Artificial Grass Replacement
Even good artificial grass eventually wears out. When brushing and repairs no longer bring it back, replacing the lawn, and often improving the base while you are at it, is the sensible move.
Artificial grass has a long life, but not an indefinite one. After many years of sun, foot traffic and weather the fibres flatten and fade, the backing becomes brittle, and no amount of brushing or patching restores the look. At that point, replacing the lawn gives you a fresh surface, and a chance to put right anything that was never quite right about the original base.
This page covers knowing when to replace, how the old lawn is removed and disposed of, and whether the existing base can be reused. If your lawn has a specific, localised fault rather than general wear, repairing it is often the better call. See our repairs page for the repair-versus-replace decision, and installation for how a new lawn is fitted.
Out with the old
The worn grass and spent infill lifted and cleared, ready for a fresh surface to go down.
Reuse or rebuild
A sound base can often be reused; a failed one is rebuilt properly, which is half the value of relaying.
A chance to upgrade
The relay is the moment to improve things with newer grass, a better base, improved drainage or a shockpad.
Signs it is time to replace
A few tell-tale signs show a lawn has reached the end of its useful life rather than just needing a clean or a repair:
- Flattened pile that will not lift even after a thorough brush and an infill top-up.
- Fading and colour loss across the whole lawn, particularly in the sunniest areas.
- A brittle or splitting backing, the sign the material itself is perishing.
- Widespread seams opening or edges lifting, beyond what a spot repair can sensibly fix.
- Persistent dips, movement or poor drainage that point to a failed base rather than the grass.
If the trouble is confined to one area, a repair is usually better value. It is widespread wear, or a base that has failed across the lawn, that tips the balance towards replacement.
Removing and disposing of the old grass
Replacement starts with lifting the old lawn. The grass is cut into manageable strips and rolled up, the spent kiln-dried sand infill is separated out where possible, and any adhesive, tape and ground pins are cleared. The base is then exposed for inspection.
Disposal is where we try to be honest: artificial grass is made of mixed plastics and sand, and end-of-life recycling for it is still limited in many parts of the UK, and a lot of old grass unfortunately still goes to general waste. Dedicated recycling schemes do exist and are slowly growing, so where a viable route is available locally we will use it. We will tell you plainly what can and cannot be recycled rather than overstate it.
Reusing the base or rebuilding it
Once the old grass is up, the base beneath decides much of the job. If the original sub-base was properly built, with a compacted MOT Type 1 and a true levelling course that still drains and holds its level, it can often be reused, with a tidy-up and a fresh levelling layer, which keeps the cost of a relay down. Where the base is the reason the old lawn failed, there is no sense laying new grass on it: it needs excavating and rebuilding correctly, as set out on our ground preparation page. We assess the base on site and tell you which situation you are in before quoting.
Upgrading when you replace
A relay is the natural moment to improve on the original, not just swap like for like:
- Better grass: products have moved on, and softer, more realistic and more hard-wearing grades are available than were common years ago.
- Improved drainage: if the old lawn puddled, the base can be rebuilt with better falls or a soakaway; see our drainage page.
- A shockpad: worth adding for comfort underfoot, or where children play.
- Reshaping: the chance to change the lawn's shape, extend it, or redo tired edges.
Benefits and considerations
Benefits
- A fresh, even surface in place of a flattened, faded lawn
- The base inspected and put right rather than papered over
- The option to reuse a sound base and keep costs down
- A chance to upgrade to newer, better-wearing grass
- Drainage, shockpad or shape improved at the same time
- Old materials sent for recycling where a local route exists
Worth considering
- End-of-life recycling for artificial grass is still limited in places, so some old grass goes to general waste
- If the base failed, rebuilding it adds cost, but laying new grass on a bad base is false economy
- Matching a new lawn to adjacent older grass is difficult, so partial replacement can look mismatched
- A localised fault is usually better repaired than replaced, so see our repairs page
How a replacement works
Replacing a lawn follows a clear sequence, with the base assessment as the pivotal step.
Assess & advise
We look at the lawn and the fault, and confirm whether replacement or a repair is the sensible route.
Lift the old lawn
The worn grass is cut, rolled and removed, with infill, tape, adhesive and pins cleared.
Inspect the base
With the grass up we check whether the sub-base can be reused or needs rebuilding.
Reuse or rebuild
A sound base is tidied and re-levelled; a failed one is excavated and built correctly.
Lay the new grass
Fresh grass is fitted, joined, trimmed, secured and dressed with infill as needed.
Dispose responsibly
The old materials are cleared, with recycling used where a local route is available.
What affects replacement cost
A replacement costs less than a first-time install where the base can be reused, and more where it has to be rebuilt. As a broad UK guide, fitted lawns run from around £50 to £90 per square metre, higher in London and the South East; removal, disposal and any base rebuild are the main variables on a relay.
Key cost factors
- Whether the existing base can be reused or must be rebuilt
- The cost of lifting, removing and disposing of the old grass
- The size and shape of the area
- The grade and specification of the new grass
- Any upgrades such as drainage, shockpad, reshaping or new edging
- Site access for removing old materials and bringing in new
Frequently asked questions
Quality artificial grass commonly lasts many years, and manufacturers often warrant the product for a good number of them. Lifespan depends on the grade, how heavily it is used and how well it is maintained. Flattening that will not brush out, fading and a brittle backing are the signs it is nearing the end.
Often, yes. If the original sub-base was properly compacted, still drains and holds its level, it can usually be reused with a fresh levelling layer, which keeps costs down. If the base is why the old lawn failed, it is better excavated and rebuilt rather than relaid on.
Partly, but honestly it is not straightforward. Artificial grass is a mix of plastics and sand, and dedicated recycling schemes, while growing, are still limited across much of the UK, so a lot of old grass still goes to general waste. Where a viable local recycling route exists, we will use it, and we will be straight with you about what is realistic.
Repair a localised fault such as a seam, a burn, a dip or a lifted edge. Replace when wear, fading or backing failure is widespread, or when the base has failed across the lawn. Our repairs page covers the fixes that make replacement unnecessary.
You can, but matching new grass to adjacent older grass is difficult, because fading and product changes mean a partial relay often shows. For an isolated fault a patch repair is usually neater; for general wear, replacing the whole area gives a consistent finish.
Related services and guides
Time for a new lawn?
Tell us about your existing lawn and we will advise whether to repair or replace, and quote a relay, reusing the base where we sensibly can.