Question 1

How much does artificial grass cost to install in Buckinghamshire and Surrey?

Accepted Answer

Supply and install for a domestic lawn typically works out at £70 to £110 per square metre. The range reflects three things: the grade of grass you choose, how much excavation and waste disposal the site needs, and whether extra drainage is required. A flat 40m² rear lawn with easy access sits at the lower end. A sloping garden with poor drainage, restricted access and a skip on the road sits at the upper end. Every quote we give is fixed and written, so the figure you accept is the figure you pay.

Question 2

Why are some quotes so much cheaper?

Accepted Answer

Almost always because the base has been reduced or removed. Laying grass straight over an existing lawn, or over a thin skim of sand, cuts a day or two of labour and several tonnes of aggregate from the job. It also guarantees dips, puddles, moss and lifting edges inside two seasons. If a quote is dramatically lower than the rest, ask for the excavation depth and the aggregate specification in writing. That single question usually explains the gap.

Question 3

Do you take a deposit?

Accepted Answer

No. We work on 0% deposit, so you pay nothing upfront and settle on completion once you have walked the finished lawn with us. You can pay by bank transfer, card or cash.

Question 4

Do you charge for the quote or the site visit?

Accepted Answer

No. The survey is free and always in person. We never quote artificial grass from photographs, because photos hide the two things that set the price: ground levels and drainage. We bring physical grass samples so you can see the colour and pile against your own fence, patio and planting rather than on a screen.

Question 5

How long does an artificial grass installation take?

Accepted Answer

A typical 40 to 60 square metre garden takes two to four days from strip-out to handover. Day one is excavation and waste removal, day two is the sub-base and laying course, day three is grass, seaming and infill. Larger gardens, tricky access or heavy rain during the compaction stage can add a day. We give you a realistic window at quote stage rather than an optimistic one.

Question 6

What does the base build-up actually consist of?

Accepted Answer

For a standard domestic lawn we excavate to 75 to 100mm, lay a weed-suppressant membrane over the consolidated ground, then compact roughly 50mm of MOT Type 1 or Type 3 aggregate in two passes with a plate compactor. On top of that goes around 25mm of granite dust or grit sand as a laying course, screeded smooth and set to a fall of about 1:100 so water always has somewhere to go. Only then does the grass go down.

Question 7

Can artificial grass be laid over my existing lawn?

Accepted Answer

Not if you want it to last. Soil and turf compress unevenly under foot traffic, so the surface develops dips within a season. Organic matter left underneath holds moisture, which encourages moss and, in shaded gardens, an unpleasant smell. Weeds also find their way through. Any installer offering to roll grass straight onto turf is saving themselves labour at your expense.

Question 8

Can it be laid over an existing patio, concrete or decking?

Accepted Answer

Yes, provided the surface drains. Solid concrete with no falls or drainage points needs holes cored or a permeable layer added first. On sound paving or a stable concrete slab we normally lay a shockpad or foam underlay for comfort underfoot, then bond the grass at the perimeter. This is a common approach on roof terraces, balconies and small courtyards where excavation is not practical.

Question 9

Will the joins be visible?

Accepted Answer

Not when they are done properly. Every roll is laid running in the same pile direction, the selvedge is trimmed back to the third stitch line, and the seam is bonded onto jointing tape with a grass-specific polyurethane adhesive, then weighted while it cures. Visible stripes across a lawn are almost always the result of two rolls laid in opposing directions, which no amount of brushing will fix afterwards.

Question 10

How is the perimeter fixed down?

Accepted Answer

Edges are secured to a pressure-treated timber frame or a concrete edging kerb with galvanised nails at roughly 150mm centres, or pinned with ground pins where the lawn meets a bed. A lawn that lifts at the corners after a year has almost always been laid without any perimeter fixing at all.

Question 11

Does artificial grass drain, or will I get puddles?

Accepted Answer

A correctly installed lawn drains faster than real turf. The backing is perforated with drainage holes at roughly 100mm centres, and water passes straight through into the open aggregate base below, then away through the falls we build in. Puddling is a symptom of a missing or contaminated sub-base, not a fault with the grass itself.

Question 12

Is it suitable for dogs?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and it is one of the most common reasons people call us. Urine drains through the perforated backing into the aggregate below and rinses away with a hose. For dog-heavy gardens we specify a shorter, denser pile that recovers well from repeated use, a fully permeable backing, and an open-graded aggregate base that clears liquid quickly. Solids are picked up as normal, and an occasional rinse keeps the lawn fresh. Dogs cannot dig it up once the perimeter is properly fixed.

Question 13

Is it safe for children?

Accepted Answer

The yarn is non-toxic and lead-free, and the surface is considerably softer to fall on than paving or compacted soil. For dedicated play areas beneath swings or climbing frames we can lay a shockpad underlay to improve the critical fall height. There is no mud, so there are no muddy footprints indoors from October to March.

Question 14

Does it get hot in direct sunlight?

Accepted Answer

On a genuinely hot, cloudless day a synthetic lawn in full sun will feel warmer than real grass, commonly five to ten degrees above ambient. A minute with a hose cools it immediately. Gardens with partial shade, tree cover or a north-facing aspect rarely notice it at all.

Question 15

Will weeds grow through it?

Accepted Answer

Weeds cannot root through a membrane and a compacted aggregate base. What can happen over years is windblown seed germinating in organic debris that has collected on the surface. Brushing off leaves in autumn and an occasional rinse prevents it entirely.

Question 16

Can I put a barbecue or fire pit on it?

Accepted Answer

Not directly. Synthetic yarn melts under direct heat or a dropped ember. Where clients want a barbecue or fire pit area, we design in a paved or gravel zone at the same level, which also looks deliberate rather than improvised.

Question 17

What specification of grass do you use?

Accepted Answer

For domestic lawns we normally specify a 30 to 40mm pile height, a high stitch density of around 17,000 stitches per square metre or more, and C-shape or W-shape yarn, which springs back upright far better than flat yarn. A multi-tone thatch layer of brown and green beneath the main pile is what gives a lawn its natural look rather than a flat, uniform green. We work with established ranges including Namgrass, Nomow, Easigrass and TigerTurf.

Question 18

How long does artificial grass last?

Accepted Answer

On a properly built base, quality grass lasts ten to fifteen years before the pile flattens beyond recovery. Premium products carry manufacturer warranties of eight to ten years, which we pass directly on to you. Grass laid on a poor base can look tired within three, which is why we will not quote a reduced-base installation.

Question 19

What is the sand infill for?

Accepted Answer

Kiln-dried silica sand, brushed into the pile at roughly five to eight kilos per square metre over two or three passes, weights the lawn down, supports each blade so it stands upright, and improves fire performance. A lawn laid without infill ripples in the heat and flattens far sooner.

Question 20

How much maintenance does it need?

Accepted Answer

Very little, but not none. A stiff brush across the pile once a month lifts any matting in high-traffic routes. Leaves and blossom are best removed with a brush or a leaf blower before they break down into the pile. A rinse with a hose clears pollen, dust and pet use. That is the entire annual schedule: no mowing, no feeding, no watering, no scarifying.

Question 21

Can artificial grass be recycled or removed later?

Accepted Answer

Yes. It can be lifted, and the aggregate base underneath is reusable for paving or a new lawn. An increasing number of manufacturers now run take-back and recycling schemes for polyethylene grass. If you ever want to return to real turf, the base is already prepared.

Question 22

What guarantee do you offer?

Accepted Answer

A 12-month workmanship guarantee on every installation, alongside the manufacturer product warranty on the grass itself, typically eight to ten years, passed straight on to you. We are also covered by £10 million public liability insurance, and we are happy to show the certificate on request.

Question 23

Which areas do you cover?

Accepted Answer

We install artificial grass across Hazlemere, Great Missenden, Amersham, Chalfont St Giles, Chalfont St Peter, Beaconsfield, Chesham and Farnham, and throughout the surrounding parts of Buckinghamshire and Surrey.

Question 24

How do I get a quote?

Accepted Answer

Call us on 01494 211167 or send the enquiry form. We arrange a free in-person survey, bring grass samples, measure up, check your drainage, and give you a fixed written quote the same day.

Artificial Grass FAQs
Cost, Installation, Drainage & Care

Cost and quoting

Installation and groundwork

Drainage, pets and everyday use

Materials, lifespan and maintenance

Working with Hi Design

What to check before you accept any quote

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Artificial Grass FAQsCost, Installation, Drainage & Care