In 40 seconds
Laying a new turf lawn in the UK typically costs roughly £15–£30 per square metre supplied and laid, so a small garden of around 50m² commonly works out at about £750–£1,500 before any heavy ground works. Of that, the turf itself is usually £3–£10 per m² and the rest is ground preparation and laying labour, which adds roughly £10–£20 per m²; levelling or excavation pushes the figure higher. Good preparation matters more than the turf grade: the ground should be cleared, rotovated and firmed with at least 100mm of topsoil for the roots, and turf is best laid in the cooler, moister months — often mid-autumn through early spring, avoiding frozen or waterlogged soil. The honest answer is always a range, because it depends on your garden size, access and how much ground work it needs.
Most turfing guidance is published by companies selling turf or laying it, so the numbers tend to be optimistic and the preparation glossed over. The pages below give honest cost ranges, compare a real lawn with artificial grass fairly, explain how to prepare the ground, and set out when turf is best laid — before you take a single quote.