Get the site ready before the delivery van arrives: remove persistent weeds, relieve compaction, improve the soil where needed, create the finished level, firm it and rake a clean laying surface.
Clear the site rather than burying perennial weeds beneath the new lawn. RHS specifically highlights perennial weeds such as couch grass and bindweed as problems to remove during preparation.
Loosen the ground so roots are not trying to establish into a compacted layer. RHS advises digging or rotovating to about 20–25 cm where soil needs cultivation; the actual intervention should reflect the site rather than being treated as a reason to disturb already-good soil unnecessarily.
Organic matter can help light, sandy soil hold moisture, but use well-rotted material. Undecomposed material can shrink as it breaks down and leave an uneven surface later.
Newly cultivated or filled ground can drop after preparation. RHS recommends allowing prepared soil to settle for at least a few days and, where practical, substantially longer before final levelling.
Tread or otherwise firm the soil evenly, then rake in more than one direction. The goal is a stable, level surface without soft hollows that will sink after the turf is laid.
Remove remaining stones and debris, correct small highs and lows and leave a fine, even surface ready to receive turf. Do not churn up the finished levels again.
Adding topsoil raises the surface. Before ordering soil, compare the prepared ground with paths, patios, drains and edging so the finished turf sits where you need it. If the site requires additional topsoil, use the Topsoil Calculator to calculate a measured volume instead of ordering by guesswork.
Soil depth, compaction and adjacent hard surfaces all affect the final level. Measure the level you need, then calculate the volume that gets you there.
If the area stays waterlogged, simply covering it with turf does not solve the underlying issue. Identify why water is collecting — compaction, site levels or another drainage problem — and address the cause before the lawn is laid. Conversely, very light soils may need organic matter to improve moisture retention.
Once the site is ready, measure the actual turf area and check the supplier's roll dimensions. Use the Turf Calculator for the roll count. RHS advises laying turf as soon as possible after delivery and says within 24 hours if possible, so a delivery should not arrive while you are still levelling half the garden.
RHS says turf is best laid in mid-autumn and can be laid from mid-autumn to early spring when the soil is not too wet or frosty. It advises avoiding the hotter part of the year where establishment would demand repeated watering. Treat this as horticultural timing guidance rather than a calculator assumption: local weather and site conditions still matter.
The horticultural preparation and laying notes in this guide are based primarily on current RHS advice on lawns from turf. Quantity calculations are kept separate: use the Turf Calculator for rolls, the Topsoil Calculator for added soil, and the topsoil planning guide when deciding depth and buying format.
Turn the finished lawn area into a whole-roll order using your supplier's turf dimensions.
Move between measurement, topsoil, turf and seed without starting the project maths again.