Concrete vs Artificial Grass Comparison
Compare concrete and artificial grass side by side — installed cost, expected lifespan, and which one costs less over the years you choose.
Calculator Inputs
Fitted UK reference prices: standard poured concrete or decorative/stamped concrete. Garden and pedestrian use only.
Cost Breakdown
| Surface | Install Cost | Replacement / Resealing | Lifetime Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artificial grass | - | - | - |
| Concrete | - | - | - |
Scenario Analysis
| Comparison Period | Artificial Grass Lifetime Cost | Concrete Lifetime Cost | Cheaper Option |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 years | - | - | - |
| 20 years | - | - | - |
| 30 years | - | - | - |
Installation Timeline
Get quotes and choose your materialCompare at least two or three local installers for either surface.
Groundwork and sub-base preparationExisting turf or surface is cleared and a compacted sub-base is laid — usually 1-2 days.
Lay the grass or pour the concreteArtificial grass is fitted and jointed in a day; poured concrete typically takes 1-2 days to place and finish.
Curing, jointing and finishing touchesConcrete needs about 7 days before light use and roughly 28 days to fully cure; artificial grass is usable almost immediately once infill is brushed in.
What's The Real Cost Difference Between Concrete And Artificial Grass?
Fitted artificial grass costs roughly £45-£90 per m² in the UK depending on grade, according to Checkatrade's 2026 artificial grass cost guide and MyJobQuote's 2026 installation cost guide. Standard poured concrete runs roughly £40-£80 per m² fitted, per Checkatrade's 2026 driveway cost guide and MyJobQuote's concrete driveway cost guide, while decorative or stamped concrete typically averages around £80 per m², per Checkatrade's imprinted concrete cost guide. So on install cost alone, plain concrete is usually the cheaper of the two — but that ignores what happens over the following 10-20 years, which is where artificial grass's replacement cost changes the answer.
How Long Does Each Surface Actually Last?
Artificial grass typically lasts 12-20 years in general use, but UK installer guides put family-garden lawns closer to 12-15 years and dog-friendly or heavy-traffic lawns at 8-15 years, according to As Good As Grass's lifespan guide and the Artificial Grass Guru's UK lifespan guide. A well-laid concrete driveway or patio typically lasts 20-30 years, and can reach around 40 years with a good sub-base and occasional resealing, per trade guides including A1 Concrete's driveway lifespan guide and Quick Concrete Pumping's UK climate guide. That gap is why this calculator counts replacements rather than comparing install prices alone: a garden that keeps its concrete for 25 years might replace artificial grass once or even twice in the same span.
Which Option Suits Your Garden?
Cost is one factor, but not the only one. Concrete is effectively impermeable unless laid with drainage provision, and in England, a new or replacement hard surface over 5m² at the front of a house needs planning permission unless it uses permeable materials or directs water to a permeable area, under GOV.UK's permeable-surfacing guidance and the Planning Portal's front-garden paving rules. Most retail artificial grass uses a perforated backing over a permeable sub-base, so it is less likely to trigger this rule, though it is worth confirming with your installer. For gardens with dogs, artificial grass avoids the mud and bare patches that heavy paw traffic causes on a lawn, but it heats up more than concrete in direct summer sun and needs occasional rinsing. Concrete needs no watering or brushing at all, but its surface can be slippery when wet unless finished with a textured or brushed surface.
Common Mistakes When Comparing The Two
The most common mistake is comparing only the £/m² install price and stopping there — on that measure alone, standard concrete usually looks cheaper, but it ignores that a garden used by children or dogs may need its artificial grass replaced within 10 years, while concrete rarely needs full replacement inside a 20-year window. The second is assuming all artificial grass lasts the same length of time: budget product with thinner, less UV-stable fibres wears and fades faster than premium product, which is why this tool ties the replacement cycle to how the space is actually used, not just to area. The third is forgetting decorative concrete's maintenance cost — a plain slab needs no resealing, but stamped or imprinted concrete is typically resealed every 5-10 years at £2-£3.50 per m² per coat, per MyJobQuote's driveway sealing cost guide, which this tool adds into the decorative concrete total but not the standard concrete total.
Method And Limits
This tool compares two UK national reference-price models over a period you choose; it does not produce a quote for your specific site.
- Assumes national UK average £/m² prices for each grade of artificial grass and each concrete finish, all checked 2026-09-17. Actual quotes vary by region, ground condition, access, and whether an existing surface needs removing first — removal of an existing patio, decking, or old concrete is not included in either total.
- Assumes a fixed replacement cycle per usage band (17 / 13 / 10 years for artificial grass) and a 25-year concrete lifespan, both drawn from the ranges cited above, applied as a single point estimate rather than a range. A specific product's warranty or your local climate could move the real figure either way.
- Assumes decorative concrete is resealed every 7 years at £3/m² regardless of the replacement point; it does not net a reseal against a concrete replacement that happens to fall in the same year, which would very slightly overstate the concrete total in that rare case.
- Does not model sub-base or groundworks price variation, drainage or soakaway installation cost, VAT differences between suppliers, or planning application fees. Check the Planning Portal fee calculator for current charges if permission is required.
- Garden and pedestrian areas only. Vehicle parking and access are excluded: they require a surface and supporting system rated for vehicle loads, with separate specifications and quotes.
- Does not model resale-value or kerb-appeal effects — this is a running-cost comparison, not a property-value estimate.
Figures checked .
Frequently Asked Questions
Is artificial grass cheaper than concrete?
Usually not on install cost alone — standard concrete typically runs £40-£80/m² fitted against £45-£90/m² for artificial grass. Budget grass can cost less over a short period: this model gives £180 for 4m² of budget grass versus £240 for standard concrete over five years. Over longer periods, grass replacement costs can reverse the initial saving.
How long does artificial grass actually last in a garden with dogs?
UK installer guides put heavy-use or pet-heavy gardens at roughly 8-15 years, versus 12-15 years for a typical family garden and up to 20 years for a low-traffic ornamental lawn, according to As Good As Grass's lifespan guide.
Do I need planning permission to concrete my front garden?
In England, if the new or replacement hard surface at the front of your house is over 5m² and does not let water drain to a permeable area, you need planning permission, per GOV.UK's guidance on permeable surfacing of front gardens. Permeable materials such as gravel or permeable block paving are exempt regardless of size. This does not apply to back or side gardens.
Does decorative concrete really need resealing?
Yes — stamped or imprinted concrete is typically resealed every 5-10 years at roughly £2-£3.50 per m² per coat to protect the colour and pattern, per MyJobQuote's driveway sealing cost guide. Plain poured concrete does not need this and is treated as maintenance-free in this tool aside from occasional cleaning.
Can you lay artificial grass directly over old concrete?
Often yes, with a shock-pad underlay for drainage and comfort — see CoryVu's Grass Underlay Calculator for sizing that layer. This comparison tool assumes a standard new install on either bare ground or a prepared sub-base, not a lay-over job, so treat its concrete removal costs as not modelled if you are covering an existing hard surface.
Sources
- Checkatrade – How Much Does Artificial Grass Cost in 2026?
- MyJobQuote – Artificial Grass Installation Cost Guide (UK 2026 Prices)
- Checkatrade – Driveway Costs in the UK (2026 prices)
- MyJobQuote – Concrete Driveway Cost
- Checkatrade – Imprinted Concrete Driveway Cost
- MyJobQuote – Driveway Sealing Cost Guide (UK 2026 Prices)
- As Good As Grass – How Long Does Artificial Grass Last?
- Artificial Grass Guru – How Long Does Artificial Grass Last in the UK?
- A1 Concrete – How Long Should a Concrete Driveway Last?
- Quick Concrete Pumping – How Long Does a Concrete Driveway Last in the UK Climate?
- Planning Portal – Paving your front garden
- GOV.UK – Guidance on the permeable surfacing of front gardens
Last updated: 2026-09-18. This page gives a cost estimate only, using national UK reference prices. It is not planning, legal, or financial advice.
About this tool
Created and maintained by CoryVu. Read how we check our tools and consult the sources and assumptions on this page.
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