remove existing turf, treat weeds, rotovate, rake out stones and roots, add topsoil if needed, consolidate by treading/rolling, fine rake to a level finish. This is the work that determines whether the lawn establishes.
Day 2 – Laying. Fresh turf delivered from a UK farm within 48 hours of cutting. Laid in offset rows (joints staggered like brickwork). Tight butted edges with no gaps. Rolled in to ensure soil contact. Watered immediately. Final tidy and aftercare schedule handed over.
Larger lawns scale proportionally:
• 100 m² – 2 to 3 days
• 200 m² – 3 to 4 days
• 500 m²+ – we use larger plant (mini-digger, automated turf laying) and complete in 4–6 days
What can extend the timeline:
• Heavy clay or compacted ground – rotovating takes longer
• Significant excavation needed (old patio, rubble, large root systems)
• Levelling work – rolling and grading sloped ground to even falls
• Soil import – bringing in significant topsoil to build up low areas
• Weather – we don't lay turf in heavy rain or hard frost
Most domestic lawn installations are completed within a calendar week including any prep work. Schedule the install around a window when you can rest the lawn for the first 4–6 weeks.
Should I choose turf or grass seed?
For most Worcestershire homeowners, turf is the better choice. The comparison:
Turf advantages:
• Instant lawn – you have a green, visually-complete lawn the day it's laid
• Usable in 4–6 weeks
• Can be laid year-round (within reason)
• Not vulnerable to birds eating it, weeds outcompeting it, or being washed out by rain
• Consistent – what you see is what you get
Turf disadvantages:
• Higher upfront cost – roughly 3 to 5 times the cost of grass seed per m²
• Requires fresh delivery and immediate laying (logistics)
• Heavy daily watering for the first 2 weeks
Grass seed advantages:
• Cheap – just the cost of seed and basic ground prep
• Can choose specialist seed mixes for specific situations
• No logistical urgency – sow when conditions are right
Grass seed disadvantages:
• Takes 8 to 12 weeks to become a usable lawn (germination + initial growth)
• Only works in spring (March-May) or early autumn (September) with adequate moisture
• Highly vulnerable to: birds eating the seed, heavy rain washing it out, weeds out-competing the slower-germinating grass, drought killing the seedlings
• Patchy results – bare patches are common where germination failed
• Visible patchy growth for the first 3 months
Grass seed makes sense for very large areas (where the per-m² cost dominates), or for restoration/over-seeding existing thinning lawns. For a new lawn on a domestic scale where you want a result this season, turf is the better answer.
