Over the years my lawn became progressively bumpier, to the point where scalping the lawn while mowing was a common occurrence, and our two year old would frequently trip when running over bumps or low spots. I began doing research on lawn leveling and after watching a few You Tube videos on professional lawn leveling, I was officially obsessed. This article will outline the results of my research, my results to date, and my plans going forward. I’m not planning on getting all the way to putting green standards, but the principles hold true no matter how serious you are. Keeping your lawn level is an ongoing process, but with some simple steps it’s really quite easy and can make a huge difference to the quality of your lawn.
Why is it Important to Have a Level Lawn?
A smooth, even lawn, without bumps or depressions, is important as it provides a much more usable surface to walk on. Any activity (athletic or otherwise) will be made safer and more enjoyable – from soccer, croquet, bocce ball to just running around. For kids and adults alike.
A level lawn also contributes to a healthier and easier to maintain lawn. Not only does it result in a better quality cut, because your mower won’t be scalping the lawn, you can also mow more quickly because the mower isn’t jumping around. Not to mention, mowing over a bumpy surface is simply uncomfortable (much like driving over potholes in your car). Low spots are of particular concern because as the tires pass over them, the level of the mower blade also drops, plunging it into the higher spots and cutting the grass there too low. The last advantage to a level lawn is drainage. Holes and low spots tend to collect water in pools, which increases chance of lawn disease.
What Causes a Lawn to be Bumpy?
Before anything is done to correct bumps and unevenness, you must first diagnose why they occurred. Often there is an underlying problem that needs addressing. Removing this cause before correcting the effect is crucial to finding a long term fix. Sometimes bumps and depressions can be the result of drainage problems, or even broken water or irrigation pipes causing erosion. If there are, for example, two to three low spots around areas where there may be water or drainage pipes, you should investigate to make sure that nothing is leaking. Consult an expert if necessary.
A sprinkler system is a common culprit for erosion since the water lines are prone to damage and the whole system requires regular maintenance. To investigate, check that the spray heads and rotors are working correctly and popping up to their full height, that the nozzles are not clogged or damaged, and that the heads are not leaking.
Ground settling is another common cause of a bumpy lawn. Over time settling occurs which causes depressions. This is largely unavoidable. Specifically, if you have a new lawn, or if you’ve had yard work done or large equipment on your lawn. Freezing and thawing cycles can accentuate this in cold-winter climates. These cycles can cause soil to heave and become bumpy and uneven. In Spring, bumps often appear as clay soil thaws unevenly. It can heave and create ripples in your lawn like a bunched-up carpet.
Another source of lawn bumpiness is simply having a thin lawn from a disease or insect problems that is weakening an area. This results in patches of bare soil. These areas then erode even deeper with rainfall, wind, and activity, resulting in depressions when compared to the surrounding area of healthy lawn. This was the primary source of unevenness in my front yard.
Other sources of bumps can include buried objects such as wood debris from construction (this should be removed), people walking on lawns that are too soft (like in the early spring or after heavy rains), and animals. Animals, both wild and domestic, sometimes dig holes in lawns. If the bumps are from burrowing animals, like ground hogs or moles, they will have to be removed or repelled. Lastly, ant mounds can be a cause of significant bumps. These will be readily apparent, due to the presence of ants. Ants don’t harm the grass, for the most part, and can actually help keeping other pests in check, however, when they form large mounds it becomes a problem.
Lawn Leveling Equipment
Basic equipment needed to level your lawn is pretty simple: a hand rake, landscape rake, plastic leaf rake, a large push broom, a shovel, an edger, and a wheelbarrow. Additionally, the tool I use is a leveling rake, like the Accuform AccuLevel by Par Aide or a similar one on Amazon. Here is a video of one in action. They are also known as a ‘Levelawn’. Used by golf course greens-keepers, this is the ultimate tool for distributing leveling materials. It removes stones, breaks up small clumps, and creates a super smooth surface. It does a much better job at final leveling than just a landscape rake or push broom.
Accuform AccuLevel
My Standard Golf Levelawn (purchased in 2019). It has performed exceptionally well.
Steps to Leveling your Lawn
Before you get started, assess the severity of the problem. Do you have mostly small bumps and unevenness or is your lawn like the surface of the moon? The severity will dictate your approach. Small holes and depressions can usually be addressed by topdressing or just filling them in and re-seeding. However, if your problem is more severe, you’ll need to resort to more aggressive treatment such as re-grading.
Leveling Out Slight irregularities
For the slightest of bumps (less than 1”), it may be possible to flatten them by stepping on them during the spring months when the ground is soft. A water-filled roller can also be used. Fill the roller about a third full of water and go back and forth over the lawn. If the surface hasn’t smoothed out, add a little more water and repeat the process until it’s level. However, be careful that you don’t overdo it, as rolling will compact the soil, which can cause other problems.
Topdressing
Topdressing is the least invasive approach and works well for leveling mildly uneven areas. I was able to address most of the unevenness in my front yard through topdressing, however I plan on doing it again this spring with a leveling rake, which I’m expecting will improve my results. These are the basic steps:
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- Mow the lawn at the lowest setting possible;
- De-thatch the lawn with a garden rake or de-thatcher;
- In a wheelbarrow, mix up a batch of leveling mix. Compost based mixes are good for this;
- Apply scoops of soil mix to low areas of the lawn using a shovel;
- Rake the topdressing to spread it out evenly. Apply 1/4″-1/2″ of soil mixture on top of the low areas. Only 1/2” of material can be applied at a time so that you don’t smother the grass;
- With a push-broom (or leveling rake), work the soil mixture into the grass as thoroughly as possible. You should see mainly grass once complete;
- Water the grass to further stabilize it; and
- Monitor the progress in the area. If its still uneven, repeat these steps until its level (once the grass has had a chance to recover). For small low spots and depressions, you can gradually correct them by sprinkling top dressing over them.
What is the Best top dressing for leveling lawns?
There are two main choices for a lawn leveling top dressing: sand or a sand-soil mix. For leveling purposes, pure sand is the quickest and easiest. Sand provides excellent structure and leveling properties, will help with drainage, and can cling to the clay in the soil. Be aware that too much sand can leave your grass dry and thirsty because the water will slip right through. Check out my article on leveling with sand.
Sand-soil mixes, on the other hand, come in a variety of compositions, or you can mix them yourself. A common mix is 30% soil or organic compost and 70% sand. The compost/soil brings in nutrients and beneficial bacteria that your lawn needs as well. Sand alone brings no nutrients or microbial value.
The best top dressing for your application should be dictated by your existing soil (which your soil test will tell you), and the extent of your leveling. If you need to over-seed portions of your lawn after leveling, you’ll want a soil-mix, to enable seed germination. If you’re just leveling, and aren’t worried about nutrients, than sand will likely be your best bet.
Filling Small Holes
For small animal holes, sometimes just filling the disturbed soil back in and topping them up with topsoil is a good repair. If they’re small the existing grass can grow over the hole. For slightly larger holes, fill them with topsoil, pack it down and ensure that it’s level. Over-seed with a similar grass to what is already growing in your lawn. Feed and water the seed diligently. Check out my article on overseeding here. For ant hills, I recommend using a spray, like this one. After trying a few ways to get rid of a large ant mound I had, I used a spray, which worked on the first try and didn’t hurt the grass.
Leveling Out a Moderately Uneven Lawn
What if you have a few really low spots in your lawn (an inch or more deep)? For these spots, topdressing is probably not your best course of action as it could take a while to work (since you have to proceed 1/2” at a time). Instead, you should consider removing the sod, correcting the cause of the sinking, and then back filling with new soil with enough extra to allow for settling. The removed sod can be put back in place. Follow the steps below:
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- Remove the sod over the low spot (if the area is bigger than 1 foot square, cut out multiple chunks (to make them easier to move without breaking) and set them aside. I recommend not cutting the pieces any wider than 18” strips. Gently pull them up so that the roots separate from the soil. Roll up the strips to keep them moist. Move them to a shady spot if you’re in the sun;
- Shovel enough topsoil into the hole that, once you replace the sod, the area will be even;
- As you shovel the soil into the hole, add water to settle the soil. This will remove air pockets;
- Replace the sod if its still in good shape, or replace with new sod or seed; and
- Water the grass thoroughly. I recommend not doing this project right after a heavy rain. The soil will be thick and damp and hard to handle.
Leveling Out a Severely Uneven Lawn
Finally, if your lawn looks like the surface of the moon, you likely need to resort to more extreme measures. Topdressing or the sod cutting method will likely not be sufficient to solve the problem. You may need to regrade the area and establish a new lawn. This was the case for me in my backyard, as you can see from the pictures. Part of the yard was sloping towards the house and half of the yard was too steep to be usable. I did the majority of the work by hand which I found to be the best option for a yard this size. I was able to be a lot more precise than a machine would be. You can see I did have a tractor, but that was mainly for removing an old patio and digging the foundation for a new one.
How to Re-grade Your Yard
The first rule of grading is that the ground should always slope away from your house. It should drop at least two or three inches every ten feet. The maximum slope in a lawn should be no more than twelve inches for every four feet. If the drop is greater than a foot you should plan to build a small retaining wall or cover the slope with a ground cover or ornamental grass. Here are the basic steps:
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- Place stakes in the ground so that you can establish a slope line for the yard to drain properly. Alternatively, a more accurate way to measure your yard’s slope is to use a transit level. This is my preference. They can be rented fairly cheaply from your local equipment rental store. You’ll need two people to get the measurements;
- Once you’ve established your slope, start removing the topsoil from the problem areas. Adjust the subsoil by scraping away high areas and filling in low areas. Depending on the size of your yard, extensive grading may require some larger equipment. This type of equipment can be rented or alternatively a landscape contractor can be hired;
- Spread 2-inches of topsoil and till it in to the first 2-inches of subsoil. This will reduce the chances of drainage problems between the two layers of soil;
- Finally, spread the rest of your topsoil, which should add at least another four inches;
- Once your final grade is established, you can lay sod or you can start grass from seed. The finished grade (after amendments and new grass) should end up matching the level of existing the fixtures (walkways, patios, and the established lawn). This will be an inch lower for sod than for seed.
New Grass Considerations
If using sod, make sure the grass is thoroughly rolled to stabilize the lawn and reduce foot prints in the coming weeks. Be sure to water well to help the grass reestablish itself. Add fertilizer to encourage root growth. Keep foot traffic off of newly sodded or seeded areas as much as possible and set up some sort of barrier to keep people and pets from stepping on the area for at least a couple of weeks.
What’s the best time of year to Level?
Time your repairs carefully. For basic repairs, try to time them for the spring. This will allow your grass time to grow in and will also provide the moisture necessary to help set the soil. Although Spring is the best time, with respect to moisture, it can also be the worst time. The ground is usually very soft because of the snow-melt, which could result in new bumps if there’s too much traffic. Do not attempt leveling in the winter when the grass is dormant.
Preventative Measures
Once your lawn is level, it goes a long way to take preventative measures to not add new bumps or depressions. The two main things you can do are:
- Avoid creating ruts from your lawn mower wheels when you mow the lawn by changing your cutting pattern in between cuts; and
- Keep foot traffic off of the lawn when it’s very wet.
Conclusion
After reading this article, I hope you can appreciate my lawn leveling obsession, and perhaps learned a few things. Keeping your lawn level is an ongoing process, but with some simple steps it’s really quite easy and can make a huge difference to the quality of your lawn. Stay tuned for more leveling updates! Also, check out my recommended gear section here for all the tools and products I use.
Comments
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This is great professional information on how to solve problems of uneveness in a lawn. My small lawn at the back of my house could certainly do with a thorough work-over to improve it’s looks but unfortunately I do not have the skill nor the equipment to do it and would be grateful if there are any lawn experts out there who could give me a quote to do it
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When I mow I have one area where its on the crest of a hill the water runs off to drain…going over this my mower hops around…not from ruts from mower…but from loss of grass…+erosion of soil from loss of grass…under a oak tree…the ground needs soil +leveling… +new seed…but worried about future erosion…?what about those erosion nets..like fishing line that you stake in…the apply the soil mix..and then level?..might work and prevent future erosion?…always worry about doing work…laying new seed…then heavy rain comes and washes away seed before germinate…always a chance…..sod might be better…more money..and would still need leveling?..can you lay down erosion net..then topsoil and then sod?…trying to prevent further erosion!
Hi. I live in mulbarton Johannesburg South Africa. Where can i buy a levelling rake n how much does it cost.
Thanks.
Farouk
My back yard has mostly clay soil. It is 3 years old (we bought the house new). When the builder installed the lawn, they applied sandy loam but then waited over a week to put the sod in. Rain created divots and mounds all over. I don’t have time or money to redo the entire yard but I was wondering if topdressing with topsoil would help? I have clay soil and can’t use sand because it will make the clay hard as concrete. My back yard is the worst and is 3,000sqft. I was thinking about getting a level rake like you said but don’t know if I should get a 36″ or a 48″ due to this size of the yard and the severity of the bumps and dips. I would greatly appreciate any feedback. I am in central Texas, have Bermuda (sod placed 3 years ago), 3,000sqft yard, I use a yard company for fertilizer and week control, I don’t need a golf course for a yard but I don’t want my kids to twist their ankles in this uneven yard, I am not afraid to do work and be patient.
I would get the 48”. Using the tips above, you’ll need to experiment a bit to see what works best. I would start with a soil test also in your case. Good luck!
Hey Travis did you get this fixed. We have 10,000 sq feet of the same issue.
Just bought a new home (express) from DR Horton in Tomball, TX and they did a very POOR job leveling the lawn. I had standing water in one spot, so they dug a trench all around the house. I have holes on one side that my foot sinks into it, I mow the lawn and pushing my mower I feel like I’m in a four wheeler.
I told them it needs to be “leveled” and that’s a sin. One side in my back yard is high where the fence separates the two houses. Too many houses have spots with standing water, their solution is dig a trench in the middle of the yard leaving a eye sore.
I appreciate your comments on how to level your lawn. Will follow your instructions.
Thanks
What about lawn roller? Compaction is bad, but is there a place for this approach?
Yes, I think rollers have their place. I have been doing some research and am planning to incorporate rolling into my leveling regimen. Updates to the article are coming. Cheers
Wonderful information! I was looking for information on how to level the lawn by hand and I think the knowledge I obtained willl go a long way.
What type of sand do you use?
Hello Kevin,
I am looking for yard leveling company that I can trust (in all aspects) to do a great job of leveling my back yard. At my age I do not feel that is something I can do myself. Is it possible for you to recommend a company for me.
Thank you,
Steve Chalfant
how low should the grass be cut to topdress? By adding dirt on top of the grass, that covers part of the grass blades and puts the root deeper than before. Will that grass be affected by this? or does it normally respond well? some of the lower parts of my lawn have about 3 inches of depth.
no more than a half inch sand/soil mix. cut the grass as low as it will tolerate. The lower parts will have to be done repeatedly over time. As the grass recovers add another layer.
I live in north Texas with a yard that mostly consists of clay and limestone. My backyard is small and slopes too much outward. I understand sloping is a good thing but it slopes too much. On the side of my house, not only does it slope, it also floods in some parts as well. It is very uneven and I think it is erosion from the three downspouts. It also doesn’t grow much grass. My questions, 1. If I add more dirt to level a few inches (6 to 10 inches?), is it ok to raise my sprinkler heads or do I have to redo the whole system? 2. On the side of the house, would it make more sense to level with sand and create a rock garden? 3. I’m also thinking of adding rock all along the perimeter of the fence so I don’t have to raise the ground too much. I don’t want to flood my neighbors yard. I figure potted plants are my best bet.
That is a complicated set of issues. The only thing I can contribute is that your first priority should be to drain water away from your house. All of our downspouts (only new house I will ever move into) were pointed away from foundation but onto cheap splash guard. It caused so much erosion that it made a foot deep hole on one corner of our house. You should do lots of research or consult an expert on how to identify and fix the downspout issue. Also, if you put stone on your perimeter you may trap water that currently drains off your property and increase your flooding problem.
Hello my friend. I have a very very bumpy front lawn with approx measurement of 5 x 7 mtrs2 and it has next to no traffic on it. I having read your post and liked it and also found it very informative. I was wondering would it be ok to rake all of the top of the old grass and soil off, to leave a bare top and start again relaying and seeding a new lawn. I dont mind the graft that will be needed and I am a spritely 60 year old lol. Any advice would be appreciated. Many thanks Garry Duffy
Seeding over existing grass can work well. Check out my seeding article for some tips. Cheers
For a sand/soil/seed mixture, did you use (clean) playground sand?
Play sand probably isn’t your best bet. Check out my article on Soil Amendments for more info. I’m currently using a topdressing mix with equal parts of top soil, black peat, and mushroom compost. I find it has very good leveling properties.
Thanks, Kevin.
I never thought that broken water or irrigation pipes can be the cause of the bumps in my lawn due to erosion. My husband was mowing our front lawn yesterday when he realized that it was uneven and bumpy. I’ll tell him to investigate the pipes to ensure there are no leaks. Maybe we can also hire a ground leveling service this weekend to have a professional take care of it. Thanks!
I want to know if you have a good way to fill in gaps or long grooves left behind from the laying down of new roll St. Augustine. I have a good number of my lawn care customers that have new, but established lawns. And while being mowed, the mower falls into and comes of these long fence to fence length spaces in between each roll . You can feel them also, when you are walking behind the mower. The spaces / gaps in the sod are pretty noticeable from the affect causes on the lawn after being cut. And you had already observed on your own lawn with scalps and over all just uneven. I thought I would see if you have a solution. And none of them are are willing to drop much coin on the fix. They complain but I’m not really sure what to do about it other than telling them why it happens. Thanks Robert I hope you still monitor this blog if so my email is businessreviewer1968@gmail.com
Hello Kevin,
It’s really informative and awesome post.Learnt a lot on levelling a bumpy lawn.It will certainly enhance my knowledge on gardening.
My lawn is ridiculously bumpy.. definitely needs major work lol this seems like a good resource to come back to regularly. Thanks for the info Kevin, and for sharing your knowledge and experience with us!
I’m amazed, I have to admit. Seldom do I encounter a blog that’s equally educative and engaging, and let me tell you, you have hit the nail on the head. The problem is something which too few men and women are speaking intelligently about. Now i’m very happy that I found this during my hunt for something concerning this.
Having read this I thought it was really enlightening. I appreciate you taking the time and effort to put this informative article together. I once again find myself spending way too much time both reading and commenting. But so what, it was still worth it!
Hello! I’ve been reading your website for some time now and finally got the courage to go ahead and give you a shout out from Dallas Tx! Just wanted to tell you keep up the excellent job!|
Really wonderful and informative information, but with gophers, it’s a mute point.
Not long moved in to my council house. My back garden is so bumpy. Some bumps as large as graves. Pot holes in places. Can you give me advice on why the garden is like this? Also advice on how to level it. Look forward to hearing from you
Excellent site you have here.. It’s difficult to find quality writing like yours these days. I seriously appreciate individuals like you! Take care!!|
I have been looking for a solution to deal with my uneven lawn. This article provides the solution. Thank you!
Thanks tons! having regraded my backyard ( away from the buildings) I hope to l do an easier fix in the front. Your article is exactly what I was looking for. I will put in a dry stream-bed for drainage as necessary, and level the rest of it. Again, awesome directions. Just shows you can teach at least this old dog (I’m over 70) new tricks 🙂 I’ll put you in my bookmarks for future reference.
You’re welcome! Glad I could help. Cheers
My lawn is over fifty years old, it was laid before I was born and like all of us at this age it is beginning to sag in certain areas. I too have become obsessed about returning my grass to a green carpet. I will follow your a advise to the letter and hopefully I will have a successful long lasting makeover for the lawn that has seen me trough from my first steps to my wonderful replays of Leinster’s rugby greatest moves. Céline
Hi Kevin – I recently had some construction done which required dump and concrete trucks access to the area. As a result, I now have wheel tracks to the extent that mowing can be done however the ride is very unpleasant due to the indentations that were left. The area involved is probably spread out over an acre where the trucks entered and departed. What might be the best approach to address the problem? I thought that maybe using a roller to drive over the area and compress the ground or bringing in top soil and spreading over the more significant depressions. Any suggestions would be appreciated.