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Quick Answer
Lawn renovation in the UK in 2026 costs between 4 and 15 pounds per square metre depending on the level of work involved. A basic scarify and overseed costs 4 to 7 per square metre. A full renovation with aeration, top dressing, overseeding and feeding costs 8 to 12 per square metre. Premium lawn renovation with soil improvement costs 12 to 15 per square metre.
Lawn renovation price ranges (50 sqm lawn)
Basic (scarify and overseed): 200 to 350
Standard (scarify, aerate, top dress, overseed, feed): 400 to 600
Premium (full renovation with soil improvement): 600 to 900
Full returf (strip and returf): 500 to 1,200
What Is Lawn Renovation?
Lawn renovation is the process of bringing a tired, mossy or weedy lawn back to health without stripping it and starting again. It is a staged process that addresses the underlying problems (compaction, thatch, moss, poor drainage) and then re-establishes healthy grass through overseeding.
The full process is:
- Moss treatment (kill the moss)
- Scarification (remove thatch and dead moss)
- Aeration (relieve compaction)
- Top dressing (improve surface and fill holes)
- Overseeding (sow new grass seed)
- Feeding (give the new grass what it needs to establish)
- Aftercare (watering and mowing regime)
Cost of Each Stage Per Square Metre
Moss treatment
Applying iron sulphate to kill moss. Costs 1 to 2 per square metre including the chemical and application. Done 2 weeks before scarification.
Scarification
Using a powered scarifier to remove thatch and dead moss. Costs 2 to 4 per square metre. A 50 sqm lawn produces 4 to 6 bin bags of material.
Aeration
Hollow-tine or solid-tine aeration to relieve compaction. Costs 1.50 to 3 per square metre. Hollow-tine is more expensive but more effective on compacted clay soils.
Top dressing
Applying a sand and soil mix to the surface, brushed into the aeration holes. Costs 2 to 4 per square metre including material. Top dressing material is 70/30 sand/soil.
Overseeding
Sowing new grass seed suited to the conditions. Costs 1 to 2 per square metre including seed. See our lawn planning tool for seed variety recommendations.
Feeding
Applying a balanced fertiliser to help the new grass establish. Costs 0.50 to 1 per square metre including fertiliser.
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Full Renovation Versus Returfing
If your lawn is more than 50 percent moss or weeds, or if the soil is severely compacted, a full renovation may be more cost effective than recovery. But if the lawn is beyond renovation (less than 30 percent grass), returfing is the better option.
Returfing costs 10 to 25 per square metre including turf, soil preparation and laying. For a 50 sqm lawn, that is 500 to 1,250. See our guide on returf vs reseed for detail.
Best Time for Lawn Renovation
Lawn renovation is best done in either spring (March to May) or autumn (September to October) when the soil is warm and there is regular rain. Avoid summer renovation because the new seed will struggle in dry conditions. See our guide on lawn renovation in spring.
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Common Lawn Problems That Need Renovation
- Moss: caused by shade, compaction, poor drainage or acidic soil. See our moss guide.
- Thatch: dead grass and moss at the base, preventing water and air reaching the roots.
- Compaction: hard soil from foot traffic, children or heavy mowing.
- Poor drainage: standing water after rain, often on clay soils.
- Thin grass: from under-feeding, drought, shade or disease.
Use Our Lawn Planning Tool
For a free seed variety recommendation and renovation plan, use our lawn planning tool. It takes 2 minutes, asks about your sun exposure, soil type and main problem, and recommends a seed variety plus a step by step plan. The full seed mix percentages are available in our Chiltern Lawn Care Guide PDFs.
Get a Lawn Renovation Quote
Contact us on WhatsApp with a photo of your lawn and we will aim to respond within 12 to 36 hours, Monday to Sunday. We arrange all quotes during a free site visit so we can assess the lawn and give you an accurate price.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does lawn renovation take?
The work itself takes 1 to 2 days for a 50 sqm lawn. The full recovery takes 4 to 8 weeks for the new grass to establish.
Can I walk on the lawn after renovation?
Avoid walking on the lawn for 3 to 4 weeks after overseeding, while the new grass establishes. Light walking is fine after 2 weeks.
Will the renovation fix my moss problem permanently?
Only if the underlying cause is addressed. If moss is caused by shade, compaction or poor drainage, the renovation will fix it. If the cause is not addressed, moss will return. See our moss guide.
Further Reading
- Why is my lawn full of moss?
- Lawn renovation in spring
- Should you returf or reseed?
- Aeration, overseeding and top dressing explained
On mature lawns, check for leatherjackets and chafer grubs before scarifying. Established turf recovers more slowly than newly seeded areas, so adjust the renovation intensity accordingly.
Put this advice into practice
Use the relevant CGM tool or follow a related guide, then send us a few photos if you would like a tailored plan.
Sources and citations
This article draws on the following sources. Specific claims are cited inline where relevant.
- CGM field records (2025-11. Site observations from gardens across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Bedfordshire.
- Royal Horticultural Society (2024). RHS Gardening Advice and Plant Finder. Available at rhs.org.uk.
- Met Office (2024). Regional climate averages, South East England. Available at metoffice.gov.uk.
- British Geological Survey (2024). Soil parent material data for the Chilterns and Thames Valley. Available at bgs.ac.uk.