Leveling a yard costs an average of $2,175
The average lawn leveling service costs $2,175, with most homeowners spending between an average range of $1,023 and $3,335.
Lawn leveling cost factors include yard size, project type, site prep work, erosion control, land survey costs, additional fill dirt, and topsoil.
Leveling your lawn improves drainage and reduces water damage risks.
Resloping your yard protects your home’s foundation and other structures from erosion.
Hiring a professional landscaping company to level your lawn ensures the job is done properly and protects the integrity of your land.
This article was updated using automation technology and thoroughly reviewed for accuracy by HomeAdvisor Editor Ryan Noonan.
On average, it costs $2,175 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 $3,335.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Yard Size (Sq. Ft.) | Average Cost Range |
---|---|
1,000 | $1,000–$2,000 |
2,000 | $2,000–$4,000 |
5,000 | $5,000–$10,000 |
10,000 | $10,000–$20,000 |
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.
Yard Size (Acres) | Average Cost Range |
---|---|
1/5 | $3,000–$9,000 |
1/4 | $4,200–$11,250 |
1/2 | $8,500–$22,500 |
1 | $17,000–$45,000 |
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.
Regrading Project | Average Cost Range |
---|---|
Driveway | $1,500–$9,500 |
Regrade around foundation | $1,000–$3,000 |
Patio, deck, or porch | $500–$4,500 |
Fence | $900–$3,000 |
Pool | $200–$900 |
Remove a hill | $1,000–$5,000 |
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 .
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
Spring is the sweet spot for yard leveling. The soil has enough moisture to shape easily but is still firm enough to stay put once you finish grading. Tackle the project before summer downpours arrive, and you’ll improve drainage, reduce erosion, and give new grass time to take root. Leveling in early spring also helps pros schedule followup landscaping before the busy season hits.
A pro crew typically needs five to six days to level an average‑size yard. Smaller spots may wrap up in a single day, while a sprawling or steep property can stretch the timeline to a full week. Those days cover everything from prep and initial grading to final touch‑ups that leave the surface stable and ready for new landscaping. Building this window into your schedule keeps the project on track and ensures long-lasting results.
Leave a four‑inch gap between finished soil and both the top of the foundation and the bottom edge of the siding. That clearance lets water run off instead of slipping inside and keeps pests from finding an easy path indoors. Sticking to this measurement protects the structure, preserves proper drainage, and helps you avoid costly repairs down the road.
Grading tilts the ground so water flows away from your foundation; leveling smooths out bumps so you can mow, entertain, or add hardscaping with ease. Most projects need a mix of both—grade first for drainage, then fine‑tune the surface for a neat, user‑friendly lawn. Combining the two protects the house and boosts curb appeal in one pass.