How much does a mow strip cost made of paving?

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As much as we love the soft, multifunctional surface our lawns provide mowing is not so fun! The continuous cutting schedule during the summer months can be quite cumbersome. This is especially so if spare time is not a luxury you can afford to squander.

This makes mowing extras like strmming and clipping edges unbearable! Those little lines of lawn your mower can’t reach due to obstacles really are an annoyance! The only way to eliminate this problem for good is by installing a solid mow strip to the lawns perimeter.

This strip can actually become a garden feature especially if it matches your existing paving. The question then becomes; how much does it cost to build a mow strip with paving? 

The method

To work out how much a mow strip will cost with paving we will price up a hypothetical project. We will cost a 50 linear metre stretch of sandstone cut into 120mm wide, lengths. We will break down all material costs, waste and labour so you can adapt the data to your own project.

​We will aim to discover an average material and installation cost per linear metre. This should enable you to get some fast estimates for your mow strip project. 
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Work specification

To match your existing paving, simply buy slabs and cut them neatly into 120mm slithers with a stone grinder. You will need to dig out a foundation channel for your strips very much like a patio base.

​Excavate a perimeter channel around your lawn 140mm wide and 170mm deep. Remove the soil from site and make sure the foundation is consistent with no loose soil. Fill the bottom of the foundation with 120 -130mm of type 1 compactable sub base. 

Compact the sub base with a tamper or sledge hammer until solid. Mix up a 1:4 sharp sand mortar mix and bed on the paving mow strips.

Make sure the paving has a consistent contact with the mortar underneath. Your mortar must be moist enough to stick but dry enough to heap up. Lay and level the strips using a bricklayers trowel, spirit level and rubber mallet.

​You can butt these up tightly or joint them after with a joining mix. When the edgings have set, soil in around the edgings and apply grass seed to any gaps. 

Table costs based on 50 linear metres of paving mow strip edgings (120mm wide)

​No	Item ​	​Specification	​Unit cost	​Total cost
​1	​6 yard skip	​3 cubic metres soil	​£250	​£250.00
​2	​Type 1 sub base	​2x 850kg jumbo bag	​£50	​£100.00
​1	​Sharp sand	​1x 850kg jumbo bag	​£50	​£50.00
​7	​Cement	​25kg plastic bags	​£6	​£42.00
​7	​sandstone paving	​7sqm	​£34	​£238.00
​1	​Cement mixer	​2 day hire	​£25	​£50.00
​1	​Grinder	​1 day hire	​£30	​£30.00
​1	​Labour	​1 man 4.5 days	​£250	​£1,125.00
​	​	​	​Materials total:	£760.00
​	​	​	Grand total:	£1,885.00

Therefore a 50 linear metre long stretch of 120mm wide sandstone paving mow strip edgings will cost £1,885.00. ​That’s £37.70 per linear metre if you use a contractor. ​ If you build it yourself the materials will cost £760.00. That’s £15.20 a linear metre. ​

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