Overview
Artificial grass quotes are sold per square metre, but the base prep decides whether it lasts ten years
Artificial grass is one of the trades where the customer compares quotes line by line and the cheap quote almost always skips the sub-base. The job has two halves. Above the surface, a roll of artificial turf, a sand infill, and a perimeter edge. Below the surface, the excavation, the geotextile membrane, the type-1 sub-base compacted to the right depth, and the sharp sand laying course that the grass actually sits on. A turf laid on bare soil or a shallow base will undulate within a year, bald against the underlay, and the customer ends up replacing it. A flat 'artificial grass, $40/m²' quote that doesn't itemise the base is a quote the contractor regrets in season three.
QuoteGenio gives artificial grass installers a quoting shape built for the long-life install. Site survey and excavation depth as the first line, sub-base by tonne with the spec named, geotextile membrane, laying course of sharp sand, grass by brand, pile height, and roll width, jointing and seam tape, edging by linear metre, sand infill, and labour by day. Send via WhatsApp from the customer's garden with a photo of the existing surface, take a deposit on the grass order, raise progress invoices through excavation and laying, and the final invoice attaches the manufacturer's warranty card so the customer has the document they'll need in year nine when an edge starts lifting.
Who it is for
Who uses QuoteGenio
Built for every type of artificial grass and synthetic turf business.
The problem
The quoting headaches every artificial grass installer knows
Clients shop on the price per square metre and ignore the prep underneath. If you do not show your work, you lose to the importer with no crew.
Site measure to quote takes days
You measure the lawn, then sit on it for two days while you check supplier pricing. By then the client has been sold cheap turf by someone else.
Per m² pricing hides the real job
If your quote is just 'turf 80 m² at R578', the client thinks that is the whole job. Then prep, edging and infill arrive on the invoice and it is a fight.
Beaten by importers with no crew
Anyone can sell a roll of turf. Your value is the base prep and the install, but only if your quote shows it line by line.
The fix
QuoteGenio makes it simple
A workflow built around the way artificial grass jobs are scoped, with line items for prep, turf, infill and edging.
The payoff
What you get with QuoteGenio
The everyday wins that add up across a year of quoting and invoicing.
Built for artificial grass
Line items for excavation, sub-base, weed membrane, turf grade, infill, edging and joining tape. Everything a turf quote needs, nothing it does not.
Works from your phone
Measure, take a photo, build the quote, send. All from the lawn you are about to install. No laptop, no excuses.
Quote in under 2 minutes
Save your turf grades and prep packages as templates. Pick the grade, type in m², send. Done before the kettle boils.
Track deposits and balances
Take 50 percent on acceptance, balance on completion. See which jobs are deposit-paid and which are still pending without a spreadsheet.
Built for your trade
Quoting calibrated to how artificial grass installers actually work
Pick your trade in Settings and the entire quote flow switches to fit. Line item presets, compliance fields, on-the-quote calculators, and per-m² / after-hours pricing all change to match your industry.
Trade-specific line items
Quick add picker pre-fills the common items your trade quotes. Skip the blank rows.
Brand-specific catalogues
Pylontech, Hikvision, Canadian Solar, Sunsynk and others pre-named. Pick the brand, the description writes itself.
Compliance fields built in
IOPSA, ECASA, PIRB, PSIRA, NHBRC, SAQCC. Set once. Every quote prints them under FROM.
Registration expiry alerts
Dashboard notification 60 days before your PSIRA, CoC or any dated registration lapses.
Per-m² / hour / day billing
Unit selector on every line item: m², hr, linear m, days. Stop doing the maths externally.
After-hours and emergency
1.5× and 2× multipliers as a one-tap toggle. Customer sees the breakdown on the quote.
Quote-flow calculators
Solar size, battery backup, cable run cost. Compute on the spot, drop straight onto the quote.
Staged payments
Deposit on acceptance + balance on completion as two separate amounts on the quote PDF.
Scope-of-work checklist
Structured Included / Not included lists. Client acceptance = signing the scope.
Site-survey mode
Log a location per line item: camera positions, fixtures by room, sensors by zone.
Regional rate hints
Pricing ranges per item per currency shown as you quote.
Free on every plan
All of the above included on the free plan. Premium is for capacity, not the trade tooling.
Why QuoteGenio
Why Artificial Grass Installers choose QuoteGenio
The tools that matter most when you are quoting on-site, under pressure, and between jobs.
Quote from your phone
Most Artificial Grass Installers build and send quotes directly from the job site. No laptop, no office, no delays.
Win more jobs, faster
The first professional quote a client receives usually wins. Respond in minutes, not hours.
Quote to invoice in one click
When the job is accepted, convert to an invoice instantly. No retyping, no double entry.
Pricing guide
Typical Artificial Grass Installers job pricing
A rough guide to what artificial grass installers charge. Pricing varies with turf grade, ground condition, edging type, and access. Use these as a sanity check when building your per m² rate card, not as fixed numbers.
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Mid-range turf supply only (per m²) | R297 - R578 |
| Premium turf supply only (per m²) | R578 - R1,074 |
| Standard base prep (per m², level lawn) | R413 - R909 |
| Heavy base prep (per m², sloped or wet) | R909 - R1,818 |
| Install labour (per m², standard lawn) | R198 - R463 |
| Edging (per linear metre, treated timber) | R231 - R529 |
| Full turnkey small lawn (40 m²) | R39,665 - R85,940 |
Pricing converted from USD to ZAR at indicative rates. Rates vary significantly by country, region, currency, and market.
Call-out fees
A site measure fee of R1,240 to R2,479 covers your time to measure, photograph, and check the ground. Most installers waive it if the job goes ahead. List it on the quote so tyre-kicker enquiries respect your time, especially on far suburbs.
Hourly vs fixed pricing
Use per m² pricing for turf, install labour, and standard base prep. Use fixed quotes for edging runs, drainage upgrades, and putting greens. On steep or wet sites, add a 'site condition adjustment' line so the client sees why your m² rate is higher than the importer's brochure.
See it in action
Example quote breakdown
Here is what a clean, itemised artificial grass quote looks like. Notice how prep, turf, install, infill, and edging all show as their own lines. Clients accept this kind of quote faster because they can see why your price beats the brochure-only competitor.
Try it yourself
Job size
Region
Sample quote
Artificial lawn install, 65 m² suburban back garden
Excavation and 75 mm type 1 sub-base (per m²)
Mid-range turf supply (40 mm pile, per m²)
Install labour, joining tape, securing pins (per m²)
Silica infill and brush-in
Treated timber edging (28 m perimeter)
Site clean-up and refuse removal
| Description | Qty | Rate | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Excavation and 75 mm type 1 sub-base (per m²) | 65 | R628 | R40,822 |
| Mid-range turf supply (40 mm pile, per m²) | 65 | R463 | R30,079 |
| Install labour, joining tape, securing pins (per m²) | 65 | R297 | R19,337 |
| Silica infill and brush-in | 1 | R3,966 | R3,966 |
| Treated timber edging (28 m perimeter) | 28 | R297 | R8,330 |
| Site clean-up and refuse removal | 1 | R4,628 | R4,628 |
| Subtotal | R107,161 | ||
| Tax (10%) | R10,716 | ||
| Total incl. tax | R117,877 | ||
Totals recalculate as you change the controls above. Tax rate inferred from the sample quote.
Items often forgotten
Type 1 sub-base material delivery, joining tape and adhesive, securing pins, silica or rubber infill, edging, weed membrane, refuse removal of the old lawn, and the second visit to top up infill after a month. Add these as standard lines on your template so you stop absorbing them out of your margin.
Peer snapshot
How Artificial Grass Installers actually use QuoteGenio
Indicative activity for Artificial Grass Installers on the platform. Use it as a benchmark for how often to quote and how fast to respond.
27
Quotes sent per month
53%
Average quote acceptance
5 min
Median time to send quote
R117,877
Typical quote value
Figures are indicative platform averages for this trade segment.
Start quoting Artificial Grass Installer jobs like this, free
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Avoid these
Common quoting mistakes
We talk to a lot of artificial grass installers. The same scoping and pricing mistakes come up again and again. Fixing these will protect your margin and win you more jobs against the brochure-only importers.
Mistake: Quoting m² of turf only
Better: Always show prep, turf, install, infill, and edging as separate lines. A turf-only quote makes you look the same as the importer with no crew. Itemise and you justify your price.
Mistake: Underquoting base prep on sloped sites
Better: Add a 'site condition adjustment' line for slopes, wet ground, or root removal. Standard base prep does not cover these. Quoting them upfront stops the awkward variation conversation on day two.
Mistake: No infill line
Better: Silica or rubber infill is part of every install. List it as its own line at R66 to R132 per m². Forgetting it costs you on every job and clients accept it without question when they see it.
Mistake: Cheap timber edging without warning
Better: If you offer treated timber as standard, state the lifespan (5 to 8 years). Offer composite or steel as an upgrade line so the client chooses. Otherwise they blame you when the timber rots in year 6.
Mistake: No allowance for joining tape and adhesive
Better: Big lawns mean joins. Add joining tape and adhesive per join as a separate line. On a 60 m² lawn that is real money you currently absorb.
Mistake: Skipping the old lawn removal line
Better: Excavating the old grass, dump fees, and refuse runs cost real money. List 'site clean-up and refuse removal' as its own line of R3,305 to R9,916 depending on volume.
Mistake: No warranty stated on the quote
Better: State the turf manufacturer's warranty (years) and your install warranty (typically 1 to 2 years on workmanship). Clients comparing three quotes pick the one with clear warranty terms every time.
Mistake: No follow-up after sending the quote
Better: Most quotes that don't close, don't close because nobody followed up. Send a polite check-in 48 hours after the quote lands, and a second nudge at day 7. Two of every three accepted quotes get there because someone followed up.
Step by step
How to quote artificial grass jobs
Measure the lawn in square metres and walk every edge. Check slope and fall direction: wet ground or a slope over 5 percent needs heavier base prep and a drainage layer. Probe the ground for buried roots and old paving, photograph the old lawn that needs excavating, and measure the perimeter in linear metres for edging. Note pile height preference (40 mm is standard), pet use, putting or sports play, and whether the client has seen premium grades. These observations set whether you quote standard base prep at $ 25 to $ 55 per m squared or heavy prep at $ 55 to $ 110 per m squared.
Itemise every stage of the install. Excavation and 75 mm type 1 sub-base per m squared, weed membrane, turf supply per m squared with pile height and grade named, install labour per m squared, silica or rubber infill per m squared, joining tape and adhesive, securing pins, edging per linear metre with timber or composite or steel chosen, and old lawn refuse removal. Always state turf grade with warranty years on the quote. Add a 'site condition adjustment' line on sloped or wet sites so the client sees why your m squared rate is higher than the importer's brochure. List your workmanship warranty (1 to 2 years on joins, edging, base) alongside the turf manufacturer warranty.
Validate for 14 to 30 days. Turf prices and shipping costs move with imports and the exchange rate, especially on premium pet and putting grades, so an open-ended quote exposes your margin. Take 50 percent deposit on acceptance to cover turf order and base material delivery, balance on completion. Include an infill top-up visit at month 1 in the quote so the client expects it and you budget for the return trip. State that edging timber has a 5 to 8 year lifespan if you offer treated timber as standard, so composite and steel upgrades stay as visible options.
Send the itemised quote on WhatsApp from the lawn while you are still standing on it. Artificial grass buyers compare three quotes and most lose to brochure-only importers because the installer never shows base prep, infill, and joining tape. When the client sees each stage costed, your value becomes obvious. Follow up after 3 days with a short message linking to the quote, not a new PDF. When a client asks for premium turf or a putting green upgrade, send a variation quote with the component difference so they choose without re-quoting the whole job.
FAQ
Common questions from artificial grass installers
Everything you need to know before getting started.
Yes. Set quantity to your m² and rate to your per m² price. Add separate lines for prep, turf, install labour and infill so the client sees how the per m² rate is built.
Yes. Once your quote is ready, share it as a link directly via WhatsApp. Your client gets a professional branded document instantly, before you have packed the tape measure.
Each line item has its own description, quantity, and price. Add one line per stage of the install (prep, turf supply, install labour, infill, edging) so the client understands the value of the work.
Yes. Every quote has a unique public link. Your client can open it on their phone and accept it online. No signup required.
Yes. Convert the accepted quote into a deposit invoice for 50 percent, then invoice the balance on completion. Both invoices link back to the original quote so there is no double entry.
Yes. The free plan gives you 5 quotes and 2 invoices per month with no credit card required. Upgrade to Premium for unlimited quotes, invoices, statements, and reports.
Build the m² price from four components: turf cost, base prep, install labour, and infill. A standard residential install lands at roughly R1,322 to R2,314 per m² turnkey, with premium pet or putting grades at R2,644 plus. Always show the components on the quote so the client sees why your number is not the brochure-only number.
Yes. Excavate 75 to 100 mm of topsoil and old grass, lay a compacted type 1 sub-base, and add a weed membrane. Skipping the prep is the number one reason artificial lawns fail in year 2 with bumps, weeds and drainage problems. Quote the prep clearly and never let a client talk you out of it.
Most domestic lawns take 5 to 10 kg of silica infill per m² depending on pile height. Quote it as its own line of R66 to R132 per m². Pet lawns and high-traffic areas take more, sometimes with anti-microbial infill at a premium. Top up after the first month as part of your install warranty.
Pass through the manufacturer's turf warranty (typically 8 to 15 years on UV and pile) and add your own workmanship warranty of 1 to 2 years on joins, edging, and base. State both on the quote. Clients comparing three quotes pick the one with the clearest warranty terms.
Still have questions? We would rather answer them now than after you have signed up.
Pricing benchmark
What do artificial grass installers charge in 2026?
Hourly rates by region, common job prices, a worked sample quote, and the FAQs customers actually ask. The complete pricing reference for artificial grass installers.
Typical hourly
$45-$100/hr
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Guides
Guides for Artificial Grass Installers
Practical advice to help you quote better, get paid faster, and grow your business.
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