How we grade a yard
We start at the house and work out. The tracked skid steer moves and smooths the dirt, filling low spots and cutting down high ones. We set up the laser level on a tripod and check the grade as we go, so the yard falls away from the house the way it should. Our job photos show it: a smooth backyard beside a white house, the laser on its tripod.
When the yard needs more dirt than is there, the dump truck brings it in. The last pass leaves the surface smooth and even, ready for seed, sod or whatever you plan to put down. If you want topsoil on top for grass, tell us so we can talk about it.
Slope away from the house
The building code standard used in many places, the International Residential Code, says ground should fall at least 6 inches within the first 10 feet away from a foundation. Where that is not possible, swales or drains can carry water off. Concrete or asphalt next to the house should slope at least 2 percent away.
On flat Delta ground, getting that fall can take some fill. Heavy clay makes it more important, because water that sits against a slab does not soak away fast. Clay soils like Sharkey also shrink and crack when dry and swell when wet, so keeping water off the foundation helps. Check with your city or county for local rules.
What affects a yard job
Size of the yard and how rough it is are the first things. A yard with deep ruts from the builder's trucks takes more work than one that just needs smoothing. How much dirt has to come in matters, and so does how low the house sits compared with the yard around it.
Access counts too. Fences, trees, a septic system, buried lines and tight spaces between buildings slow things down and need care. We need to know where the septic tank and field lines are. Wet clay does not grade well, so after a rainy stretch we may need to wait for it to dry before the yard can be finished right.
Who it is for
Families moving into a new house with a rough, rutted yard. Homeowners with water standing by the slab or garage after every rain. People getting ready to put down sod or seed who want the ground smooth first. Builders who need the yard graded so the house can be finished.
If water problems go past the yard, like a low corner of the lot or water coming off a drive, see grading and drainage. If you are still in the planning stage, getting the pad height right is the best way to avoid yard water later. See pads and fill dirt.
