HOW TO HIRE · GARDEN & OUTDOOR

How to hire a turf layer in Ireland
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

A turfing in Ireland costs €12–€35 per m², typically around €20. Here is how to check that in a minute, what to ask before you book, and what you must be handed when the job is done.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a turf layer in five steps

  1. Are you a trader, and can I see that in writing?No register covers turf layer work, so trader status is what your consumer rights hang on — post-Installation Care — after installation, regular watering and maintenance are vital for a thriving lawn.
  2. How does type of turf chosen change the price?Each level up adds both material and labour. — ask before the quote rather than after.
  3. How does condition of the existing soil change the price?A job left too long costs more than one done on time. — ask before the quote rather than after.
  4. How does size of the area change the price?The extra square metres are where most of the cost sits. — ask before the quote rather than after.
  5. What is not included?Turf Selection — choosing the right type of turf is crucial for the success of your lawn — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a turf layer job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

NO REGISTER APPLIES TO GARDENERS. Anyone may trade as one. Two specific rules do bite, though, and neither is obvious: professional PESTICIDE and weedkiller use requires certification, and taking your green waste away makes them a waste carrier, which IS registered. A gardener who bags your clippings and drives off without a waste permit is the commonest unlicensed act in this whole family.

Look for the trader badge and the ID-checked badge on the Locufy profile — both are checked by us, not claimed by the provider.

What to check instead

Whether they take the green waste away — and if so, their waste permit or carrier registration, because the liability for fly-tipped waste follows YOU; Certification for any lawn treatment, moss killer or weedkiller applied professionally; Public liability — a mower throws stones and a hedge cutter reaches a window; Whether the price is per visit or per hour, and what a visit includes; Who disposes of the arisings on a one-off clearance, priced as a line item; For a regular contract, what happens in winter when there is less to do.

Ask for each of these before you agree a price, and get the answers in the same message as the quote.

Insurance

Expect public liability; ask the limit, because a stone through a window is the routine claim. From a company, ask for the insurer, the limit and the VAT number, and ask who actually attends: the team that turns up may be employed, subcontracted or both, and only one of those is supervised by the firm you are paying.

Ask to see the current certificate of insurance — the insurer's name, the limit and the date it runs to.

Trader or private seller

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 a trader must tell you they are a trader, and your consumer rights — work carried out with reasonable skill and care, and a cooling-off period on a contract agreed in your home or online — apply to traders and not to private sellers. On Locufy the trader status is shown on the profile.

Look for the trader badge on the Locufy profile, and ask anyone else for it in writing before you agree a price.

VAT

VAT at 13.5%, the reduced rate Revenue publishes for this service. Ask whether the price you were given includes it. A trader under the €42,500 registration threshold does not charge it; one over it must, and must show it separately.

Ask whether the figure you were given includes it, and for the VAT number if they are registered — Revenue publishes the rate for this service. revenue.ie →

“Are you a trader, and can I see that in writing?”

A good answer: No register covers turf layer work, so trader status is what your consumer rights hang on — post-Installation Care — after installation, regular watering and maintenance are vital for a thriving lawn.

“How does type of turf chosen change the price?”

A good answer: Each level up adds both material and labour. — ask before the quote rather than after.

“How does condition of the existing soil change the price?”

A good answer: A job left too long costs more than one done on time. — ask before the quote rather than after.

“How does size of the area change the price?”

A good answer: The extra square metres are where most of the cost sits. — ask before the quote rather than after.

“What is not included?”

A good answer: Turf Selection — choosing the right type of turf is crucial for the success of your lawn — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a turf layer job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.

“Who insures you, and what is the policy number?”

A good answer: Expect public liability; ask the limit, because a stone through a window is the routine claim — site Preparation — before laying turf, the area must be cleared of debris, weeds, and old grass.

“What do I get in writing, and when?”

A good answer: A written scope and a price before the turf layer starts, and an itemised invoice after — turf Maintenance — ongoing care services for newly laid turf, including watering, fertilising, and mowing.

Getting the quote right

  • Type of turf chosen — each level up adds both material and labour.
  • Condition of the existing soil — a job left too long costs more than one done on time.
  • Size of the area — the extra square metres are where most of the cost sits.
  • Project complexity — it decides whether a specialist is needed at all.
  • In writing before anyone starts — a message on Locufy counts
  • What is NOT included, named
  • Who actually attends, and whether they are employed or subcontracted
  • The VAT number, and whether it checks out on the Revenue register

Walk away if

  • They will not talk about it: type of turf chosen — each level up adds both material and labour
  • They will not talk about it: condition of the existing soil — a job left too long costs more than one done on time
  • They will not talk about it: size of the area — the extra square metres are where most of the cost sits
  • A price for the turf layer before anyone has asked the size, the access or the condition of what they are working on
  • Cash only, or a large deposit before anything at all has started
  • No written quote, or one that moves once the turf layer has begun
LOW
€12
TYPICAL
€20
HIGH
€35

What a turf layer costs: €12–€35 per m²

The figures are for the job, per m², and a quote for your own is the only number that binds anyone. New lawn installation and Lawn replacement each carry their own band. Turfing price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Turf layers near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. Look firstType of turf chosen — each level up adds both material and labour — that is what the turf layer is judging on the first visit, and a price given without it is a guess.
  2. Agree what is being doneCondition of the existing soil — a job left too long costs more than one done on time — put in writing before anyone starts, because it is the document you both read back at the end.
  3. The work itselfSize of the area — the extra square metres are where most of the cost sits — and anything found on the day that was not in that is priced before it is started.
  4. Check it togetherProject complexity — it decides whether a specialist is needed at all — walked against the written scope rather than against the feeling of it, while the turf layer is still there.
  5. What you are handedThe itemised invoice and any guarantee on the workmanship and the parts, proper soil preparation is crucial for successful turf growth; poor soil can lead to problems.

Site Preparation
Before laying turf, the area must be cleared of debris, weeds, and old grass.
Turf Selection
Choosing the right type of turf is crucial for the success of your lawn.
Post-Installation Care
After installation, regular watering and maintenance are vital for a thriving lawn.
New Lawn Installation
This involves removing old grass or weeds and laying new turf to create a fresh lawn.
Lawn Replacement
Replacing an existing lawn that is unhealthy or unsightly with new turf for improved appearance and health.
Sod Repair
Repairing damaged areas of a lawn by replacing specific sections of sod.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the invoice and the paperworkAn itemised invoice with the trader's name, the work and the total — post-Installation Care — after installation, regular watering and maintenance are vital for a thriving lawn, because it is what a buyer's solicitor, an insurer or a lender asks for long after the turf layer has gone.
Test what was doneTurf Selection — choosing the right type of turf is crucial for the success of your lawn — and something that does not work on the day is theirs to put right there and then.
Ask what the guarantee isOn the workmanship and on the parts, and for how long each one runs — they are usually different. site Preparation — before laying turf, the area must be cleared of debris, weeds, and old grass — under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 what was agreed is what can be relied on.
Leave the reviewOnly a booked job can be reviewed on Locufy, which is why the score on a turf layer's card means something — turf Maintenance — ongoing care services for newly laid turf, including watering, fertilising, and mowing.

STEP 1Say it in writing, firstSay what is wrong and what you want done. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 the work must be carried out with reasonable skill and care, and defective work put right.
STEP 2Use the make-it-right step on LocufyUnder four stars you are asked whether to send it to the provider first; we follow it through. Then review.
STEP 3Escalate to the body that regulates itThere is no register, so the route is the consumer body and, if needed, the courts.
STEP 4Small claimsSmall claims covers €2,000, once you have asked in writing and given them a chance to put it right.

Hiring a turf layer: questions people ask

The cost of turfing can be influenced by the size of the area, type of turf chosen, and the condition of the existing soil. Additional services like site preparation or drainage solutions may also increase the overall price.

The duration of a turfing job depends on the size of the area and the complexity of the site preparation. Generally, a standard residential lawn can be completed in a day or two.

Availability for same-day or emergency turfing services varies by provider. It's advisable to check with local professionals as many may require advance booking for materials and labour.

Yes, many landscaping professionals offer bundled services, allowing you to book turfing along with other jobs like planting or garden design, often at a discounted rate. Turfing is best done during specific seasons for optimal rooting and growth.

Out of scope tasks may include extensive soil replacement, major landscaping changes, or the installation of hardscapes like patios and fences, which require separate services. Turfing is the process of laying down pre-grown grass sod to create an instantly green and lush lawn.

NO REGISTER APPLIES TO GARDENERS. Anyone may trade as one. Two specific rules do bite, though, and neither is obvious: professional PESTICIDE and weedkiller use requires certification, and taking your green waste away makes them a waste carrier, which IS registered. A gardener who bags your clippings and drives off without a waste permit is the commonest unlicensed act in this whole family.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in garden & outdoor

How to hire: GardeningHow to hire: Garden MaintenanceHow to hire: Lawn MowingHow to hire: Lawn Care & TreatmentHow to hire: Artificial Grass InstallationHow to hire: Hedge TrimmingHow to hire: Hedge RemovalHow to hire: Tree SurgeryAll 701 hiring guides →

Turf layers near you

Turf layers in DublinTurf layers in CorkTurf layers in GalwayTurf layers in LimerickAll turf layers on Locufy →Do it yourself: laying turf →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. National Waste Collection Permit Office — facility register
  2. CCPC — your rights when you buy a service
  3. Consumer Rights Act 2022
  4. Courts Service — small claims
  5. Revenue — LANDSCAPING (Private dwellings) — Reduced rate
  6. Revenue — current VAT rates (effective 1 January 2026)
  7. Revenue — VAT thresholds: €42,500 for a person supplying services only