How to Grade for Laying Sod

Laying sod is the quickest way to establish a new lawn. It is also the most expensive. With that in mind, it is very important to correctly grade a lawn for laying sod. It must be done right the first time, or you will basically have to start all over again. This will make it even more costly. The good thing is you can save some money by laying the sod yourself after first following some basic grading procedures.

Rototiller

Shovel

Garden rake

Steel rake

Lawn roller

Make sure the lawn slopes in the desired direction. The lawn should have a gradual slope away from stationary objects such as your house, sidewalks and pool. The lawn should be free of dips and valleys where water will collect and form a puddle.

Grade the lawn to have the desired slope. Lower high areas and raise lower areas. For really big jobs, a professional with a bulldozer is probably needed. For smaller jobs, break up the soil with a rototiller and then move around the dirt with a shovel.

Grade the lawn so that is 1 inch below sidewalks, driveways, patios and other fixed objects that will border the sod. The 1 inch is to allow for the depth of the sod.

Remove all rocks and debris with a garden rake. Use the rake to also break up clumps of grass.

Look at the lawn from all angles to make sure it now has the correct slope.

Tamp down the dirt along the borders of the lawn with the straight edge of the garden rake.

Rake excess dirt away from the borders of the lawn with a steel rake. Distribute the dirt so the lawn is as even (or flat) as possible while maintaining the gradual slope.

Grade the lawn a final time with a lawn roller. A lawn roller will make the soil firm. It will also make it easier to identify any remaining small bumps or slight dips in the lawn.

Water the prepared lawn right before installing the sod.

Apply a weed killer a week before getting started.

For lawns with severe slopes and swales, the installation of a drainage system may be needed.