What artificial grass actually costs per m²
Most suppliers make you phone for a number. Here are the ranges we work to, what moves a price up or down, and three worked examples — so you can sanity-check any quote you get, ours included.
The rate per m²
Three grades, one installed price
Priced per installed m² — turf, underlay, edging, silica sand infill, excavation, sub-base compaction and installation all included. Gauteng and Cape Town installations cost about the same; outlying areas may carry a travel cost, shown in the quote.
Standard · 25–30mm pile
R365 – R465 / m²
Play areas, pet runs and balconies.
Premium · 30–37mm pile
R515 – R665 / m²
Residential lawns, pool surrounds and entrances.
Luxury · 37–45mm pile
R715 – R865 / m²
Feature gardens and estate lawns.
Indicative ranges, not a quote. Your figure is fixed in writing after a free site measure — and if a site needs less work than the range suggests, the quote comes in lower.
Worked examples
Three garden sizes, costed out
Totals across the full R365–R865 band, from Standard to Luxury grade. Jobs under 50m² sit toward the top of their grade’s band; jobs over 200m² toward the bottom.
Courtyard · 30m²
R10,950 – R25,950
R365 – R865 / m², by grade
Small paved or enclosed areas. Usually a single day on site, and always at the top of the band — the set-up cost has nowhere to spread.
Standard garden · 80m²
R29,200 – R69,200
R365 – R865 / m², by grade
The most common job we quote. Typically one to two days on site.
Estate lawn · 200m²
R73,000 – R173,000
R365 – R865 / m², by grade
Larger lawns and estate common areas. Typically three to five days on site, at the bottom of the band.
What moves the number
Six things that decide your rate
Turf grade and pile height
The single biggest lever. A 20mm decorative turf and a 35mm estate turf are different products at different prices — compare the range.
How much ground work the site needs
Laying onto sound existing paving is quick. Lifting an old lawn, excavating clay and building a compacted stone base is the expensive part — and the part that decides whether the lawn still looks level in five years.
Area and shape
Bigger is cheaper per m². Awkward shapes with lots of curves and cut-outs waste turf off the roll, which pushes the rate back up.
Access
If rolls and rubble have to go through a house or up stairs instead of through a side gate, that is labour, and it shows in the quote.
Drainage
Most gardens drain fine through the sub-base. Low-lying areas, clay and Western Cape winter rainfall sometimes need additional drainage laid in.
Extras that aren't turf
Putting-green contouring, painted play markings, artificial hedging, new edging or paving — all quoted as separate line items so you can see what you are paying for.
What our quote includes
Site clearing and rubble removal
Compacted sub-base and drainage layer
Weed membrane
Turf, seaming and edging
Infill and power brushing
Written specification up front, written guarantee at handover
Paving, retaining, irrigation removal and electrical work are quoted separately and itemised — never buried in a rate per m².
Pricing questions
How much does artificial grass cost per square metre in South Africa?
Fully installed, R365–R865 per m² in 2026: Standard R365–R465, Premium R515–R665, Luxury R715–R865. Turf grade, site preparation and location decide where you land. These are indicative ranges — we fix the price in writing after a free site measure.
What does the installed price include?
Site clearing, the compacted sub-base and drainage layer, weed membrane, the turf, seaming, edging, infill, brushing and rubble removal. Paving, retaining, irrigation removal and lighting are quoted separately and itemised.
Why is the rate cheaper on a bigger lawn?
Travel, machine hire, set-up and offcut waste are largely fixed. A 30m² courtyard carries the same set-up as a 200m² lawn, so the rate per m² on a small area is always higher.
Is it cheaper than a natural lawn over time?
The installation is a single up-front cost, after which there is no watering, mowing, fertiliser or re-seeding. Whether that pays back faster than a natural lawn depends on your water tariff, the area and what you currently spend on garden services — worth working out on your own numbers rather than taking a supplier's word for it.
Do you charge for a quote or site visit?
No. The site assessment and the written quote are free, with no obligation.
Get your actual number
Send a photo and rough measurements on WhatsApp for a ballpark, or book a free site assessment for a fixed written quote.