Artificial turf in Australia typically costs $70 to $130 per square metre supplied and installed, and $18 to $90 per square metre for the turf alone. The spread is wide because most of the money is not in the grass. It is in the base beneath it.
Two quotes for the same backyard can differ by thousands of dollars while describing what looks like the same job. One has excavated 100mm, laid and compacted a crushed rock base in layers, set the falls to a drainage point and specified an infill rate. The other has scalped the existing lawn, rolled turf over the top and pinned the edges. Both look identical on the day of handover. Only one still looks flat in three years.
This guide sets out what artificial turf costs in Australia by grade and by installation method, what the installation process actually involves, which site factors move the price, how the cost compares with a natural lawn over time, and what to check in a quote before you hire anyone.
All figures are indicative national ranges for residential work as at 2026. Prices vary by state, by access and by supplier, and quotes should always be obtained for your specific site.
What drives artificial turf cost
An installed artificial turf price is made up of four separate cost centres, and they move independently of each other.
- The turf product - pile height, stitch rate, yarn quality, UV stabilisation and backing type. Roughly 25 to 40 percent of an installed price.
- Site preparation - removing the existing surface, disposing of spoil, and building and compacting the base. Roughly 30 to 45 percent, and the single largest variable between quotes.
- Drainage and edging - agricultural drain lines, soakwells, falls, and the timber, aluminium or concrete edge that holds the base in place. Roughly 10 to 20 percent.
- Labour and consumables - laying, joining, trimming, pinning, infill and brushing. Roughly 15 to 25 percent.
When a quote comes in well under the market, the saving is almost always taken from site preparation and drainage, because those are the two items a homeowner cannot see once the turf is down. That is why the specification in the quote matters more than the headline rate.
Cost by grade and quality
Artificial turf is sold by the square metre or by the linear metre off a 3.7m or 4m wide roll. Grade is determined by pile height, stitch rate, yarn weight and backing construction.
| Grade | Supply only per m2 | Typical specification | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget landscape | $18 to $35 | 20mm to 30mm pile, single tone, lighter yarn weight, basic latex backing | Rental properties, short term staging, low traffic side yards |
| Mid grade landscape | $35 to $55 | 30mm to 37mm pile, two to four tone yarn, thatch layer, UV stabilised | Standard family backyards, most residential installs |
| Premium landscape | $55 to $90 | 37mm to 45mm pile, high stitch rate, soft yarn, reinforced permeable backing | Feature lawns, high visibility areas, long service life expectations |
| Pet grade | $45 to $75 | 25mm to 35mm pile, fully permeable backing, high drainage rate, antimicrobial infill | Dog runs and yards with regular pet use |
| Sport and play | $40 to $80 | 15mm to 25mm dense pile, shock pad underlay, sand infill | Putting greens, play areas, cricket and multi use surfaces |
What separates a $25 turf from a $70 turf
The visible difference on the roll is small. The difference after three summers is not. Higher grade turf carries more yarn per square metre, which resists matting under foot traffic. It carries multi-tone fibres and a brown thatch layer, which stops it reading as a flat green sheet in direct sun. It carries a properly UV stabilised polyethylene yarn, which resists the fading and brittleness that shows first on north facing areas.
Backing matters as much as yarn. A perforated latex backing drains only through punched holes and can block with infill and fines over time. A fully permeable polyurethane or hole punched dual backing drains across the whole sheet and holds seams better in heat.
Reading the product datasheet
Ask for the datasheet, not the brochure. The three numbers that matter are pile height in millimetres, stitch rate per square metre and total product weight in grams per square metre. As a rough guide, a total weight below 1,800g per square metre is a light product, 2,000g to 2,800g is standard residential, and above 3,000g is premium. A supplier who will not provide these numbers is a supplier to move past.
Supply only vs supply and install
Supply only pricing covers the turf, delivered on the roll. Everything else is yours to organise, including excavation, spoil removal, base material, drainage, edging, membrane, joining tape and adhesive, pins and infill.
| Scope | Typical cost per m2 | What is included |
|---|---|---|
| Supply only | $18 to $90 | Turf on the roll, cut to length, collected or delivered |
| Install only, base ready | $25 to $45 | Lay, join, trim, pin, infill and brush on a base you have prepared |
| Supply and install, simple site | $70 to $100 | Mid grade turf, 75mm to 100mm base, membrane, edging, infill, level flat area with good access |
| Supply and install, complex site | $100 to $160 | Premium turf, deeper base, drainage lines or soakwell, retaining or step works, restricted access, curved edges |
Worked examples
- 40m2 courtyard, mid grade, wheelbarrow access: $4,400 to $6,000 installed. Small areas carry a higher rate because setup, delivery and minimum charges are spread across less area.
- 100m2 backyard, mid grade, machine access: $7,000 to $10,000 installed.
- 250m2 front and rear, premium turf, one drainage line: $20,000 to $30,000 installed.
- 60m2 DIY, mid grade turf supplied: $2,100 to $3,300 for turf, plus roughly $900 to $1,800 for road base, membrane, edging, sand infill, tape and adhesive, plus plate compactor hire.
DIY saves roughly 40 to 50 percent of the installed price, and the saving is real only if the base is built correctly. The most common DIY failure is under-compaction, which shows as soft spots and visible depressions within the first year and cannot be corrected without lifting the turf.
The installation process and what you are paying for
Understanding the sequence makes a quote readable. Each step below is a line a competent installer can describe and price.
Step 1: Excavation and spoil removal
The existing lawn, topsoil and any organic material is removed to a depth of 75mm to 150mm depending on the base design and traffic level. Organic material left in place will decompose and the surface will subside unevenly. Spoil removal is charged by the cubic metre or by the trailer or skip load, and on a 100m2 job at 100mm depth that is around 10 cubic metres of material to shift. Tip fees and cartage are a real cost that cheap quotes often omit.
Step 2: Drainage and falls
Water has to go somewhere. On free draining sandy soils the base itself is usually sufficient. On clay soils, low lying areas or anywhere against a building, an agricultural drain line, a soakwell or a connection to an existing stormwater point is required. Falls of roughly 1 in 100 are set across the base and away from the dwelling. Drainage that discharges onto a neighbour or changes overland flow is a defect and a dispute waiting to happen, so it needs to be designed before the base goes in, not patched after the first storm.
Step 3: Base construction
Crushed rock or road base is spread in layers of no more than 50mm and each layer is plate compacted. A typical residential base is 75mm to 100mm of compacted road base topped with 10mm to 20mm of compacted crusher dust or washed sand, screeded to a flat, firm surface with the designed falls. This is the layer that determines whether the finished lawn stays flat. A base compacted in one thick lift rather than in layers will settle.
Step 4: Edging
Treated pine, composite, aluminium or a concrete haunch holds the base and gives the turf a fixed line to be pinned or glued to. Without edging, the base migrates at the perimeter and the turf edge lifts. Aluminium edging costs more per lineal metre than treated pine and lasts considerably longer in wet ground.
Step 5: Weed membrane
A permeable geotextile membrane sits between the base and the turf. It suppresses weeds pushing up from below and stops fines migrating. It does not stop airborne weed seed germinating in the infill on the surface, which is what a light seasonal weed spray handles.
Step 6: Laying, joining and pinning
Turf is rolled out and left to relax and acclimatise, ideally for a few hours in the sun so the backing releases roll memory. All pieces are laid with the pile direction running the same way, usually towards the main viewing point. Joins are made with joining tape and turf adhesive, not by overlapping. Perimeters are pinned with galvanised U pins or glued to the edging. Visible seams and pile running in different directions on adjoining pieces are the two clearest signs of a rushed install.
Step 7: Infill and brushing
Dried, kiln fired silica sand is spread at typically 5kg to 12kg per square metre and brushed in with a power broom. Infill weighs the turf down, protects the yarn at its base, keeps the pile standing upright and improves fire and heat performance. Skipping or under-dosing infill is a quiet cost saving that shows as a flattened, shiny lawn within a season. Ask for the infill rate in kilograms per square metre in writing.
Cost factors on your site
Site preparation complexity
A flat, clear, machine accessible area is the cheapest scenario. Costs rise with tree roots, buried rubble, old paving or concrete requiring demolition, sloping ground requiring cut and fill or a small retaining wall, and irrigation or services that need locating and protecting. Where existing concrete or paving has to come out, allow an additional $40 to $90 per square metre for breaking out and disposal before turf works begin.
Access
Access is the factor homeowners underestimate most. If a bobcat can reach the area, excavation and base material handling is fast. If everything must go through a 900mm side gate by wheelbarrow, labour hours can double on the earthworks alone. On a typical 100m2 job that difference is commonly $1,500 to $3,000. Mention access constraints when requesting quotes so the price you receive is the price you pay.
Drainage requirements
Reactive clay sites, low points and areas adjacent to the house often need an agricultural line, a soakwell or a stormwater connection. Budget $60 to $120 per lineal metre for an ag line including trenching and aggregate, and $600 to $1,800 for a soakwell installed. This is money well spent. Turf laid over a site that holds water will smell, harbour algae and delaminate at the seams.
Area size and economies of scale
Fixed costs including mobilisation, delivery, equipment hire and minimum charges are spread across the area. A 20m2 courtyard can land at $140 to $180 per square metre while a 300m2 job on the same street sits at $75 to $95. Roll width also matters. Turf comes in 3.7m or 4m widths, and an awkward shape can generate 10 to 20 percent wastage that is charged to you. Ask whether the quoted area is the measured area or the area of turf ordered.
Council, consent and body corporate considerations
Artificial turf in a private yard is generally landscaping and does not require development approval. There are four situations where it can still be constrained. Where a development consent imposed a minimum deep soil, permeable surface or landscaped area, replacing lawn with turf can breach that condition. Where the property sits in a heritage conservation area, front garden treatments can be controlled. Where a body corporate or community title scheme has by-laws on external appearance, written approval may be needed. And where the work changes site drainage, stormwater rules apply. For approvals context on the wider project, refer to the BUILTLY guide on DA vs CDC vs building permit in Australia.
Heat and orientation
Artificial turf runs hotter than natural grass in direct summer sun, and in a fully exposed north or west facing yard the surface can become uncomfortable to walk on barefoot in the middle of the day. Lighter coloured yarns, higher infill rates and cooling infill products reduce it somewhat but do not remove it. Where the area is a primary play space in full sun, factor shade into the project rather than expecting the turf specification to solve it.
Artificial turf vs natural lawn over time
The honest comparison is not a single number. It is an upfront cost against an annual cost, over a service life.
| Item, 100m2 area | Artificial turf | Natural lawn |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront installed cost | $7,000 to $13,000 | $1,500 to $4,000 |
| Annual water | $0 to $40 | $150 to $500 |
| Annual mowing and edging | $0 | $300 to $800 if contracted |
| Annual fertiliser, weed and pest | $40 to $90 | $150 to $300 |
| Annual cleaning, brushing, infill top up | $60 to $160 | $0 |
| Typical annual running cost | $100 to $250 | $600 to $1,500 |
| Service life before replacement | 10 to 15 years | Indefinite with maintenance |
Taking the mid points, artificial turf costs about $10,000 installed and $175 a year to run. A natural lawn costs about $2,750 to establish and $1,050 a year. The turf is roughly $7,250 behind at the start and closes about $875 a year, which puts the crossover at around year eight. If the household mows its own lawn, the annual gap narrows sharply and the crossover moves past year twelve, which is at or beyond the turf replacement point.
Replacement is the part most comparisons leave out. At end of life the turf is lifted and disposed of and new turf laid. The base usually survives if it was built properly, so replacement typically costs 50 to 65 percent of the original installed price. A well built base is therefore an investment that pays out twice.
On pure lifetime dollars, the two options land close to each other. Artificial turf makes clear sense where water restrictions apply, where shade or root competition means grass will never establish, where dogs or children destroy natural lawn faster than it recovers, where the area is small and awkward to mow, or where the surface simply has to look consistent all year. It makes less sense as a cost saving measure on a large, sunny, easily irrigated yard. For the wider outdoor budget picture, refer to the BUILTLY guides on landscaping cost in Australia and outdoor living cost in Australia.
What to check before hiring an installer
Artificial turf is largely unregulated compared with structural trades. Landscaping and turf work generally sits below the licensing threshold in most states unless it involves structural retaining, plumbing connections or work above a set contract value, which means anyone can trade as a turf installer. The quality control is entirely in your selection and your quote.
Licensing and insurance
Where the job includes retaining walls above the state height threshold, stormwater connections or a contract value above the licensing limit, a licence is required. Check it, and check public liability insurance regardless of scope. The method for checking is the same as for any residential trade and is set out in the BUILTLY guide on how to check a builder's licence in Australia.
The two separate warranties
There are always two warranties and they are frequently confused. The product warranty comes from the turf manufacturer, typically 8 to 15 years, and covers UV degradation, excessive fading and yarn failure. It does not cover matting from traffic, damage or poor installation. The workmanship warranty comes from the installer, typically 12 months to 5 years, and is the one that covers seam separation, subsidence, pooling and lifting edges. A long product warranty paired with a 12 month workmanship warranty tells you which risk the installer is prepared to carry.
Ask specifically whether the workmanship warranty covers base settlement. Most failures that homeowners notice, including bumps, hollows and water pooling, are base failures rather than turf failures. If base settlement is excluded, the warranty is covering very little.
What a complete quote contains
- Turf product name, pile height, stitch rate and weight in grams per square metre
- Measured area and turf area ordered, with wastage shown separately
- Excavation depth and spoil disposal method and cost
- Base material type and compacted depth, with the number of compaction passes or layers
- Drainage provisions and the discharge point
- Weed membrane type
- Edging material and lineal metres
- Infill type and rate in kilograms per square metre
- Joining method, tape and adhesive rather than overlap
- Product warranty term and workmanship warranty term, stated separately
- Payment schedule with a deposit that is a modest percentage rather than the majority of the price
Evidence of completed installs
Photographs taken on the day of completion tell you almost nothing. New artificial turf always looks good. Ask to see installs that are three or more years old, and ask the installer to nominate the address or the client rather than showing a gallery of unattributed images. What you are looking for on an older install is a flat surface with no visible depressions, seams you cannot pick out from standing height, pile that still stands up, edges that remain fixed and no algae or staining at low points.
Red flags
- A single line price with no base or drainage specification
- An offer to lay turf directly over the existing lawn to save money
- A large deposit requested before any materials are ordered or delivered
- No infill rate stated, or infill described as optional
- No product datasheet available for the turf being supplied
- A price well below every other quote with no explanation of what has been left out
- Photographs of completed work that cannot be attributed to an actual address or client
BUILTLY and lasting project records
The quality of an artificial turf install is buried under the turf on the day it is finished. The base depth, the compaction, the falls and the drainage are invisible from that point forward, and the difference between a good install and a poor one only becomes visible years later. That is a difficult thing for a homeowner to assess from a quote and a gallery of handover photographs.
BUILTLY is building a record of completed Australian homes that credits the builder, landscape designers and trades behind each one.
For a trade where the workmanship is concealed and the licensing is light, a published and attributed track record is one of the few durable signals available. For the broader construction context surrounding external works, refer to the BUILTLY complete guide to building a house in Australia, and for adjacent external cost benchmarks refer to the guide on driveway cost in Australia.
Frequently asked questions
How much does artificial turf cost per square metre in Australia?
Supply only, artificial turf in Australia typically costs $18 to $35 per square metre for budget grades, $35 to $55 per square metre for mid grade landscape turf and $55 to $90 per square metre for premium multi-tone turf with a high stitch rate and a reinforced backing. Supply and install, including base preparation, drainage, membrane, joining and infill, typically runs $70 to $130 per square metre on a straightforward site. Small areas, difficult access and sites needing excavation or drainage work sit at or above the top of that range.
Is artificial turf cheaper than natural lawn over time?
Artificial turf costs far more upfront and far less to maintain. A 100 square metre natural lawn typically costs $1,500 to $4,000 to establish and $600 to $1,500 a year to mow, fertilise, water and repair. The same area in artificial turf typically costs $7,000 to $13,000 installed and $100 to $250 a year to blow, rinse and top up infill. On those figures the running cost saving usually closes the gap somewhere between year seven and year twelve, which is close to the point at which the turf itself is approaching replacement. Artificial turf is best justified on water restrictions, shade, pets, high wear or a surface that has to look the same year round rather than on pure lifetime cost.
How long does artificial turf last in Australia?
Quality artificial turf with a UV stabilised yarn and a correctly built base typically lasts 10 to 15 years in Australian conditions. Budget turf laid on a poorly compacted base can fail in five to eight years through matting, seam separation and pooling. Lifespan is driven more by the base and the traffic level than by the turf itself. North facing areas with full summer sun and areas under trampolines or dog runs wear fastest.
Do I need council approval to install artificial turf?
For a private backyard, artificial turf is generally treated as landscaping and does not need development approval. Approval or conditions can apply where the installation changes site drainage or overland flow paths, where the property is in a heritage conservation area, where a development consent set a minimum deep soil or permeable surface area, or where a body corporate or community title scheme has by-laws covering external finishes. Check your consent conditions and any by-laws before ordering, because a compliant looking install can still breach a landscaping condition attached to the original approval.
What should be in an artificial turf quote?
A complete quote itemises turf product name, pile height, stitch rate and weight, area in square metres including wastage, excavation depth and spoil removal, base material type and compacted depth, drainage provisions, weed membrane, edging type, infill type and rate per square metre, joining method, and the separate warranty terms for the product and for the workmanship. A single line price with no base specification is the most common cause of a cheap install failing early.
Can artificial turf be laid over an existing lawn or concrete?
Laying over an existing lawn without excavating is not recommended for anything other than a temporary surface. The organic layer breaks down, the surface settles unevenly and weeds push through. Over sound concrete, turf can be laid on a shock pad or a thin screed provided the slab already falls to a drain and holds no water. Any installer offering to roll turf straight over living grass to save money is quoting a surface that will look uneven within two seasons.