Wellington · Somerset · Mid Devon
Turfing & New Lawnsin Wellington, Somerset:prepared, not just laid
A lawn that roots in, drains and stays level, because the ground underneath is dug over, graded and prepared before a single roll goes down.
Free site visit · Itemised written quote usually within a week · Written contract on every job
6 years
Landscaping experience, backed by 30+ years in carpentry, joinery and building
4-strong
Family team on site, the people who quoted the job do the work
9
Five-star reviews from homeowners across Somerset and Mid Devon
Free
Site visit and itemised written quote, usually back within a week
In writing
Written contract signed by both parties on every job
Service Overview
What laying a new lawn involves
Turf is the cheapest material in most gardens and the one that most obviously reveals whether the preparation was done. Rolls laid onto compacted, uneven or rubble-strewn ground look perfect for a fortnight, then yellow at the joints, sink in patches and thin out where the roots cannot get down. Turf laid onto properly prepared ground knits in within weeks and behaves like a lawn for years.
We lay new lawns across Wellington, Taunton, Tiverton and the villages around, usually as part of a wider garden project but also as a job in its own right where a lawn has failed or a plot has never had one.
Preparation is most of the work. That means clearing the existing surface, removing debris and unsuitable material, breaking up compaction, importing and spreading quality topsoil where the site needs it, then grading and firming to a true, even finish with the falls the garden requires.
Turf is then laid on the same day it is delivered wherever possible, joints staggered and butted tight, edges cut cleanly to beds and paving, and the whole area firmed and watered in. Because so much of the cost depends on how much digging out and topsoil the site needs, we price the preparation separately from the turf itself.
Who it is for
Homeowners with a worn, mossy, bumpy or bare lawn, and anyone finishing a new-build plot or a garden project that needs a soft surface.
When it is needed
When the lawn is more moss than grass, when the ground is too uneven to mow or play on, or when building work has left the garden compacted and bare.
Why a professional build matters
Grading, drainage and soil depth determine whether a lawn establishes. Turf is easy to lay and impossible to rescue if the ground beneath it is wrong.
How it is priced
Per project. The turf is a modest part of the cost; the variable is how much excavation, muck away and imported topsoil the site needs.
Request your free quote
Free site visit, itemised written quote, typically back with you inside a week.
Prefer to talk it through? Call 07340 000463 between 8am and 8pm, Monday to Saturday.
What Happens If It Waits
Why lawns fail, and what it costs to redo
Most failed lawns we are called to look at were laid straight onto whatever was there. Compacted subsoil after building work sheds water rather than absorbing it, so the roots sit in a shallow band, dry out in summer and drown in winter. The lawn survives one season and thins in the second, and by then the only real fix is to lift it and start with the ground.
Uneven ground causes a slower kind of frustration. Bumps and hollows scalp under the mower, hold water after rain, and make the lawn unusable for football, tables or paddling pools. Top dressing hollows year after year is a treadmill; grading before turfing is a one-off.
Then there is watering. Turf that has not knitted in shrinks, and shrinkage opens the joints into visible brown lines that never fully close. Getting a lawn away requires generous watering in the first weeks, which is why the timing of the job and the instructions at handover matter as much as the laying itself.
Common mistakes we are called in to fix
Turf onto builder's subsoil
Compacted, stony subsoil left after construction has neither structure nor nutrients. Turf laid on it will never root properly.
Not removing the old lawn
Laying new turf over dead grass or moss creates a decomposing layer that stops roots reaching the soil below.
Rushing the grading
Every dip and bump you can see before turfing will still be there afterwards, only softer and harder to correct.
Under-watering in week one
New turf needs a lot of water while it knits. Skimping in the first fortnight is the most common cause of shrunken joints and brown patches.
Our Process
How we lay a new lawn
- 1
Free site visit and soil check
We look at the existing surface, how wet the ground gets, what soil depth is there, access for materials and how the area will be used.
- 2
Itemised written quote
Clearance, excavation, muck away, imported topsoil, grading and the turf itself are priced separately, so you can see exactly where the cost sits. Usually back within a week.
- 3
Written contract and dates
Scope, price and timings signed by both parties, with a 50% deposit and the balance on completion.
- 4
Clearance, cultivation and grading
Old turf, debris and unsuitable material come out, compaction is broken up, topsoil is added where needed, and the surface is graded and firmed to an even finish.
- 5
Laying, firming and watering guidance
Turf is laid with staggered, butted joints, cut cleanly to edges, firmed down and watered in. We leave you with clear watering and first-cut guidance at handover.
The Benefits
What preparation buys you
It roots in and stays
Broken-up ground and decent topsoil mean the roots get down quickly, which is what carries a lawn through a dry summer.
Level enough to use
Graded ground means no scalping under the mower and no puddles in the middle of the lawn after rain.
Better drainage
Relieving compaction and setting a gentle fall stops the lawn behaving like a shallow pond every winter.
Instant usability
Turf gives you a finished lawn immediately rather than waiting months for seed to establish and hoping the birds leave it alone.
Clean edges
Turf cut tight to paving, beds and paths gives the whole garden a finished line, and makes mowing straightforward.
Priced clearly
Preparation and turf are separate lines, so you can see how much of the cost is groundwork rather than grass.
In Detail
Soil, timing and situations
Soil depth is the first thing we assess. A lawn wants a reasonable depth of decent topsoil to hold moisture and nutrients; anything less and the grass is living on a thin layer over hostile ground. On new-build plots and post-extension gardens there is frequently very little usable soil left, so importing topsoil is a genuine line in the quote rather than an upsell.
Drainage decides whether preparation stops at cultivation or goes further. On heavy clay around Wellington and Langport, breaking up the pan and grading a fall is sometimes enough; where a lawn genuinely sits under water each winter, land drainage may need to go in first. We would rather flag that at the visit than lay turf onto a problem.
Timing affects establishment more than most people expect. Turf laid in the cooler, wetter months needs less intervention; turf laid in high summer needs disciplined watering from day one. We will tell you what the season means for aftercare, and if a job is better delayed a few weeks for the lawn's sake we will say so.
Lawns also have to work with what surrounds them. Turf running up to a new patio needs its level set so the mower can run over the edge; turf against a border needs a clean cut line to maintain; turf on a slope needs to be laid across the fall and pinned where it is steep. These details are decided during grading, not afterwards.
New lawns from scratch
Full preparation, imported topsoil where required, grading and turfing on bare or cleared ground.
Lawn replacement
Lifting a failed, mossy or uneven lawn, correcting the ground beneath it, and re-turfing to a proper level.
Post-build reinstatement
Relieving compaction and rebuilding soil depth on new-build and post-extension plots before turf goes down.
Lawns within a wider scheme
Turf laid as part of a full garden project, with levels set to meet the new paving, beds and paths cleanly.
Turfing we have built
Turfing FAQs
Questions homeowners ask before booking
How much does a new lawn cost?＋
Turfing is quoted per project because the price depends far more on the preparation than the grass. How much digging out, muck away and imported topsoil the site needs is what moves the figure, and each of those appears as a separate line in the written quote.
How long does turfing take?＋
Most domestic lawns are one to a few days on site, with the majority of that time spent on clearance, cultivation and grading rather than laying the turf itself.
When can I walk on the new lawn?＋
Keep off it as much as possible while it knits in - typically the first couple of weeks - and then use it lightly. We give you clear guidance on watering and the first cut at handover.
What is the best time of year to lay turf?＋
The cooler, damper months are the easiest for establishment because the lawn needs less watering. Summer turfing works perfectly well, but it demands disciplined watering from the day it goes down.
Can you turf over my existing lawn?＋
No, and we would not recommend anyone who offers to. The old turf and any moss layer have to come off so the new roots reach soil rather than decomposing thatch.
My lawn is always waterlogged. Will new turf fix it?＋
Not on its own. If the ground holds water, that needs addressing first through relieving compaction, regrading or land drainage. We will tell you which at the site visit rather than laying turf onto the same problem.
Do you lay artificial grass?＋
Our lawn work is natural turf. If artificial is what you want, we will say so at the visit rather than take on something outside what we do.
Do you cover Taunton and Tiverton for turfing?＋
Yes: Wellington, Taunton, Tiverton, Chard, Somerton, Ilminster, Wiveliscombe, Milverton, Cullompton, Sampford Peverell, Bishops Lydeard, Langport and the villages in between.
Related Services
Work that often goes with turfing
Where We Work
Turfing across Somerset & Mid Devon
- Wellington
- Taunton
- Tiverton
- Chard
- Somerton
- Ilminster
- Wiveliscombe
- Milverton
- Cullompton
- Sampford Peverell
- Bishops Lydeard
- Langport
Based at 14 Lower Westford, Wellington, Somerset. Open 8am – 8pm, Monday to Saturday. Contact us.
Get a lawn that actually establishes
Free site visit, preparation and turf priced separately in writing, usually back with you within a week.
Family-run · 6 years landscaping · Written contract on every job · 50% deposit, balance on completion