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Cost Calculation
Material Comparison per m²
| 1 | Poured-in-place (PIP) | €140–250 |
| 2 | 4.5 cm Puzzle Mat 3D® | €69.09 |
| 3 | 4.5 cm Grass Grid Hexagon® | €68.94 |
| 4 | 4.5 cm Safety Tile | €58 |
| 5 | Wood chips | €55 |
| 6 | Pea gravel | €52.50 |
| 7 | Artificial turf | €50 |
| 8 | Sand | €43.60 |
| 9 | Sod | €7 |
| 10 | Grass seed | €0.50 |
Important Notes
For items 3 through 10, edge restraints may be required depending on soil conditions.
Installing edge restraints can require multiple workdays, depending on project size
Unit prices are based on the material quantities defined in EN 1176.
Installation Costs per m² (including sub-base)
| 1 | Poured-in-place (PIP): | €60 |
| 2 | 4.5 cm Safety Tile | €50 |
| 3 | Artificial turf | €50 |
| 4 | 4.5 cm Puzzle Mat 3D® | €25 |
| 5 | 4.5 cm Grass Grid Hexagon® | €10 |
| 6 | Pea gravel | €10 |
| 7 | Wood chips | €10 |
| 8 | Sand | €10 |
| 9 | Grass seed | €7–20 |
| 10 | Sod | €7–20 |
Important Notes
Average sub-base depth considered: 30 cm
Labor rate based on €40/hour per municipal maintenance worker
Installation practices vary regionally
Total Cost for Materials + Installation per m²
| 1 |
Poured-in-place (PIP) |
€200–310 |
| 2 |
4.5 cm Safety Tile |
€108 |
| 3 |
Artificial turf |
€100 |
| 4 |
4.5 Puzzle Mat 3D® |
€94,09 |
| 5 |
4.5 cm Grass Grid Hexagon® |
€78,94 |
| 6 |
Wood chips |
€65 |
| 7 |
Pea gravel |
€62,50 |
| 8 | Sand | €53,60 |
| 9 | Sod | €14–27 |
| 10 |
Grass seed |
€7,50–20,50 |
Important Notes
From a total cost perspective, turf and loose-fill materials are the least expensive.
Long-term sustainability depends heavily on maintenance requirements.
Rubber safety tiles are EN 1176 certified prior to installation.
Annual Maintenance Costs per m²
| 1 |
Pea gravel |
€12 |
| 2 | Sand | €12 |
| 3 |
Wood chips |
€8 |
| 4 |
4.5 cm Grass Grid Hexagon® |
€5,33 |
| 5 |
Grass seed |
€5,33 |
| 6 | Sod | €5,33 |
| 7 |
Artificial turf |
€3 |
| 8 |
4.5 cm Puzzle Mat 3D® |
€0 |
| 9 |
4.5 cm Safety Tile |
€0 |
| 10 | Poured-in-place (PIP) surfacing | €0 |
Important Notes
Loosening and periodic replenishing of loose-fill surfacing is mandatory to maintain impact attenuation.
Natural grass areas must remain free of hard debris to ensure safe play.
Repairs on PIP systems must be performed by qualified specialty contractors.
Ten-Year Maintenance Costs per m²
| 1 | Pea gravel | €120 |
| 2 | Sand | €120 |
| 3 | Wood chips | €80 |
| 4 | 4.5 cm Hexagon Grass Paver | €53,30 |
| 5 | Grass seed | €53,30 |
| 6 | Sod | €53,30 |
| 7 | Artificial turf | €30 |
| 8 | 4.5 cm Puzzle Mat 3D® | €0 |
| 9 | 4.5 cm Safety Tile | €0 |
| 10 | Poured-in-place (PIP) | €0 |
Important Notes
For long-term sustainability, stormwater infiltration performance should be considered.
Rubber products can be recycled responsibly, with a recycling fee of €150 per ton.
Data Provided by Tesiko
Tesiko, an independent playground inspection company, works daily with municipalities and public agencies. With extensive experience in evaluating and maintaining public playgrounds, Tesiko provides reliable insight into cost structures, maintenance routines, and lifecycle considerations.
For the analysis above, Tesiko prepared a neutral, practice-based cost assessment of various safety surfacing systems.
Municipalities, public agencies, and technical departments can request a full report at: buero@tesiko-spielplatz.de