how to level your backyard
Expert advice from Bob Vila, the most trusted name in home improvement, home remodeling, home repair, and DIY. Tried, True, Trustworthy Home Advice
How to Level a Yard in 7 Simple StepsIs your yard lumpy and bumpy? Learn how to even out your property—and potentially prevent water damage to your home’s foundation or basement in the process.
A yard with lumps and bumps is not only unattractive but also a potential safety hazard with ample opportunity to cause trips, falls, and sprained ankles. Many events can cause an uneven yard—including drainage issues, leaks in pipes lying beneath the surface, and lawn pests like grubs or moles disturbing the root structure of the turf—but none need to derail your landscaping efforts altogether.
How To Level Your Backyard?
In most cases, however, the steps outlined below work best if you complete them in spring. This is when warm-season grass is just coming out of dormancy. If, however, the soil is still soggy from snow melt or spring rains, wait until it dries out before taking the steps outlined below. Likewise, correct problems with the yard grade during dry weather, and then check your work during the next rain.
Start by mowing your lawn. Cut it short, but not so short that you scalp it. If you cut it so that grass blade stems become visible, the grass is vulnerable to drying out.
Take a closer look at your grass roots, and determine the amount of thatch on your lawn. Thatch is the layer of decayed grass and other organic material at the base of the turf. About ¼ to ½ inch of thatch is acceptable, but any more than that will prevent the grass from getting adequate air and water.
How To Fix A Bumpy Lawn
If you have more than ½ inch of thatch, remove (or at least significantly loosen) it by systematically running a thatch rake over the surface to pull it up. Or, if your lawn is larger, run a dethatching machine over it. You can rent a dethatching machine from a home improvement store, and it will make the process much quicker.
Make a top-dressing mix to fill in the area beneath the grass in sunken areas of your lawn from two parts sand, two parts topsoil, and one part compost. The sand helps maintain a level yard because it doesn’t compact easily, while the soil and compost contain nutrients that your grass needs to thrive.
If you have any low spots or divots deeper than 2 or 3 inches, you should remove the grass on top of them before filling the holes. Dig up the sod by putting the blade of a shovel into it at the outside of a low spot and sliding it down and under about 2 or 3 inches to get under the grass roots. Then pry the grass up with the shovel to expose the dirt beneath. Fill the hole with the top-dressing mix, and put the grass back into place on top of it.
How To Level A Yard In 7 Simple Steps
If some low spots occur near your home, follow a similar process to gently slope the soil away from the foundation. Dig up and rearrange the soil so that it is higher close to the home, but not so high it covers the entire foundation. Then slope it down about 1 inch for every foot away from the house. If the entire yard’s grade slopes toward the house, you might need help properly grading.
Once the lowest patches are filled, use a shovel to disperse the top-dressing mix across your entire lawn to a depth of about ¼ to ½ inch. Even if you think your grass needs more than that depth to even out, err on the side of caution and keep to a thin layer—a heavier layer could choke your grass. If necessary, you can repeat this process (see Step 7) to add a second layer.
![How To Level A Yard [Complete Steps And Other FAQs] - How To Level Your Backyard](https://i2.wp.com/www.igra-world.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/how-to-level-a-yard.jpg?strip=all "How To Level A Yard [Complete Steps And Other FAQs]")
Then, spread the top-dressing mix evenly across the grass by pulling and pushing it around with the back of a bow rake. Work the mix into the gradual low spots and pockets when lawn leveling. If the grass blades are completely covered by the mix, the grass will suffocate from light deprivation, so follow up with a push broom to further work the mix into the soil at the base of the turf grass and reveal the blades.
How To Level Your Lawn Without Ripping It Up
Water your lawn to help the top-dressing mix settle into the grass and fill any air pockets. Running your lawn sprinklers will also revitalize your lawn because it will jump-start the infusion of nutrients from the compost in the mix.
After a few waterings, look for water runoff or standing water in puddles. You may need more than one application of top-dressing to completely smooth out your lawn. Apply the second layer following Steps 5 and 6 once you see the grass start to actively grow, or when you can no longer see the first top-dressing application you put down.
Once you know how to level a yard, it is a worthwhile and relatively simple project to tackle in spring. Ground leveling can bring fun and curb appeal back to your lawn and prevent water waste and water damage to the home.
How To Level Ground: 14 Steps (with Pictures)
First determine the cause, and then tackle lawn lumps and low spots with the steps outlined above. If you observe water running toward your home’s foundation, fix the slope. Once you level your yard, ongoing maintenance should be easier.
Yard leveling doesn’t have to be tough, but knowing the steps involved—and tips that make the job easier—always help! We’ve expanded on some here with answers to frequently asked questions.
Once you know how to level ground, it is a fairly straightforward process. First, mow the lawn and then identify dips. Fill them with a mix of compost, sand, and topsoil. Dig sod up in high spots and remove some of the soil before adding a thin layer of the same mix and replacing the sod. Top-dress the entire lawn with a ¼- to ½-inch layer of topsoil, and then water. You might have to top-dress again after the soil settles.
Brilliant Ways To Spruce Up Your Backyard This Summer
Fixing lumps and bumps caused by foot traffic, digging, plantings, or thatchy grass should cost no more than a few tools and materials. Most tools, such as a shovel and bow rake, probably reside in your shed already. If you don’t have a dethatcher, renting one can run up to $80 a day. Purchasing a manual thatch rake typically runs $40 to $50.
When leveling a yard, sometimes you can move soil from high spots to low areas, but in other circumstances you might need to purchase topsoil and sand to complete the project. A 40-pound bag of topsoil is usually under $10.
In most cases, spring is the best time to level your lawn. Warm-season grass is coming out of dormancy, and any plugs of sod you dig up and replant after leveling stand a better chance of surviving in spring temps before the heat of summer. If snow
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