The time it takes for grass to grow can be a lengthy one. But turf laying can make it possible in an instant.
Turf laying is a time-saving and convenient option for you to achieve your dream lawn in a shorter period of time and with less effort. Provided this, it shouldn’t come out as a surprise if the cost of installing turf is more expensive than other methods. After all, grass has been grown for you and all that’s left to do is transplant them to your garden.
The total cost of laying turf depends on three things:
- The size of your lawn
- Your chosen grass variant
- Professional services for lawn installation
To install a 50-square metre lawn by yourself, it would normally cost you around $390 to $750, depending on the grass variety of your choice. This price range doesn’t include professional fees yet such as delivery charge, old lawn or soil removal, lawn mix addition, and cost of installation.
Size and Grass Variety
You can opt to work on your own without hiring professional help to keep costs down. In this case, you only have to consider the size of your lawn and the grass variant you want.
For the lawn turf itself, excluding the delivery fee, expect to pay around $7-$14 per square metre depending on the grass species. Here is a list of prices of different turf variants per square metre:
- Kikuyu: $6.50/m2
- Couch: $6.95/m2
- Sir Walter: $12/m2
- Buffalo (Palmetto, Sapphire and Mathilda): $12/m2
- Empire Zoysia: $12.50/m2
The bigger the size of your lawn, the higher the costs you have to pay since you will purchase more turf to cover the area. Turves are usually sold in 60-square metre pallets so if you have the same size of lawn area, it would typically cost around $390-$750 minus the delivery charge. To break it down for you:
- Kikuyu: $390
- Couch: $417
- Sir Walter: $720
- Buffalo (Palmetto, Sapphire and Mathilda): $720
- Empire Zoysia: $750
If natural grass doesn’t do it for you, you may opt for artificial turf which can amount to $30 to $280 per square metre depending on your style choice.
Choosing Your Grass Variant
Aside from your budget and preferred aesthetic, you might also want to consider these factors to make spending more worthful:
- The climate in your area – Kikuya, Couch, and Empire Zoysia are ideal for Australian lawns because they are drought-resistant and resilient grass species.
- Shade tolerance – The Buffalo varieties Mathilda, Palmetto and Sapphire are ideal for shaded lawns
- Maintenance – Kikuyu can be mowed once a week during the summer. Couch grass requires mowing at least once a month, and once or twice in the winter.
Professional Installation
If you’re really into beautifying your lawn and you want to invest on it, you may have it installed by turf professionals. It may raise the price significantly, but it’s reasonable given that you don’t have to do any work and you’ll be provided with quality service.
Landscape professionals can charge differently in laying turf but the key factors that determine the price are:
- Old lawn or soil removal
- Topsoil application
- Turf installation
Lawn Removal and Soil Application
It’s not advised that you just overlay your new turf to your old lawn. Having at least a depth of 10 cm of this soil removed can cost around $12-$19 per square metre. After removal, it will need to be replaced with quality lawn mix estimated to be around $12-$22 per square metre. Lawn sand can be a more budget-friendly option at $4 per square metre but it will require you more fertiliser since the nutrient levels get washed away quicker than the special lawn mix.
Installation
Turf installations can typically be completed within a day, depending on the number of workers your landscaper has. Be ready with a budget of $5.50-$8 per square metre for the professional installation of turf.
To sum up, if you had to have an old lawn removed and then a special lawn mix added, your total turf laying price can reach $36-63 per square metre. However, if you’ve personally prepared your garden soil and you only needed the lawn installation service, it will bring down your overall cost to $12-$22 per square metre.
Conclusion
Spending money on turf installation is a good investment. Although it’s relatively pricier than the traditional method of planting grass seeds, turf laying offers you faster results, making your garden more beautiful in a shorter period of time.
Trees Down Under is always ready to give your green spaces their much-deserved makeover. We offer the best gardening services in Sydney including lawn removal and turf installation to ensure that you get your money’s worth.
For questions or inquiries please call us at 0475 463 597 or email us at info@treesdownunder.com.au
