Last updated October 2026
We install play-grade artificial grass for schools, nurseries, holiday parks, care homes and housing developers across the UK. For around 100 m2, one supplier publishes £40 to £60 per m2 plus VAT before ground preparation, and a free-draining sub-base keeps it usable all year. Under play equipment it sits on a shock pad tested to your fall height. Send us your measurements and photos, and we will arrange a survey and written quote.
How much does play-grade artificial grass cost?
Allow £40 to £85 per m2 before VAT for the grass and shock pad, plus ground preparation, which the published figures leave out. The ground work is the line that varies most, so ask for it separately.
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| Scope of the price | £ per m2 | VAT | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| About 100 m2, excluding ground preparation, size, access and ground conditions | £40 to £60 | plus VAT | Redlynch Leisure, May 2026 |
| Play artificial grass, installer guide | £45 to £85 | not stated | Abacus, May 2025 |
| Free-draining sub-base where needed | quoted after survey | plus VAT | Survey |
A deeper shock pad for higher equipment, a dig-out on wet clay or a site with no vehicle access will all push a job towards the top of the band or beyond it.
Do we need a shock pad, and how deep?
Yes, wherever children can fall from equipment, and its depth is set by the critical fall height. Redlynch Leisure puts it plainly: the critical fall height “determines the depth of the shock pad below the grass”. It is the pad, not the grass, that absorbs the impact, so the BS EN 1177 test result you need is for the whole system of grass and pad at that depth.
Open lawn areas with no equipment can be laid without a play-rated pad. Our guide to critical fall height explains how to match the pad to your tallest piece of equipment.
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 pupils play on it all year?
Yes, if the sub-base drains. Redlynch Leisure describes play grass as porous and free draining, “an excellent all year round all weather surface”, and says the free-draining sub-base is what keeps it usable year round. That drainage is the main reason schools choose it over a natural lawn.
What goes under play grass?
From the bottom up: the existing ground dug out and levelled, a compacted free-draining stone sub-base, a shock pad where there is equipment, then the grass, often with an infill. Redlynch Leisure calls the sub-base “essential” to stop flooding and settlement and notes it costs more at first. Skipping it is the most common reason cheap play grass ends up puddled and uneven.
Does it need planning permission?
Laying play grass is usually a question of what the land is, not the grass. The legal trigger to know about concerns sports pitches. Councils are obliged by the Development Management Procedure Order 2015 to ask Sport England’s view on applications that swap a playing pitch’s natural turf for a synthetic one, and Sport England defines a pitch as 0.2 hectares or more with its run-off.
A nursery garden or the corner of a school yard is a long way below that size, but check with your council if the area is part of a playing field. Our guide to planning permission for courts and pitches covers larger schemes.
What are the downsides of artificial grass?
Cost up front, heat and wear. The sub-base makes it dearer to install than turf, the surface can get hot in full sun, so shade matters, and Redlynch Leisure notes that lifespan drops under regular heavy use such as parks or school playgrounds. It also needs regular cleaning rather than mowing.
How do we look after it?
Clear leaves and debris, rinse it down and brush the pile, and check the area under swings and slides for wear. Redlynch Leisure advises against power washing where the grass has an infill, because the jet lifts the infill out. Our artificial pitch maintenance page covers the heavier brushing and decompaction that sports grass needs. For lifespan, Redlynch Leisure says play grass typically lasts upwards of 12 years.
Is it a good choice for a nursery or EYFS garden?
Yes, for many nurseries. It gives a clean, green space that dries quickly after rain, children can sit and crawl on it, and it can be tested for low climbing equipment with the right pad. Our page on EYFS outdoor areas covers zoning a nursery garden, and school playground surfacing does the same for primary yards.
What’s included
- Survey of the area, levels, drainage and access
- A quote naming the grass, pad depth and critical fall height
- Dig-out and disposal as quoted
- Free-draining sub-base and edging as quoted
- Shock pad, artificial grass and infill where specified
- The system’s test details for areas under equipment
What’s not included
- VAT, shown separately
- Play equipment, unless listed
- Drainage beyond the sub-base, such as a new soakaway, unless listed
- Shade sails or canopies
Illustrative example
Built only from the price table: a primary school wants 100 m2 of play grass with a shock pad under a low climbing unit. On Redlynch Leisure’s £40 to £60 per m2 band, the grass and pad come to £4,000 to £6,000 plus VAT. Ground preparation and a new sub-base are then priced on top after survey, and on a waterlogged lawn that line can match the grass itself.
Who does the work
The surfacing teams prepare the ground and lay the pad and grass. Alex Winser manages the project on the ground, from the survey to a final walk-round with you.
Often needed alongside
Play grass usually sits alongside a harder surface where the wear is heaviest, so plan the whole area with safety surfacing for playgrounds. To compare it with the two other main options, read wetpour vs rubber mulch vs artificial grass.
FAQs
Is play grass the same as a 3G pitch?
No. Play grass is a shorter carpet on a shock pad for play; a 3G pitch is an engineered sports surface priced as a whole build.
Can it go over concrete or tarmac?
Often, with a suitable pad, if the hard base drains; the survey confirms it.
Will it need infill?
Some play grasses use sand or other infill and some do not; the quote names the product and any infill.
Can it be laid on a slope or bank?
Often, with the right fixing; the survey checks the gradient.
How long does a play grass install take?
It depends on the area and dig-out; your quote sets out the days on site.
Do the play grass prices include VAT?
No. Redlynch Leisure’s figures are plus VAT, and every quote shows VAT separately.