Last updated October 2026
All three surfaces start at about £40 per m2 plus VAT in published prices and all three can be tested to the fall height of your equipment, so the choice comes down to use, look and upkeep. Pick wetpour for busy, accessible areas and graphics, bonded rubber mulch for a natural setting, and artificial grass on a shock pad where the space must stay green. Real parish quotes put bonded mulch at £60.75 to £84.39 per m2.
The prices overlap, so compare quotes on the same area and the same certified fall height.
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| Wetpour | Bonded rubber mulch | Artificial grass on a shock pad | Natural grass | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Published price | £40 to £140 for about 100 m2 (Redlynch Leisure); £50 to £90 (Abacus) | £40 to £60 (Soft Surfaces); £40 to £75 (Abacus) | £40 to £60, excluding ground preparation (Redlynch Leisure); £45 to £85 (Abacus) | No surfacing cost; upkeep only |
| Real quotes | Patch repair £120; overlay under a carousel £1,700 (Wem Town Council, 2025) | £60.75 and £84.39 per m2 on 144 to 156 m2 (Wickham Market Parish Council, 2021 quotes) | None published | None |
| How fall height is met | Thickness: about 40 to 50 mm for 1.5 m, up to 75 to 140 mm for 3 m, by system | Depth: about 100 mm for 1.5 m, 250 mm for 3 m (indicative) | The shock pad’s tested rating | Up to 1.5 m only, subject to risk assessment (RoSPA) |
| Look | Smooth, joint-free, any colour, inlaid graphics | Textured, bark-like | Lawn | Lawn |
| Main upkeep | Removing dirt and moss; patching damage | Clearing leaves and debris from the texture | Brushing and keeping the pile upright | Mowing, reseeding worn patches |
Which is cheapest per m2?
None of them reliably. The published bands all begin around £40 per m2 and overlap for most of their range, and the two real rubber mulch quotes to a parish council, £60.75 and £84.39 per m2, sit inside wetpour’s £40 to £140 band. What moves the price most is the depth your tallest equipment demands, the size of the area and the state of the ground, not the surface type.
Ask for every option priced on the same drawing, to the same certified critical fall height, with ground preparation and VAT shown on their own lines.
Which surface is safest?
Whichever one’s tested critical fall height matches or beats the fall from the equipment above it. BS EN 1177 tests all three the same way, so a correctly specified rubber mulch is as safe as correctly specified wetpour. The thickness each one needs varies by system; our critical fall height guide sets out the published tables side by side.
When is wetpour the better buy?
When the area is busy every day, has to be step-free for wheelchairs and buggies, or you want numbers, games or colours set into the surface. It is laid in one joint-free sheet, so there are no tiles to lift and no loose fill to carry into classrooms. RoSPA says the only regular maintenance it should need is removing dirt and debris, and suggests expecting a guarantee of at least five years.
Depths, colour costs and closure times are on our wet pour playground surface page.
When does bonded rubber mulch win?
When the play area is designed to look natural: timber equipment, planting, trees and woodland paths. The bark-like texture sits in that setting in a way bright wetpour does not. It needs more depth than wetpour for the same fall height, roughly double or more in the indicative tables, and leaves settle into it, so budget for regular clearing. Prices and colours are on playground rubber mulch.
When does artificial grass make sense?
When the space must double as a green area: a nursery garden, a holiday park lawn, or a school field edge with play equipment. The fall height protection comes from the shock pad beneath the grass, not the grass itself, so check the test certificate for the full system. Redlynch’s band of £40 to £60 per m2 leaves out ground preparation, which on a soft lawn can be a real cost. See artificial grass for schools and EYFS outdoor area projects.
Can the existing grass stay?
Sometimes, for low equipment. RoSPA accepts well maintained grass with at least 150 mm of subsoil for falls up to 1.5 metres, subject to a risk assessment, but warns it hardens in dry and frosty weather and wears through under swings. Many sites keep grass and surface only the worn impact zones; rubber grass mats are the usual way to do that, on our rubber playground flooring page.
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.
Can you mix surfaces in one play area?
Yes, and it often saves money. Depth is the costly part, so a mixed scheme puts the deep, certified surface only under the tall equipment and a cheaper or greener finish elsewhere. A typical split is wetpour under the busiest frames and along the paths, with mulch or grass in the quieter corners. The joins need careful edging so there is no trip lip between surfaces.
Which costs least to look after?
Wetpour, for most sites. RoSPA describes removing dirt as its only regular maintenance, with moss treatment under trees. Rubber mulch needs leaves and litter cleared from its texture, and artificial grass needs brushing to keep the pile upright. When wetpour is damaged, repairs are small jobs: Wem Town Council was quoted £120 for a patch by its swings in 2025. Running costs by surface are on our playground maintenance page.
Which can go over our old tarmac?
Wetpour, most often, if the tarmac is sound and drains. For a new base, RoSPA advises at least 150 mm of MOT Type 1 stone. Rubber mulch and artificial grass systems differ in what they can be laid on, so the survey decides. If water already sits on the playground, say so in your enquiry; no surface fixes a base that does not drain.
How do you decide?
Answer four questions, in this order:
- How high is the tallest fall in the area? That sets the depth and much of the cost.
- How many children use it, and how often? Heavy use points to wetpour.
- Should it look bright and playful, natural, or green?
- How much upkeep can your caretaker or grounds team manage each week?
Most sites end up with one main surface and a second for one zone. Our safety surfacing for playgrounds page lists every option with its price.
FAQs
Is wetpour or rubber mulch better for a nursery?
Wetpour for busy, step-free routes and areas under equipment; rubber mulch where the garden is designed to feel natural.
Does rubber mulch need topping up?
Bonded mulch is fixed in place and keeps its depth; loose mulch and bark need raking back and topping up.
Is artificial grass soft enough on its own?
No. The shock pad underneath provides the fall height protection; check its certificate.
Which lasts longest?
It depends on product, use and care. Ask each installer for the guarantee in writing; RoSPA suggests at least five years for wetpour.
Are your prices including VAT?
No. Every price on this site excludes VAT.
Every guide we publish, from grants to resin finishes, is listed on the guides page.
Sources
- Redlynch Leisure, Wet pour rubber, Sept 2026
- Redlynch Leisure, Artificial grass, May 2026
- Abacus, Daily mile track costs, surfaces and installation guide, May 2025
- Soft Surfaces, Rubber mulch costs, May 2024
- Wickham Market Parish Council, Play area report, Aug 2022
- Wem Town Council, Contractor quotes (agenda item 14), Feb 2025
- Rubberco, BS EN 1177 compliance checklist, 2026
- RoSPA Play Safety, Wet pour surfacing, updated Mar 2026
- RoSPA Play Safety, Grass as a play area surface, updated Mar 2026
