Re-turfing a lawn

Having set up my own garden maintenance in October, I now have my first request to re-turf a lawn and would appreciate some advice on how best to approach this. The plot is approximately 9x9 metres with existing poor quality grass which I will need to remove. Is the only way to use a spade and dig it up manually? How do i then dispose of it - should I suggest the customer hires a small skip as it will be very time consuming and labour intensive to load it all into the back of my van and make several (chargeable) trips to the tip?Are there any informative websites offering guidance on re-turfing?
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  • Hi Paul , 1st thing . Most , not all , lawns are salvagable with scarification , aeration , topdressing , overseeding , etc . Unlike returfing this is not an instant effect . Why is the existing lawn poor , poor drainage , shade , etc? You could lay new turf and be back to square 1 in 18 months time if these situations are not addressed . Need more info to help .
  • Thanks Eliot, the customer had an extension built and the lawn was damaged by the builders. it's an open site with no drainage or shade problems - the customer wants it transformed quickly hence he has requested re-turfing. Is it worth buying/hiring a cultivator to plough up the existing lawn? If he doesnt want to compost the old turf then I have the problem of removing it too.
  • Check out the following discussion. Don't worry too much about the prices mentioned as unless anyone has actually seen the job we are only guessing.

    http://www.landscapejuicenetwork.com/forum/topics/turfing-job-help-...
  • youll need a skip , i did one last week . A mini skip will take 55 - 60m2 of stripped turf & youll pay between £50-£60 for one , but had to stack neatly rather than just tip in . Youll need a midi , about £80ish . I sliced out existing turf with turf cutting spade , after cuttting into manageable small bits with half moon edger . I then rotovated incorparating 1 ton of sharp sand to help out with drainage . Me & labourer had it all done & dusted in 2 days .
  • Definitely hire a turf stripper. Much quicker than trying to remove the old lawn by hand. Check out www.qlawns.co.uk for how-to guides
  • Thanks everyone. What a great source of information and advice landscapejuicenetwork is. I now have a much clearer idea of how to approach this re-turfing job. Cheers.
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