Leveling or regrading a yard costs $0.40 to $2.00 per square foot on HomeGuide — $0.40 to $1.00 for fine finish grading, $1 to $2 for rough grading that removes a slope — putting a small patio or pool area at $500 to $1,000 and a full backyard at $1,000 to $5,000 (January 2026)1. Angi’s national average is $2,175 based on 5,354 verified Angi Pros projects, with most homeowners paying $1,021 to $3,330; project scopes on marketplace platforms vary, so that average isn’t like-for-like against HomeGuide’s project-type ranges2. Fixr prices a 1,000-square-foot regrade at $1,500 to $2,600 (average $1,800) with a 2-foot slope including fill dirt and topsoil3. All figures are the latest published data from each source.
Cost by size
HomeGuide splits finish grading (the top 1″ to 3″ of soil) from rough grading (removing a slope or contouring for drainage)1:
| Square feet | Fine / finish grading | Rough grading |
|---|---|---|
| 500 | $200 – $500 | $500 – $1,000 |
| 1,000 | $400 – $1,000 | $1,000 – $2,000 |
| 2,500 | $1,000 – $2,500 | $2,500 – $5,000 |
| 5,000 | $2,000 – $5,000 | $5,000 – $10,000 |
| 10,000 | $4,000 – $10,000 | $10,000 – $20,000 |
Angi and Fixr publish identical size tables — $1,000 to $2,000 at 1,000 square feet up to $10,000 to $20,000 at 10,000, both priced at $1 to $2 per square foot without additional fill dirt (Fixr’s framing) — matching figures from separately owned publishers, which alone don’t establish independent corroboration23. By acreage the three pages track closely but not identically: a full acre runs $17,400 to $43,600 (HomeGuide), $17,000 to $45,000 (Angi), or $15,000 to $45,000 (Fixr), and a quarter-acre lot $4,400 to $10,900 (HomeGuide), $4,200 to $11,250 (Angi), or $3,750 to $11,250 (Fixr)123.
Cost by project
Per-project ranges as published — the publishers diverge most on driveway grading:
| Project | HomeGuide | Angi |
|---|---|---|
| Regrade around house / foundation | $500 – $3,000 | $1,000 – $3,000 |
| Flatten a slope or hill | $1,000 – $5,000 | $1,000 – $5,000 |
| Level for above-ground pool | $200 – $850 | $200 – $900 |
| Patio, deck, or playset area | $500 – $1,000 | $500 – $4,500 (lawn leveling) |
| Driveway | $700 – $2,500 ($3 – $8 per sq ft) | $1,500 – $9,500 |
| Fence line | — | $900 – $3,000 |
| New construction lot | $1,000 – $5,000 | — |
Fixr prices slope severity instead, for a 1,000-square-foot yard: a 1-foot elevation change runs $1,000 to $1,200, rising to $2,200 to $2,400 at 5 feet3.
Fill dirt and topsoil
Fill dirt runs $5 to $25 per cubic yard (HomeGuide), $5 to $30 (Angi), or $7 to $12 (Fixr); topsoil runs $10 to $50 (HomeGuide) or $12 to $55 on both Angi and Fixr — identical topsoil figures from separately owned publishers, which alone don’t establish independent corroboration123. Fixr notes topsoil delivery typically isn’t included and can double the final price, and prices dirt removal (when excavated soil can’t be reused on site) at $130 to $200 per cubic yard3.
Labor and equipment
Hourly rates as published: HomeGuide prices operators with their own mini excavator, backhoe, or skid-steer at $100 to $300 per hour and a hired operator at $50 to $150 per hour; Fixr publishes $50 to $150 per hour for grading labor and $35 to $75 per hour for manual work where machinery can’t reach13. Angi publishes two labor figures that don’t match — $50 to $100 per hour in its labor section (12 to 24 hours for a full project, roughly $600 to $2,400) and $40 to $180 per hour in its size section; figures as published2. Equipment rental: $200 to $700 per day or $750 to $1,750 per week on HomeGuide, and $150 to $500 per day for a backhoe on Fixr13.
Surveys, clearing, and other prep
A land survey before grading costs $400 to $1,500 (HomeGuide), $530 on average (Angi), or $600 on average (Fixr)123. Land clearing runs $1,200 to $8,000 per acre (HomeGuide) or $1,300 to $5,700 total (Angi) — different scopes as published — and vegetation removal alone is $300 to $500 per 1,000 square feet on Fixr123. Excavation figures diverge widely: $2.50 to $15.00 per cubic yard on HomeGuide against $50 to $200 on Fixr, with no stated explanation on either page13. Where your municipality requires grading permits, Angi prices them at $100 to $500 — requirements are set locally, so confirm with your building department, and have buried utility lines located and marked before any digging2.
Related work after grading
Common follow-on projects as published: sod installation $1 to $2 per square foot (HomeGuide) or $1,000 to $3,000 (Angi); a retaining wall at $3,200 to $9,200 (Angi) or $3,500 to $10,000 (Fixr); and a French drain at $10 to $35 per linear foot (HomeGuide), $500 to $18,000 (Angi), or $2,800 to $6,500 (Fixr) — three publishers, three scopes, figures as published123. Fixr also prices a rain garden — a planted depression that absorbs standing water — at $10 to $20 per square foot, or $1,500 to $3,000 for a typical 150-square-foot project3.
Related guides
Concrete Foundation Cost
Yard Drainage Cost
Compost Cost
Xeriscaping Cost
See French drain cost for drainage fixes, retaining wall cost for holding a slope, and sod installation cost for finishing the leveled yard.
Sources
- HomeGuide, How Much Does It Cost to Level a Yard or Regrade Land? (2026), updated January 16, 2026
- Angi, How Much Does It Cost to Level a Yard? [2026 Data], updated October 14, 2026
- Fixr, Cost to Regrade Yard | Backyard Leveling Cost, updated January 31, 2025