How Much Does Turf Cost in Melbourne?

Prices by variety

Turf Cost Per m2 in Melbourne, by Variety

Turf cost per m2 in Melbourne depends on the variety you pick and how much you order. One Melbourne grower's public price list puts Sir Walter and TifTuf at $17.30 to $21.30 per m2, and Eureka kikuyu at $13.30 to $16.50. The more you buy, the less you pay for each square metre.

You'll notice the premium grasses cost about 30% more than kikuyu. On a 50 m2 backyard that's a couple of hundred dollars, which is less than most people spend arguing about which grass to get.

If you're still choosing between them, our kikuyu vs buffalo comparison and guide to the best turf for Melbourne will get you there faster than the price will.

Supplied and laid

What Is the Cost of Turf Per Square Metre, Laid?

The cost of turf per square metre, supplied and laid, is about $16 to $42 in Melbourne, typically $29. Once you add removing the old lawn and preparing the soil, a national guide puts the typical all-in figure at $25 to $50 per m2.

That gap is the whole story of turf pricing. The roll is often less than half of what you pay. The rest is labour, the soil underneath, and getting rid of whatever's there now, and we'd rather you knew that before the first quote than after it.

Delivery

What Does Turf Delivery Cost in Melbourne?

You'll usually pay for turf delivery in Melbourne as a flat fee per order. One Melbourne grower charges $235 for 29 m2 or less and $185 for 30 m2 or more across the metro area, dropped on the nature strip, with no deliveries on Mondays.

Can a bigger order really cost less to deliver than a small one? On that price list, yes. If you're anywhere near 29 m2, it's worth rounding up: a spare few square metres is cheaper than the fee difference, and you'll always find a bare patch to use them on.

Instant turf is a living thing on a pallet, and it doesn't like waiting. If you leave it rolled up on a warm day, it starts to yellow, which is why it should go down the day it arrives.

Preparation

What Does Preparing the Ground Cost, and Is It Worth It?

Preparing the ground costs you about $10 to $30 per m2, covering old lawn removal, cultivation and underlay soil. It's worth every dollar, because preparation decides how your lawn looks in two years. If you lay new turf on bumpy, compacted or weedy ground, you'll see every one of those problems within a season.

Old turf and weeds also have to go somewhere. Whitehorse's tip charges $152 a tonne for green waste, and a stripped lawn is heavier than you'd think. It's mostly soil holding on to grass for dear life.

If you're putting in irrigation, it goes in now, before the turf. A Victorian guide puts a garden irrigation system at $2,000 to $6,000, and it's far cheaper for us to lay pipe in bare soil than to lift your new lawn later.

Whole lawns

How Much Does a Whole New Lawn Cost?

A whole new lawn in Melbourne costs roughly its area times $25 to $50 per m2 once preparation's included. If you've got a 50 m2 backyard lawn, it lands somewhere around $1,250 to $2,500, and more if the old ground is rough, sloping or full of rubble.

Real quotes can run well past that when the job's bigger than the lawn. One Melbourne owner was quoted $4,000 to $5,000 to lift old bricks, level the ground and lay about 30 m2 of Sir Walter. Most of that was the bricks and the levelling, not the grass.

That's why we measure our turf installation quotes in Melbourne on site and itemise them. You'll see the strip-out, the soil, the turf and the laying as separate lines.

Do the sum

How Do You Work Out Your Own Turf Estimate?

Measure your lawn in square metres, multiply by the roll price for your variety, then add delivery, laying labour and preparation. You'll see quickly why a per-m2 roll price is only the start.

1. Measure your lawn. Length times width, and add a few percent so you've got enough for cuts around curves and edges.
2. Price the roll from the variety table, at the tier you'll land in.
3. Add delivery, which you'll pay as a flat fee.
4. Add laying and preparation per m2 from the second table, unless you're doing them yourself.

That's $39 to $66 per square metre for the finished lawn, against $17.30 for the roll. Nobody's hiding anything. It's just that the turf is the only part you can see.

From the field

How We Price a Lawn

I'd rather show you how a lawn price gets built than quote you a number off a photo. Every quote we write starts with a look at the ground and ends as an itemised list.

1. We look at what's there now. Old lawn, weeds, bricks or bare clay all change the strip-out.
2. We check the levels. A lawn has to finish flush with your paths and paving, and drain away from the house.
3. We ask about shade and use. So the variety suits your yard, not just your budget.
4. We price every part separately. Strip-out, soil, turf, delivery and laying each get a line.

If you'd like the list for your own lawn, book a free, measured quote.

Questions

Turf Cost Questions