Last updated October 2026
We install wetpour, the joint-free poured rubber play surface, for schools, nurseries, parks, holiday parks and housing developers across the UK. A published installed price for about 100 m2 runs from £40 to £140 per m2 before VAT, and the depth your equipment needs decides where you land in that band. A new surface usually needs at least a day to cure before children use it. Send measurements and photos for a survey and written quote.
How much does wetpour cost per m2?
Plan on £40 to £140 per m2 before VAT for an installed area of around 100 m2, the band one supplier publishes. Shallow wetpour around low equipment sits at the bottom; a deep base under a tall frame, extra colours or a graphic pushes it up.
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| Price basis | Per m2 | VAT | Published by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supplied and laid, about 100 m2 | £40 to £140 | plus VAT | Redlynch Leisure, Sept 2026 |
| Installed wetpour | £45 to £80 | not stated | Rubberco guide, June 2026 |
| Wetpour, general guide | £50 to £90 | not stated | Abacus, May 2025 |
| Surfacing only, excluding base works | £29 to £39 | not stated | Soft Surfaces, May 2024 |
| Patch repair by a swing | £120 per repair | not stated | Contractor quote to Wem Town Council, Feb 2025 |
| Full overlay under a carousel | £1,700 per job | not stated | Contractor quote to Wem Town Council, Feb 2025 |
Very small areas cost more per m2, because the crew, mixer and materials have to come out whatever the size. Ask for a total as well as a rate.
Why do wetpour quotes vary so much?
Mostly because of depth: the base layer gets thicker as the fall height rises, and that is where most of the rubber goes. Redlynch Leisure lists the other drivers as the size of the area, colours, patterns or graphics, and access to the site.
The cheapest figure in the table, £29 to £39, leaves out base works entirely. Before comparing two quotes, check each one states the same total depth, the same critical fall height, the same area, and whether digging out and a new sub-base are included.
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.
How thick does wetpour need to be for our equipment?
Thick enough that its tested critical fall height matches or exceeds the free height of fall of the tallest piece of equipment above it. One supplier’s chart shows the scale:
| Total wetpour depth | Critical fall height (supplier chart) |
|---|---|
| 40 mm | 1.3 m |
| 60 mm | 1.8 m |
| 80 mm | 2.5 m |
| 100 mm | 2.8 m |
Source: Redlynch Leisure, Sept 2026. Each system is tested on its own, so the depth on your quote comes from the test result for the product being laid.
Another manufacturer, DCM Surfaces, specifies a coloured top layer of at least 15 mm over a base course of 25 to 115 mm, reaching critical fall heights of up to 3 m. Our critical fall height guide explains how the test works and how to read a certificate.
Can wetpour go over tarmac or concrete?
Yes, often. Redlynch Leisure states wetpour can be laid on existing tarmac or concrete, which saves digging out and disposal. The survey checks that the old surface is sound, level and drains before that is agreed, because wetpour follows every dip and crack in what lies beneath.
Over grass or soil, a new stone sub-base is dug in first, which is the main reason two quotes for the same area can be thousands of pounds apart.
How long does wetpour last, and what wears it out?
It depends on use and care: DCM Surfaces warrants its wetpour for five years, while Redlynch Leisure says many of its original surfaces are still in use after nearly 20 years. What shortens life is concentrated wear under swings and at slide exits, edges lifting where they meet grass, moss in shady corners and heavy vehicles driven over it.
Black, coloured or graphics: what changes the price?
Colour is in the top layer only, so it adds to the price without changing safety. Plain black is the usual base option, bright EPDM colours add to the cost of the wearing course, and inset graphics such as hopscotch, numbers or a river add labour for cutting and pouring each shape. Ask for plain and coloured options as separate lines so you can see the difference.
How long is the play area closed?
For the days on site set out in your quote, plus curing time. DCM Surfaces’ data gives a cure time of 12 to 18 hours and advises at least 24 hours before use, longer in winter when the binder cures more slowly.
Dig-out and new sub-base work adds days, so give us your reopening date and the programme is planned backwards from it. Holiday weeks suit schools, and parks often choose a quiet midweek spell.
What does the quote include?
A wetpour quote from us lists the area in m2, the total depth and critical fall height for each zone, the base work, edging, colours and graphics, removal of the old surface, VAT on its own line and the time on site. If any of those lines is missing from another quote you are comparing, ask for it.
Can damaged wetpour be patched?
Yes. Worn spots can be cut out and relaid, and a contractor priced a patch repair by a set of swings at £120 for Wem Town Council in 2025. When wear has spread across a whole area, an overlay is the alternative: the same paper prices a full overlay under a carousel at £1,700. Our wetpour repair page compares patching, overlaying and replacing.
Wetpour, rubber mulch or artificial grass?
Wetpour is the usual choice for busy areas, accessible routes and colourful designs. Playground rubber mulch suits a natural, woodland look, and artificial grass for schools suits spaces that should stay green. Our comparison of wetpour vs rubber mulch vs artificial grass puts price, fall height and upkeep side by side.
What’s included
- Survey of the area, base, drainage and access
- A quote with depth and critical fall height for each zone
- Removal of the old surface and dig-out where quoted
- Sub-base and edging as quoted
- Base course of recycled rubber and an EPDM top layer
- Colours and graphics where quoted
- The test details for the system and depth laid
What’s not included
- VAT, shown separately
- New play equipment, or moving existing equipment, unless listed
- Drainage faults found at survey or during dig-out, which are priced before work continues
- Fencing or gates around the play area, unless listed
Illustrative example
This uses only the price table. A holiday park wants 100 m2 of wetpour under a new frame with a 1.8 m fall height. On the supplier chart that means about 60 mm, and on the £40 to £140 per m2 band the job comes to £4,000 to £14,000 before VAT. A shallow depth over sound tarmac would sit near the bottom; a dig-out, a new sub-base and a printed graphic would move it towards the top.
Who does the work
The surfacing teams mix, lay and finish the wetpour. Once we have your enquiry, Alex Winser runs the survey and checks the surface with you before handover.
Often needed alongside
Most wetpour jobs sit within a wider play area, so start with safety surfacing for playgrounds if you are planning several zones. Every surface price is gathered on our sports and playground surfacing costs page.
FAQs
Is wetpour the same as poured rubber?
Yes. Wetpour, wet pour and poured rubber are three names for one continuous rubber surface mixed and laid on site.
Can wetpour be laid around existing equipment?
Yes. It is poured around posts and footings, so equipment can usually stay in place.
Does wetpour drain?
Yes, it is porous, but the base beneath must drain too, which the survey checks.
Can you add a pattern later?
A graphic can be cut in later, but it costs less to pour it with the new surface.
Is wetpour slippery when wet?
Ask for the slip test data of the specific product; we include it with the quote where the maker publishes it.
Do the wetpour prices include VAT?
No. Redlynch Leisure’s band is plus VAT, and the other sources do not state a basis, so every quote shows VAT on its own line.
Sources
- Redlynch Leisure, Wet pour rubber, Sept 2026
- Rubberco, Playground matting UK buyer’s guide 2026, June 2026
- Abacus, Daily mile track costs, surfaces and installation guide, May 2025
- Soft Surfaces, Wetpour costs, May 2024
- Wem Town Council, Contractor quotes (agenda item 14), Feb 2025
- DCM Surfaces, Wetpour safety surfacing (NBS Source listing), read Oct 2026
- BSI, BS EN 1177 Impact attenuating playground surfacing: determination of critical fall height, read Oct 2026