How Much Does a Lawn Leveling Service Cost in 2025?

This article was updated using automation technology and thoroughly reviewed for accuracy by HomeAdvisor Editor Ryan Noonan.

On average, it costs $2,176 to level a residential lawn. Depending on the size and scope of your project, you can pay anywhere between $375 and $6,500, but most homeowners spend between $1,023 and $3,337.

Resloping a lawn can be helpful for redirecting water away from a home, increasing moisture for gardens and lawns, or improving the curb appeal of your property. We’ll explore key cost factors like yard size, incline, and labor costs to help you plan your yard leveling project. Hire a landscaping pro for a smooth, code‑compliant result.

Yard Leveling Cost Factors

When regrading your yard, there are several important cost factors that affect the cost. Here’s a closer look at how your total cost breaks down.

Land Survey

Get a land survey first to be sure every shovel of dirt stays on your side of the property line—especially if the work runs close to a boundary. On average, land surveys cost between $375 and $750. The final cost depends on your property's size and makeup, location, and the type of survey you want.

Slope Inclination

Calculate slope by dividing elevation change by distance (30 ft. ÷ 100 ft. = 0.3, or a 30% grade). The steeper the grade, the more work and expense it takes to reshape the yard and control erosion.

Additional Fill Dirt

Fill dirt isn’t the biggest line item, but you still need enough on hand to finish the job right. Expect to pay $5 to $30 per cubic yard for the cost of fill dirt.

If the soil being relocated from one area of your yard to the location of a newly created slope isn’t enough to fill the space, you might need additional fill dirt.

Topsoil

The topsoil is the dirt placed on top of the fill dirt. It contains nutrients that allow for a well-nourished garden and lawn. Depending on the type and quality, topsoil can cost between $12 and $55 per cubic yard.

Site Prep Work

The amount of landscape prep work your landscaping pro needs to do before starting on your lawn also influences the cost to slope your lawn. If you need to excavate your property entirely, the cost of excavation averages $3,800. Additionally, if your pro needs to remove bushes and trees, expect to pay an average of $1,300 to $5,700 for this service.

Don’t forget to contact your local utility company and have someone mark your utility lines so your landscaper doesn’t damage them.

Erosion Control

When you dig up the ground and move the soil somewhere else, you can potentially face erosion problems. Without erosion control measures in place, groundwater, wind, and rain can shift the soil and undo your resloping work.

Plan for erosion control—skipping it isn’t an option. You can anchor fresh soil with deep‑rooting plants or install edging that keeps everything in place when the first heavy rain hits.

Different erosion control measures have varying price points:

• Building a retaining wall costs $3,200 to $9,200.

• Sod pallets cost $1,000 to $3,000.

Labor

Regrading a yard often requires professional tools and equipment, particularly for steep or challenging spaces. Pros charge between $50 and $100 per hour to reslope a yard, depending on their experience level, the difficulty of the job, and labor costs in your area.

Permits

Depending on where you live, you may need a permit for a regrading project. Regrading permits can range from $100 to $500, depending on the scope of the work. Consult with your local permitting office before you begin to learn whether you need a permit and how much it will cost.

Grass and Landscaping

Most homeowners prefer to landscape their yard immediately following a sloping project. The average cost to landscape a home is $1,200 to $6,000. However, this varies depending on the size of your lawn, the complexity of the landscaping design, and where you live. Additionally, consider which plants you would like to install.

Here are some common landscaping costs to consider:

• Cost to install sod: $1,000–$3,000

• Landscape curbing cost: $780–$2,160

• Cost to build a pond: $1,230–$5,660

• Cost to seed a lawn: $440–$1,760

Irrigation System

The cost to install an automatic sprinkler system ranges from $1,640 to $3,570. Your existing landscaping, the size of your lawn, the irrigation system you select, and the number of zones in your yard (particularly if your lawn is terraced or has several levels) can all impact the cost of your irrigation system.

French Drain

A French drain sits under your exterior landscape to control groundwater and prevent puddling, pooling, and yard flooding. Installing a French drain costs between $500 and $18,000. The size, style, and condition of your property all impact the project's final cost.

Cost to Level a Yard by Size

One of the most impactful factors when calculating the cost to level a yard is its size. Below, we’ll look at two different measurements you can use while budgeting for this project.

Per Square Foot

The average size of most residential yards is between 5,000 and 10,000 square feet, with an average cost of $1 to $2 per square foot to level a yard. It’s uncommon for homeowners to regrade the entire yard, so you may not need to budget for the full area. Below are some average yard sizes and the grading cost per square foot.

Per Acre

While some contractors charge by the square foot, others charge by the acre. The starting cost to level a yard on a 1/5-acre lot is $3,000 and can reach up to $45,000 for one acre. While these prices include labor, material, and equipment, they don’t include any additional fill dirt your yard might require.

Cost to Regrade a Yard by Project

Size isn’t the only factor that impacts yard resloping costs—you’ll also have to factor in the type of regrading project. Here are some common projects that impact the cost of leveling your yard.

Driveway

Regrading your driveway allows it to drain water more efficiently, reducing the chance of water seeping in and causing cracks. The cost to regrade your driveway is $1,500 to $9,500. 

Foundation

Improper sloping around your foundation can lead to poor drainage, excessive bugs around your house, and foundational damage like cracks and spongy soil. On average, the cost to regrade around your entire foundation is $1,000 to $3,000.

Patio, Deck, or Porch

Resloping around an existing structure can cost more than resloping a fresh, untouched area. One of the most notable benefits of grading your yard to install a patio, deck, or porch is saving money on installation because you won’t need to build a raised deck and pay for the material required. Homeowners pay an average of $500 to $4,500 to reslope for a patio or deck.

Fence

You don’t need to grade your yard to install a fence, but some homeowners prefer the look and security of a sloped fence. If you decide you would like flat land before installing a fence, expect to pay between $900 and $3,000 for the cost of regrading a lawn.

Pool

When calculating the costs to install a pool , it’s important to install it on level ground. If your ground is uneven, it can impact the stability of your pool and cause it to crack. The average cost to grade your yard for a new pool is $200 to $900 .

Removing a Hill

For some homeowners, hills can add depth to their yard, while others prefer more usable space to make yard chores like mowing the lawn more convenient. Homeowners pay between $1,000 and $5,000 to remove a hill in their yard.

Does Leveling a Yard Increase Home Value?

Leveling a yard can increase the value of your home by boosting curb appeal and improving drainage. Some homeowners choose to reslope portions of their yard for aesthetic purposes, which may add appeal depending on the taste of home buyers in your area.

Yard leveling may improve safety and drainage by directing rainwater away from foundations and driveways. This can improve the longevity of your home and may even reduce flood risks and insurance premiums.

Budgeting for Leveling a Yard

Most yard leveling projects require professional equipment and skills. However, there are several steps you can take to keep your project budget-friendly:

• Schedule early: Pros fill up fast in spring and summer. Lock in a date now—or during the slower off‑season—to avoid last‑minute premiums and head off potential water‑damage headaches.

• Shop for soil deals: If you’re regrading a large section of your yard, look for bulk deals on fill and topsoil. Your landscaper may also have access to special discounts, so it’s worth talking to your pros and shopping around.

• Prepare your yard in advance: Many landscapers charge by the hour, so save time and money by clearing away vehicles, shrubbery, and furniture from the work site before they arrive.

• Do your own landscaping finishing: If you’re an avid gardener or handy DIY-er, this is a step you can manage yourself. Rooting plants are key to preventing erosion, so look for grasses, mosses, flowers, and other plants with a wide reach. Native plants tend to be well-suited for preventing erosion, so consider contacting your local native plant society for free seeds and other resources.

• Contact multiple pros: Reach out to several professional landscapers in your area to ask about quotes and compare prices.

DIY Land Leveling vs. Hiring a Pro

DIY grading is fine for a tiny spot—think the dip around a mailbox—if you have basic landscaping tools. Anything bigger calls for heavy equipment, a sharp eye for drainage, and plenty of experience. A professional crew handles the precision cuts, soil compaction, and slope checks that keep water flowing away from your foundation. 

You can save yourself a lot of manual labor by hiring a local landscaping company for your lawn leveling project. Hiring a pro protects your home, saves time, and often costs less than fixing a DIY misstep later.

How HomeAdvisor Gets Its Cost Data

No place is more important than your home, which is why HomeAdvisor connects homeowners with local pros to transform their houses into homes they love. To help homeowners prepare for their next project, HomeAdvisor provides readers with accurate cost data and follows strict editorial guidelines. We surveyed thousands of real customers about their project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We pair this data with research from reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects.