How to Level Ground

Co-authored by Benjamin Hansen

Last Updated: October 30, 2024 Fact Checked

Homeowners level ground in their yards for a variety of reasons. Some people level the ground before building a new home, especially when the property has hills. Others level ground to prepare for new above-ground swimming pools, swing sets, driveways, sheds or patios. Some people even level the ground before planting grass seed, flowers and vegetable gardens. Whatever your reason to level ground, the process is the same.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Marking Your Area

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This area does not need to be perfectly square or rectangular unless you are planning on using sod instead of simply replanting your grass. Drive wooden or plastic stakes around the area to be leveled.
Attach strings to stretch between the stakes, a few inches above the ground. Attach a string level to the strings to determine the high point. This will usually be your starting point and the rest of the ground will be brought to here, but you can also lower some ground if that makes more sense for your project.

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Using a tape measure and your level, adjust the strings until you can see how much height needs to be added or taken away across the area you are adjusting.
Keep in mind that you may want to adjust the grade of your land to help combat drainage problems. Your land should be graded 1" for every 4', leading away from your home.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Leveling the Ground

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If you are leveling a small area and it is mostly level, you probably will not need to remove the grass. However, if you have a large area and a lot of leveling to do, removing the grass will be much easier. A simple shovel is all that's necessary for a reasonable amount of space.
Depending on how much ground you have to cover and what will be going on the ground afterwards, you'll need to level your land with differing mixtures of soil, sand, and compost/manure fertilizer. If you want to grow grass in this area, the cover will need to be nutrient rich. If you want to level for a pool or shed, soil and sand will do just fine.
Use a garden rake to spread the material evenly, checking using your level and a measuring tape to make sure it's staying level. If you have a large area to cover, there are small versions of ground moving equipment that you can rent from your local hardware store. They will be able to advise you on what will work best for your property.
If you are leveling a small area, you can tamp the soil using your foot and the bottom of your rake. If you are leveling a large area, or it is especially important to keep the ground level (such as if you are building a structure), get a tamper or plate compactor to compact the soil.^{[1]
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Give the soil plenty of time to settle. It needs at least 48 hours, if not several days or weeks to settle properly. Mist the area with water if your area does not get rainfall during that time.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Regrowing Your Grass

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If you are intending to reintroduce grass to that area, you will need to buy grass seed that is appropriate for your needs and the area in which you live.^{[2]
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Lightly cover the seeds with a sprinkling of topsoil and lightly tamp it down.^{[3]
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Mist the area with water 4 times a day for at least 2 days to encourage the seeds to germinate.^{[4]
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Give the grass time to grow in and then reseed areas where the grass does not grow in to your satisfaction.
You can also buy sod if you are impatient or want a particularly uniform appearance.

Expert Q&A

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Question

How should I level the ground before building a shed?

Benjamin Hansen
Licensed Landscape Contractor
Benjamin Hansen is a Landscape Contractor and the Owner of Artscape Gardens, a boutique landscaping company in Los Angeles, California. With over 12 years of experience, Benjamin specializes in transforming properties into aesthetic, functional, and drought-tolerant oases. Benjamin uses color scheme, dimension, and water conscious spaces to inspire the design and installation of soft scape, hardscape, patios, pathways, irrigation, drainage, fencing, concrete, lighting, and electrical work. Artscape Gardens covers all areas of the C-27 landscape contractor classification.

Benjamin Hansen

Licensed Landscape Contractor

Expert Answer

We tend to always go with the rule of thumb that for any slab on grade, meaning any concrete that we pour for a shed to be built around, we want to make sure that there's drainage without any problems. Even though the shed is covered, we would still recommend doing a quarter-inch of a drop per foot when we grade for a shed. Now there are different variances of that—you could do even less. But a good rule of thumb would be a quarter-inch per linear foot of a drop so water will be able to move away.

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Question

Can I use a string level for a distance of 40 feet?

Community Answer

Yes, 40 or 400 feet. You want to stake off intervals of 10 feet to keep leveling consistent. Be mindful of the 1" per 4' rule away from the house for drainage purposes.

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Question

Can you explain the 1" per 4' rule more clearly?

Community Answer

If you start with your back to your home's outside wall, when you walk 4 feet into your yard, you should end on ground that is 1 inch lower than the ground at your outside wall. It's to make sure water is encouraged to flow away from your house and foundations, preventing flooding or water damage to your foundation/building.

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