DIY GUIDE · GARDEN & OUTDOOR · CHECKED OCTOBER 2026
How to lay turf yourself
A weekend for a 40 m² lawn. €460–€490 in turf, topsoil and tools.
Preparing the soil, a true level, laying the day it arrives, watering in, the first cut, and where it stops.
- Every step, start to finish
- Checked October 2026 — sources at the end
- Honest about when to call a pro
FIRST, THE HONEST ANSWER
Do it yourself, or get a gardener?
Do it yourself if…
- The ground is roughly level, drains after rain and only needs raking, firming and a little topsoil
- You can clear the old grass and weeds a few weeks before the turf arrives
- You can lay the whole delivery on the day it arrives
- You can water it, or rain is likely, through the first few weeks
Get a pro if…
- Water lies on the ground after rain, or the soil is heavy clay that stays wet
- The area slopes enough that it needs regrading, a retaining edge or steps
- It needs a land drain, or the levels have to tie into paths, a patio or the house
- The area is large and the ground needs a machine to strip, level or import soil
Safety first
- Turf rolls are heavy when wet, and topsoil bags heavier still. Lift close to your body with your legs; the HSA's manual handling guidance warns against lifting loads from the ground with a twist.
- Kneel on a board or a kneeling pad, and change jobs every half hour; laying turf is hours on your knees.
- If you hire a rotavator or turf cutter, read its instructions, wear boots and ear protection, and keep others well clear.
- Find out where cables, pipes and drains run before you dig or rotavate.
- Use only amateur-authorised weedkillers if you clear the ground with one, to the label, and wait the interval it gives before laying.
- Wear gloves; soil and old turf can carry sharp debris.
Stop here: Levels, drainage, and ground that holds water
Turf laid on ground that holds water rots and dies, and fixing it means land drains, soakaways and regrading, which is groundwork for a landscaper. Changing ground levels by more than 1 metre takes landscaping outside the planning exemption in Class 6 of Schedule 2 to the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, and raising soil against the house wall puts it over the damp-proof course, a danger to the house that no lawn is worth. Watering new turf with a hosepipe is prohibited while a Water Conservation Order made under the Water Services Act 2007 is in force. How to hire a turf layer →
| MATERIAL | COVERAGE | FOR THIS JOB |
|---|---|---|
| Turf rolls | Each roll about a square yard, check the size with the supplier | Lawn area ÷ area per roll, plus about 5 per cent |
| Lawn seeding soil or screened topsoil | Spread 3–4 cm deep over prepared ground | Area × depth, in litres |
| Lawn turf dressing | For filling small hollows afterwards | A bag or two |
| Pre-turf fertiliser, optional | Light granular feed raked into the surface | At the rate on the pack |
How many rolls and how much soil
36 m² of wall → 85.7 L for 2 coats. Buy about 86 L.
Rolls = lawn area ÷ area of one roll, plus about 5 per cent. Soil in litres = area in m² × depth in cm × 10. For a lawn of 8 m × 5 m with rolls of about 0.84 m²: 40 ÷ 0.84 ≈ 48 rolls, so order about 50; a 3 cm layer of lawn soil is 40 × 3 × 10 = 1,200 litres.
Check the actual size of the supplier's rolls. Lay the turf the day it arrives, so plan the soil work for the days before.
Most turf for a garden lawn is a hard-wearing mix that copes with children and dogs. Finer, ornamental turf looks beautiful but needs more care and close mowing. Buy from a grower or supplier who cut it within a day or so of delivery.
Turf is sold by the roll, and rolls vary in size, so check the area each roll covers before you order. Measure the lawn, add a few rolls for cutting and edges, and remember many suppliers have a minimum order and a delivery charge.
Turf roots best into a few centimetres of fine, crumbly topsoil. On poor or stony ground, spread a screened topsoil or a lawn seeding soil over the surface before levelling. Do not bury turf on clay with no topsoil at all.
A light pre-turf fertiliser raked into the surface gives the roots an early start. It is optional on good soil; on poor or sandy soil it makes a visible difference.
Autumn and spring are the easiest times, when the soil is warm and damp and rain does most of the watering. Turf laid in summer needs far more water, and a hosepipe ban can make that impossible.
THE PART THAT DECIDES THE FINISH
Before you lay — by the ground you have
Turf only does as well as the soil it lies on. Find your ground and do its preparation before you order.
An old, tired lawn
Patchy grass, moss and weeds to be replaced.
- Strip the old turf with a spade or a hired turf cutter
- Dig out perennial weed roots by hand
- Fork or rotavate the soil underneath and remove stones
- Stack the old turf upside down to rot into loam
Bare soil after building work
A new house or an extension, with compacted subsoil and rubble.
- Dig out rubble, concrete and builders' waste
- Break up compacted ground with a fork or a rotavator
- Bring in topsoil if there is little or none
- Check the levels against paths, the patio and the house
A weedy or overgrown patch
Long grass and perennial weeds.
- Cut and clear the top growth first
- Dig out every perennial weed root, or clear with an amateur weedkiller and wait the label's interval
- Leave it a couple of weeks and remove any regrowth
- Then dig over and prepare as normal
Heavy clay or wet ground
Sticky soil that stays wet after rain.
- Dig in grit and organic matter to open it up
- Never work it when it is wet; it compacts into a slab
- Check whether water lies after rain; if it does, it needs drainage
- Consider a thicker layer of free-draining lawn soil on top
THE JOB
The steps, in order
Clear the ground
Half a dayStart with the preparation above for your ground. Strip off old turf, weeds and debris, and dig out perennial weed roots by hand. Remove stones, rubble and roots. If you use an amateur weedkiller, follow the label and wait the full interval it gives before going further. Clearing the ground well now saves years of weeds coming up through the new lawn.
- Clear a few weeks ahead if you can and pull any regrowth
- Keep the cleared turf for the compost heap
- Mark any services you find
Mistake to avoid: Laying turf over weeds and old grass and watching them grow through within a month.
Dig over and remove stones
Half a dayDig or fork the whole area over to a spade's depth, or use a hired rotavator on a larger lawn, breaking up compacted soil. Rake out stones and roots as you go. Only work the soil when it is dry enough to crumble; wet soil smears and compacts.
- Rotavate in two directions for an even tilth
- Never rotavate a bed full of couch grass; it chops and spreads the roots
- Add grit and compost on heavy soil
Mistake to avoid: Rotavating sodden clay into a solid slab that drains no better than concrete.
Add soil and rake it level
2–3 hoursSpread a layer of screened topsoil or lawn seeding soil over the surface, a few centimetres deep, on poor or stony ground. Rake the whole area level, using the back of the rake to push soil from the high spots into the hollows. Check the level with a long straight timber or a spirit level in several directions, and make the finished surface sit a little below any adjoining path or patio so the turf finishes flush.
- Rake in two directions at right angles
- Leave the surface slightly higher where it meets a path, to allow for settling
- Look along the surface at a low angle in evening light; bumps show
Mistake to avoid: Laying turf on a bumpy surface and finding every hollow when you first mow.
Firm the soil
1 hourWalk over the whole area in small, overlapping shuffling steps with your weight on your heels, so the soil is firm and you leave no soft spots. Then rake the surface lightly again to loosen the top and level any footprints. Repeat until your footprints barely show. Firming now stops the lawn sinking in patches later.
- Firm when the soil is dry enough not to stick to your boots
- Pay extra attention to the edges and any old trench lines
- Rake in a pre-turf feed after firming, if using one
Mistake to avoid: Skipping the firming and getting a lawn full of dips the first winter.
Lay the first row straight
30 minLay the turf the day it is delivered. Start along the straightest edge, a path or a string line. Unroll the first roll along it, butting it up to the edge. Lay each roll end to end with the ends pressed tight together, but do not stretch it. Pat it down with the back of a rake or your hands so it makes full contact with the soil underneath.
- Work from a plank laid on the turf you have already laid, never on the prepared soil
- Keep the rolls covered and out of the sun until you lay them
- Lay whole rolls and leave the cutting for the edges
Mistake to avoid: Leaving the turf rolled up in the sun for two days, so it yellows and dies in the roll.
Lay the rest in a brick bond
2–4 hoursLay the next row against the first with the joints staggered, like brickwork, so no two end joints line up. Push each edge tight against its neighbour, butting and lightly squeezing the joint rather than overlapping. Work forward across the lawn from a plank laid on the turf you have just laid. Avoid small pieces at the edges; put a full roll at the edge and the cut piece inside.
- Stagger the joints by about half a roll
- Never stretch turf to close a gap; it shrinks back as it dries
- Fill any small gap with a sliver of turf, not soil
Mistake to avoid: Laying rows with the joints all in line, so the seams show as stripes for months.
Cut the edges and curves
30–60 minOnce the area is covered, cut the edges to shape. For a straight edge, lay a plank along the line and cut against it with a half-moon edging iron or a sharp knife. For a curve, lay a hose on the turf in the shape you want and cut along it. Lift away the offcuts and use them to patch gaps elsewhere.
- Cut with the turf in place for a clean line
- Keep offcuts for small repairs
- Leave the turf a little proud of paths; it settles
Mistake to avoid: Cutting curves by eye without a guide and ending up with a wobbly lawn edge.
Water it in thoroughly
30–60 minWater the new turf as soon as an area is laid, starting with the first rows, so it soaks through the turf into the soil below. Lift a corner to check the soil underneath is damp. In dry weather, keep it moist every day or two until it has rooted. Check first whether a Water Conservation Order is in force; during an order a hosepipe may not be used to water a garden, so lay in autumn or spring when rain does the work.
- Water early or late, not in midday sun
- Watch the joints: if they open, it needs more water
- Do not let it dry out in the first fortnight
Mistake to avoid: Wetting only the surface, so the roots stay in the turf and it shrinks and browns at the joints.
Keep off, then make the first cut
30 minKeep off the new lawn for at least a week, and longer in cold weather. After a couple of weeks, gently lift a corner: if it resists, the roots have gone down. Make the first cut with the mower on its highest setting, taking only the tips off, then lower it gradually over the next few cuts. Feed lightly once it is established.
- Use a mower that collects the clippings for the first cuts
- Avoid sharp turns on new turf
- Fill hollows with lawn dressing once it has rooted
Mistake to avoid: Mowing too early and too low and lifting the new turf with the mower.
The mistakes that show
- Skipping the preparation and laying on lumpy, weedy, unfirmed soil
- Leaving turf rolled up for days before laying it
- Stretching rolls to close gaps, so the joints open as it dries
- Under-watering in the first fortnight, so it shrinks and browns
Stop here and get a landscaper
- Water lies on the ground after rain, or the soil is heavy clay that never drains
- The ground slopes enough to need regrading, steps or a retaining edge
- The lawn has to tie into the levels of the house, a patio or drains
- The area needs a machine to strip, level or bring in soil
| WHAT YOU SEE | WHY, AND THE FIX |
|---|---|
| Gaps opening between the rolls | The turf is drying and shrinking. Water deeply at once, and fill the gaps with lawn dressing or slivers of turf. |
| Turf turning yellow or brown | Too dry, or it sat rolled up too long before laying. Water thoroughly; brown turf often recovers if the roots are alive. |
| Edges curling up | Dry edges, or small pieces at the boundary. Water and press them down; next time put full rolls at the edges. |
| Turf lifts when you tug it | Not rooted yet. Keep it moist and off it; check again in a week. |
| Bumps and hollows when you mow | The soil was not raked level and firmed. Top-dress hollows with lawn dressing in thin layers; lift and relevel big dips. |
| Mushrooms in the new lawn | Buried wood or organic matter under the turf. They are harmless; brush them off and they fade. |
| Puddles lying on the new lawn | Poor drainage underneath. Spike the area and top-dress with sand; if it persists, the ground needs drainage. |
| Weeds coming through | Perennial roots left in the soil. Dig them out by hand; treat with an amateur lawn weedkiller only once the lawn is established. |
| Lawn looks striped weeks after laying | Joints were not staggered or the rolls were laid in line. It fades as the grass knits; top-dress the seams lightly and mow in alternating directions. |
WHAT YOU SAVE
What it costs to do it yourself
| Turf rolls, about 50 | €325 |
|---|---|
| Turf delivery | €55 |
| Topsoil, 5 bags of 35 L | €39.95 |
| Bow rake | €19.99–€34.99 |
| Digging spade | €19.99–€34.99 |
| Total, first time, for about 40 m² | €460–€490 |
| DIY total | €460–€490 |
Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.
The turf and its delivery are most of the cost; check the minimum order and the delivery charge. A rake and a spade are bought once. Bulk topsoil is far cheaper than bags for anything more than a light top-up.
RATHER NOT?
Turf layers near you, with prices shown
The ones who cover your area, nearest first, with one score from every review. No account needed to look.
Or post the job free and let them come to you.
Keep the turf moist until it roots, stay off it for at least a week, and make the first cut on a high setting.
Stack old turf upside down in a corner to rot into loam, or put light amounts in the brown bin, which mywaste.ie lists for garden waste. Stones, rubble and soil go to a civic amenity site that accepts them.
Feed lightly once established, then follow a normal mowing routine, taking no more than a third off at a time.
Wash the soil off the rake, spade and edging iron, and dry them before storing.
Laying turf: questions people ask
Autumn and spring, when the soil is warm and damp and rain does most of the watering. Summer turf needs a lot of water, which a hosepipe ban can rule out.
No. Strip the old grass and weeds, dig over and level the soil, then lay. Turf on old grass fails to root and the old lawn grows through.
Keep off for at least a week, and longer in cold weather. Wait until a corner resists when you tug it before you walk or mow.
Enough to keep the soil under the turf moist, every day or two in dry weather, until it roots. Lift a corner to check.
Once it has rooted, usually after a couple of weeks. Use the highest setting and lower it gradually over the next few cuts.
The Locufy Irish price guide puts turfing at €12–€35 per m², typically €20. Ask whether that includes preparing the ground and taking away the old turf, because preparation is most of the work.
MORE GUIDES
More DIY guides
Sources — checked October 2026
- Westland — lawn seeding soil: preparing new lawns and turf underlay
- Westland — lawn and turf dressing: hollows and top dressing
- Husqvarna — spring lawn care: first cut of new grass
- HSA — manual handling of loads, guide to the General Application Regulations
- Water Services Act 2007, section 56 — conservation of water
- Planning and Development Regulations 2001, Schedule 2 — exempted development, Class 6
- Department of Agriculture — pesticides: amateur users, home and garden
- mywaste.ie — garden waste
- mywaste.ie — rubble
- Howbert & Mays — price check and laying notes: roll-out grass sods
- Woodie's — price check: topsoil and compost
- Woodie's — price check: rakes
- Woodie's — price check: spades