Lawn paint: the cost per m² by format and lawn size
The cost per m² of what is called lawn paint depends on the format and the state of the lawn. For Greeneclat colorant, the 1 L concentrate at €89.99 comes to €0.22/m² including VAT over 400 m² of healthy lawn, and €0.45/m² over 200 m² of badly burnt lawn. With ready-to-use, allow about €1/m².
The figures below all come from our cost calculator, based on the prices shown on the product pages and the product's coverage. They apply to Greeneclat, a colorant that people often search for under the name grass paint.
The cost per m², format by format
| Format | Price incl. VAT | Area taken into account | Cost per m² incl. VAT |
|---|---|---|---|
| 750 mL ready-to-use sprayer | €32.99 | 10 m² (more than 100 urine spots) | €3.30/m² |
| 5 L ready-to-use container | €49.99 | 50 m² | €1.00/m² |
| 500 mL concentrate | €69.99 | 200 m² of healthy lawn / 100 m² badly burnt | €0.35/m² / €0.70/m² |
| 1 L concentrate | €89.99 | 400 m² of healthy lawn / 200 m² badly burnt | €0.22/m² / €0.45/m² |
| 5 L Pro concentrate | €359.99 | 2,000 m² of healthy lawn / 1,000 m² badly burnt | €0.18/m² / €0.36/m² |
The 750 mL sprayer looks expensive per m², and it is if you compare it with a whole lawn. It is made for something else: treating scattered spots with no dilution or equipment, where buying a concentrate and a sprayer would make no sense. As soon as there is some area to cover, the concentrate works out much cheaper.
Three garden examples
- 150 m² of healthy or still green lawn: one 500 mL concentrate is enough, that is €69.99 and €0.47/m² including VAT. The rest of the bottle can go on a touch-up or a hedge.
- 600 m² of healthy lawn: 2 × 1 L concentrates, that is €179.98 including VAT and €0.30/m².
- 300 m² of badly burnt lawn: also 2 × 1 L concentrates, that is €179.98 including VAT and €0.60/m², because very yellow turf needs a more concentrated mix.
For a very large area, 1,500 m² of healthy lawn comes to €0.24/m² including VAT with a 5 L Pro concentrate. To measure your area and choose the number of bottles, follow our article how much colorant for my lawn. If your lawn is not a rectangle, our article on how to measure your lawn area offers three methods.
What changes the bill
The state of the lawn. This is the main factor. Badly burnt, bleached or dormant turf is treated at a 1:30 dilution and coverage drops to 200 m² per litre, against 400 m² on turf that is still green treated at 1:50. The cost per m² doubles.
Whole bottles. You buy complete units. For an area slightly larger than one bottle covers, the real cost per m² goes up, and the rest is used for the next touch-up.
The number of applications. On a lawn, the colour lasts two to three months and goes with the mowing. If you want to keep the lawn green for longer, plan a new application, at least on the areas that have faded.
Equipment. A concentrate needs a garden sprayer. If you do not have one, add it to the first year's budget.
Compared with the alternatives: watering, reseeding, turfing
An honest comparison also means saying when recolouring is pointless.
| Solution | What it costs | When it makes sense |
|---|---|---|
| Waiting for rain | Nothing, apart from a few weeks of yellow garden | Dormant lawn, no deadline |
| Watering | Water, often drinking water, and time, every week | When watering is allowed and the grass needs it |
| Reseeding | Seed and soil preparation, then several months to establish | Bare soil or dead grass, in spring or autumn |
| Turf rolls | More expensive than seed, soil preparation and watering at the start | Immediate result on an area to be redone, from mid-autumn to early spring |
| Recolouring | From €0.18 to €0.70/m² including VAT with concentrate, depending on the format and the state of the lawn | Grass yellowed but alive, need for a quick result |
The Royal Horticultural Society advises against watering an established lawn in summer: it greens up on its own when the rain returns. If you can wait, that is the cheapest solution. Watering, for its part, can be restricted and then banned for lawns by prefectoral order during a drought in France. To keep a garden presentable without overwatering, recolouring is more ecological than excessive watering: up to 80% less water on treated areas (internal study).
Reseeding or turfing deal with another problem: replacing dead grass. According to the RHS, seed costs less than turf but takes several months to establish, while turf gives an immediate result for a higher budget. A colorant replaces neither, since it makes nothing grow back.
Household or professional
As a rough guide, a household buying concentrate pays about €0.20 to €0.30/m² on healthy lawn. For a professional (landscaper, golf course, sports ground, campsite, local authority), the material cost is around €0.10 to €0.15/m² with concentrate, depending on volumes. There is no public trade price list: each request is assessed according to the areas and the deadline. Go to the page Request a trade price.
What the price does not buy
This budget pays for a change of colour on living grass, for two to three months. It does not make the lawn grow back, does not feed it and treats no disease: it is not a fertiliser, a weedkiller, a biostimulant or a plant protection product. On bare soil or dead grass, the money is better spent on seed.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the price per litre not enough to compare?
Because two products do not cover the same area with one litre. What counts is the price divided by the square metres actually covered, in the state your lawn is in. A Greeneclat concentrate covers 400 m² per litre on healthy lawn and 200 m² on badly burnt lawn: compare on that basis, and check the dilution stated by other brands.
Can a household buy the 5 L Pro concentrate?
Yes, it is on sale in the shop at €359.99 with free delivery. Over 2,000 m² of healthy lawn, that comes to €0.18/m² including VAT according to our calculator. It only makes sense for a large area: below 1,000 m², the 500 mL or 1 L concentrates leave less left over.
How much does it cost to recolour a 600 m² lawn?
For 600 m² of healthy lawn, you need 2 × 1 L concentrates, that is €179.98 including VAT and €0.30/m² according to our calculator. If the lawn is badly burnt, coverage drops to 200 m² per litre and you need to plan for twice as much product.
Are there delivery charges?
Delivery is free from the 1 L (France). For smaller formats, charges are shown in the basket before payment. Orders are dispatched within 48 hours, and you have a 14-day withdrawal period and the 2-year legal guarantee.
The most economical format for a garden
For a healthy lawn of more than 200 m² and up to 400 m², the 1 L Meadow Green concentrate at €89.99 is the most economical format (€0.22/m² including VAT over 400 m², according to our calculator), with free delivery from the 1 L (France) and dispatch within 48 hours. Beyond 1,000 m², the 5 L Pro Meadow Green concentrate covers 1,000 to 2,000 m². Both shades cost the same: choose yours with the guide which shade to choose.
