Last updated October 2026
We build artificial grass pitches for football clubs, rugby clubs, hockey clubs, schools, colleges and councils across the UK: 3G, sand-filled, sand-dressed and water-based. Sport England’s Q4 2025 benchmarks range from £470,000 for a sand-filled training pitch to £1,645,000 for a rugby union 3G pitch, all fenced, floodlit and excluding VAT. The build programme is fixed after a ground survey. Send your site plan and sport, and we arrange a survey and quote.
The sport decides the pitch type, and the pitch type decides most of the budget: a water-based hockey pitch costs more than twice a 3G training pitch.
| Sport and pitch type | Size | Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Football, 3G, junior or training | 61 x 43 m | £515,000 to £545,000 |
| Football, 3G, senior | 106 x 70 m | £1,185,000 to £1,245,000 |
| Sand-filled, junior or training | junior size | £470,000 |
| Sand-filled, senior | senior size | £1,095,000 |
| Hockey, sand-filled | 101.4 x 63 m | £945,000 |
| Hockey, sand-dressed | 101.4 x 63 m | £1,010,000 |
| Hockey, water-based | 101.4 x 63 m | £1,130,000 |
| Rugby league, 3G | full size | £1,530,000 |
| Rugby union, 3G | full size | £1,645,000 |
Each benchmark covers fencing, lighting, run-offs, an allowance for external works and 6% fees. Ground problems, access, long service runs, biodiversity net gain, regional costs and VAT come on top.
How much does an artificial pitch cost to build?
Between about £470,000 and £1,645,000 before VAT for a fenced, floodlit pitch, depending on sport and size, on Sport England’s Q4 2025 benchmarks. A football training pitch in 3G sits at £515,000 to £545,000. For the line-by-line 3G figures, running costs and a replacement reserve, see 3G pitch cost.
Which parts of a 3G pitch project trigger planning?
Floodlights, tall fencing and turning a grass pitch into an artificial one; on a playing field the council must also consult Sport England. Sport England counts planning within its 6% fees, so it is a normal pitch cost. Our guide to planning permission for courts and pitches sets out what councils look at and how long it adds.
How it works
- 01Send a plan and photosThe site, the surface and the date it must reopen.
- 02We check the groundLevels and where the water drains.
- 03Written quoteBuilt around your reopening date.
3G, sand-filled or water-based: which sport needs which?
Pick by your main sport and its governing body’s rules. Long-pile 3G with rubber infill is the football and rugby surface. Sand-filled and sand-dressed carpets have a shorter pile and suit hockey and mixed school use. Water-based pitches are the top hockey surface and the dearest hockey option on Sport England’s table. Check what your league or national body requires for match play before choosing.
Pile height: 40, 50, 60 or 65 mm?
Follow the level of football the pitch will host and what your league or funder asks for. The price step between them is modest next to the whole build, and the 3G pitch cost page shows it in pounds.
Is a 3G pitch the same as astroturf?
Not quite. “Astroturf” is a brand name people use for any artificial grass. A 3G pitch is a third-generation system with longer pile and rubber infill for football and rugby; the older short-pile sand surfaces many people call astroturf are now sold as sand-filled or sand-dressed pitches and suit hockey.
What does the Football Foundation fund, and what is the community-use rule?
It funds grassroots projects that the community can use. The Foundation lists a 3G Pitches grant of up to £25,000, alongside fencing, portable floodlight and maintenance machinery grants, and will not fund projects for private gain, facilities closed to community use, routine maintenance, work already done or projects outside England. Our playground grants guide covers Sport England and other funders too.
What maintenance does the pitch need?
Regular brushing, decompaction and infill top-ups with the right machinery, plus money set aside for a new carpet. See artificial pitch maintenance for a schedule and costs.
Can a pitch serve more than one sport?
Sometimes, within limits. Some 3G systems are built for both football and rugby, and sand-based carpets suit hockey alongside school games. Name every sport on the enquiry so the specification is drawn up to suit each one.
What’s included
- Survey of levels, ground, drainage, access and buried services
- Written specification naming carpet type, pile, shock pad and base build-up
- Excavation, drainage and base construction
- Carpet, infill and markings for each sport
- Fencing, gates, goals and floodlights as listed
- Handover walk of the finished pitch
What’s not included
- VAT, on its own line
- Ground investigation, unless listed
- Planning application costs and net gain obligations, unless listed
- A new power supply, unless listed
Illustrative example
From the table only. A club weighs a 3G training pitch at £515,000 to £545,000 against a sand-filled training pitch at £470,000, both fenced and lit. The £45,000 to £75,000 gap is the price of a football-specific surface. Anything the ground survey finds sits on top of either figure, before VAT.
Who does the work
Pitches on this site are built by the surfacing teams. Alex Winser manages the project from survey to handover, our pitch installers build the base and lay the carpet, and the specialist teams handle the fencing, lighting and drainage.
Often needed alongside
Schools wanting several sports on a smaller footprint should compare a MUGA pitch. Cricket clubs sharing a site often add a synthetic cricket pitch. Clubs can read our sports clubs page for how club projects are funded and run.
FAQs
Can we have a 3G pitch without floodlights?
Yes. It lowers the cost but cuts winter evening hours.
Do you build 5-a-side or small-sided pitches?
Yes, priced on survey, since no official benchmark exists for them.
Do Sport England’s benchmarks include fencing?
Yes, along with lighting and 6% fees.
Can an old sand pitch be converted to 3G?
Sometimes, if the base and drainage suit; the survey checks them.
What do you need to quote a pitch?
A site plan, the sport and level of play, any funding deadline and access details.
Sources
- Sport England, Facility Cost Guidance Q4 2025, published Feb 2026
- Football Foundation, Looking for funding, read Oct 2026
- Football Foundation, home page grant list, read Oct 2026