Last updated October 2026
We install rubber playground tiles and rubber grass mats for schools, nurseries, parish councils, holiday parks and homeowners across the UK. Grass mats are the low-cost option on lawns: a parish council was quoted £2,225 for 102 m2, about £22 per m2. Tiles suit sound hard bases, at about £72 to £112 per m2 for the tiles alone. Both are tested to fall heights. Send photos and measurements for a survey and quote.
How much do rubber tiles and grass mats cost installed?
Grass mats came in at about £22 per m2 on a real council quote, while tiles cost several times that once adhesive, edging and a hard base are added. The table separates real quotes from retail prices.
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| Item | Cost | VAT shown? | Source and year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grass mats across a 102 m2 play area | £2,225 total, about £21.81 per m2 | total only | Play area paper to Wickham Market Parish Council, 2022 |
| Black rubber tiles, 30 mm, supply only | £18 to £22 per 0.25 m2 tile (£72 to £88 per m2) | not stated | Rubberco guide, June 2026 |
| Black rubber tiles, 40 mm, supply only | £22 to £28 per 0.25 m2 tile (£88 to £112 per m2) | not stated | Rubberco guide, June 2026 |
| Coloured tiles | 15% to 20% more than black | not stated | Rubberco guide, June 2026 |
| Laying, adhesive, edging and base | quoted after survey | plus VAT | Survey |
The grass mat quote is from 2022, so allow for prices having risen. Tile prices are retail and supply only; the fitted price depends mostly on whether a hard base already exists.
Tiles, grass mats or wetpour: which suits which area?
Grass mats suit grassed areas you want to keep green, tiles suit a sound tarmac or concrete base where you may want to lift and replace sections, and wetpour suits busy areas that need a continuous, joint-free finish.
- Grass mats: the cheapest way to protect a lawn under swings, slides and climbing frames, and the grass grows through the holes.
- Tiles: quick to lay on an existing hard base, in black or colours, with the option to replace one worn tile.
- Wetpour: poured in place, so there are no joints to lift, and graphics can be built in.
For a larger site with several zones, safety surfacing for playgrounds explains how to choose surface by surface.
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 grass mats meet our fall height?
Often, yes, but only to the figure on the product’s own test certificate. One supplier’s installation guide states its mats reach a critical fall height of up to 3.4 m, tested to BS EN 1177. That result applies to their mat laid on the ground conditions they tested, so ask for the certificate for the exact mat and check it against the free height of fall of your equipment.
Rubber tiles are rated by thickness. One retailer’s guide gives these figures:
| Tile thickness | Critical fall height (retailer guide) |
|---|---|
| 25 mm | up to 0.6 m |
| 30 mm | up to 1.0 m |
| 40 mm | up to 1.8 m |
| 50 mm | up to 2.5 m |
Source: Rubberco, June 2026. Confirm against the certificate for the tile being laid.
Our critical fall height guide shows how to read a certificate.
How are tiles fixed and edged?
On a permanent school or public play area, tiles are interlocked and glued down to the hard base, and the outer edge is finished with ramped edge pieces or set flush against a kerb so there is no trip edge. Rubberco’s guide says adhesive is not needed for temporary installations but is recommended for permanent school and public ones.
Grass mats are fixed differently. One supplier’s guide says to cable-tie all edges together at 150 mm intervals and peg the mats into the ground at 500 mm intervals.
How long before grass grows through mats?
About four to six weeks, according to one supplier’s installation guide, provided the ground beneath is levelled with good sandy topsoil and seeded or turfed. Lay them in the growing season, between spring and early autumn, and keep the area out of use while the grass establishes if you can.
Can tiles be replaced one at a time?
Yes. Individual tiles can be lifted and replaced if one is damaged, without relaying the whole area, which is one of the main reasons sites choose tiles. Ask for a few spare tiles from the same batch to be left with you, so colour and thickness match.
What’s included
- Survey of the area, base, levels and equipment
- A quote naming the tile or mat, its thickness and critical fall height
- Levelling and topsoil for grass mats, as quoted
- Tiles, adhesive and edging, or mats, ties and pegs
- Spare tiles where agreed
- The product’s test details
What’s not included
- VAT, shown separately
- A new hard base under tiles, unless listed
- Turf or seeding beyond the mat area, unless listed
- Moving or replacing play equipment, unless listed
Illustrative example
Built only from the price table: a parish council wants to protect 100 m2 of grass under a swing set and climbing frame. At the 2022 quote rate of about £21.81 per m2, grass mats come to roughly £2,200, before any rise since then. The same area in 40 mm tiles would cost about £8,800 to £11,200 for the tiles alone, before a hard base, adhesive and edging.
Who does the work
Tiles and grass mats are laid by the surfacing teams. Once we have your enquiry, Alex Winser arranges the survey and checks the finished area with you.
Often needed alongside
Tiles and mats usually serve one zone of a bigger scheme. If you are planning a park, housing estate or holiday park play space, see play area design.
FAQs
Do grass mats need mowing?
Yes. The grass growing through is mown like the lawn around it.
Can grass mats go on bare mud?
The ground is levelled with topsoil and seeded or turfed first, so grass can establish through the mats.
Are coloured tiles less durable than black?
Ask for the product data; the colour is a price choice, and the supplier’s guide prices coloured tiles 15% to 20% higher.
Can tiles go on grass?
Not as a rule; tiles need a firm, level, hard base.
Do you supply tiles without fitting?
We quote supplied and fitted, so the result is tested and finished.
Do the tile and mat prices include VAT?
The sources do not state it, so every quote shows VAT on its own line.