6 min read

How Many Days Does an Artificial Lawn Take?

Most domestic artificial grass installations take between one and three working days. The variation is not about the grass, which goes down quickly, it is about how long the ground takes to prepare and how far every barrow has to travel.

Here is what actually happens on each day, so you know what to expect outside your back door.

Day one: strip out and excavate

The old lawn and topsoil come out to a depth of roughly 75mm to 125mm depending on the build up and the ground. This is the dirtiest, noisiest part of the job and it generates a surprising amount of spoil, which is barrowed out and loaded away.

Where access is good and a mini digger can get in, this can be a morning. Where everything is hand dug and barrowed through a house, it can take the whole day on its own.

Day one or two: sub-base and edging

Aggregate is brought in, spread and compacted with a plate compactor in layers, then the perimeter edging is set. This is the stage that decides whether the lawn is still flat in ten years, so it is not a stage to rush.

On heavy ground any drainage work happens here too, before anything covers it up.

Day two: levelling layer and membrane

A granite dust or sharp sand blinding is screeded and compacted to a true, smooth level, with any falls set as designed. Then the weed membrane goes down.

This is slow, careful work and it is the difference between a surface that reads as a lawn and one that shows every high spot in low evening sun.

Day two or three: laying the grass

Rolls are laid out and left to relax, ideally for a while in the sun, so the backing settles and creases drop out. Pile direction is matched across every piece, seams are taped and adhesive bonded, then the perimeter is trimmed and fixed.

Finally sand infill is brushed in and the pile is powered up with a brush. That last hour transforms how it looks.

What adds time

No side access. Removing an old patio, concrete base or pond first. Heavy clay needing extra excavation or a land drain. Sloping ground requiring levelling. Complex shapes with many curves and tree circles. Wet weather, which turns spoil into a much heavier and messier job.

What takes time off: rear or side vehicle access, a simple rectangle, free draining ground, and a garden already cleared before we arrive.

Using it afterwards

There is no curing or settling period. The lawn is usable the moment we finish, including by children and dogs.

Want to know how long yours would take?

Once we have seen the access and the ground we will give you a realistic number of days along with the price, not an optimistic one.

Get dates and a price View Artificial Grass 07535 661664

Frequently asked questions

Can a small lawn be done in a single day?

A small, straightforward lawn with good access and easy ground can be completed in a day. Anything involving a dig out through a house realistically needs two.

Does rain stop the work?

Light rain rarely stops an installation, though it slows excavation and makes spoil much heavier. Persistent heavy rain can push the levelling and laying stages back a day.

How soon can we walk on it?

Straight away. Unlike turf or paving there is no establishment or curing period to wait through.

Will the team need access through my house?

Only where there is no side gate, and if so we agree it and lay protection beforehand. It does add time, which is reflected in the quote.

What is left behind at the end?

The site is cleared and swept, all spoil and offcuts are taken away, and we walk the finished lawn with you before leaving.