Land grading cost and yard leveling prices in Tampa
Angi’s Tampa cost page puts yard leveling at $1,745 on average, and most people pay $841 to $2,648. HomeGuide puts land grading at $500 to $5,000 on average, or $0.40 to $2.00 per square foot. On a flat, sandy Tampa lot, the price turns on how much dirt has to move.
What does land grading cost per square foot?
HomeGuide prices land grading at $0.40 to $2.00 per square foot. Where a job lands depends on how deep the work goes:
- Fine or finish grading: $0.40 to $1.00 per square foot, to smooth and level the top layer of soil
- Rough grading: $1 to $2 per square foot, to remove a slope or shape the land for drainage
Fixr says to expect about $1 to $2 per square foot when no extra fill dirt is needed. Angi says contractors charge the same $1 to $2 for small and medium yards. Lawn Love sets its national average at $1.40 per square foot, based on a 1,200 square foot lot.
HomeGuide’s own table shows how size adds up. A 1,000 square foot yard runs $400 to $1,000 for fine grading. Rough grading on the same yard runs $1,000 to $2,000. Angi says the average Tampa yard is around 7,700 square feet, against about 10,900 nationally.
On a flat Tampa yard, the goal is a steady slope that carries storm water away from the slab. Every dollar figure on this page comes from a published cost guide, and most are national ranges. For a price on your own lot, ask us about regrading your yard or lot.
What does it cost to grade a whole lot or an acre?
Bigger jobs get priced by the acre. Here the guides sit closer together than anywhere else:
- HomeGuide: $17,400 to $43,600 per acre
- Angi: $17,000 to $45,000 per acre
- Fixr: $15,000 to $45,000 per acre, not counting any extra fill dirt
- Lawn Love: $15,800 to $44,535 per acre, with a national average of $30,000
Few home yards come close to that size. Fixr notes that the average American yard is far less than an acre. HomeGuide says most residential grading projects are 1/4 acre or less.
For that quarter acre home lot, HomeGuide gives $4,400 to $10,900. Angi puts the same lot size at $4,200 to $11,250. The two ranges overlap almost fully.
What does grading cost by type of job?
Cost guides also price common grading jobs one by one. This table sets two of them side by side.
| Grading job | HomeGuide | Angi |
|---|---|---|
| Regrading around a house for drainage | $500 to $3,000 | $1,000 to $3,000 |
| Leveling land for a new home or addition | $1,000 to $5,000 | Not listed |
| Driveway grading | $700 to $2,500 | $1,500 to $9,500 |
| Leveling for a patio, deck or playset | $500 to $1,000 | $500 to $4,500 |
| Flattening a slope or hill | $1,000 to $5,000 | $1,000 to $5,000 |
The two guides agree on flattening a slope. They split widest on driveways. HomeGuide prices driveway grading at $3 to $8 per square foot. Angi’s $1,500 to $9,500 is for an average 640 square foot, two car driveway.
HomeGuide splits grading around a house into two jobs. Fixing one side of the foundation runs $500 to $1,000. Grading around the whole house runs $1,000 to $3,000.
What makes a Tampa grading job cost more?
HomeGuide ties the price to yard size, soil type, slope and the fill dirt needed. Angi names yard size, slope and fill needs as the main drivers. Lawn Love adds dirt removal to that list.
Cut versus fill. Fixr says most contractors quote by the change in height, in 1 foot steps. On a 1,000 square foot backyard, a 1 foot change could cost as little as $1,000. A 5 foot change could run up to $2,400. Fixr says most jobs need about 2 feet of leveling between the low and high points.
Fill dirt. Low yards need dirt brought in. HomeGuide lists fill dirt at $5 to $25 per cubic yard, and Angi says $5 to $30. HomeGuide adds that one cubic yard covers 55 square feet at 6 inches deep. Our guide to fill dirt prices by the truckload covers the delivery side.
Hauling and access. Extra dirt that leaves the lot rides out on a truck, and that adds time. A fenced backyard reached through a gate takes smaller machines and more passes. We bring fill in and haul extra dirt out on our own dump trucks.
Hourly rates. HomeGuide says grading companies with a mini excavator, backhoe or skid steer charge $100 to $300 per hour. Lawn Love puts it at $40 to $180 per hour, with the machine and operator included.
Clearing first. Lawn Love says grading starts after the land is cleared. Angi puts clearing at $1,300 to $5,700, and HomeGuide says $1,200 to $8,000 per acre. On a wooded lot, clearing the lot first comes before any grade work.
Drainage add-ons. Some low spots have nowhere to drain, even after a regrade. A shallow swale shaped into the grade can carry the water around the house. Where the low spot is boxed in, a french drain gives the water a way out. HomeGuide puts a French drain at $10 to $35 per linear foot.
Grass afterward. A fresh grade leaves bare dirt. Sod or seed comes next, and that is a landscaper’s job, not ours.
What rules apply to grading in Hillsborough, Tampa and Pasco?
Hillsborough County spells out grading rules for new homes. The site plan must meet one of three options:
- Match the county approved subdivision Lot Grading Plan.
- Use a site plan signed and sealed by a Florida registered professional engineer.
- Select the NO FILL attestation on the application.
Under the NO FILL option, minor foundation grading stays within 6 feet of the building footprint. It must stay at least 3 feet from the side property line. The slope away from the house may not exceed 4:1.
Inside the City of Tampa, grading may not change surface drainage in a way that harms neighboring properties. The same goes for public rights-of-way. The city’s stormwater manual also sets living space at least 1.5 feet above the crown of the street.
Pasco County requires cup for cup compensatory storage for fill placed in the floodplain. In plain terms, flood storage lost to new fill has to be replaced in equal measure.
Angi says grading often requires permits and inspections to protect underground pipes and wires. These rules cover new homes and floodplain fill. For a regrade around an existing house, ask the county before moving dirt near a property line. Angi says grading permits cost $100 to $500, depending on your city and county.
How should you plan a yard regrade?
A little homework up front makes the quotes easier to compare. Work through these steps before the first machine shows up:
- Watch where water sits after a heavy rain, and mark the low spots.
- Measure the area in square feet, so per square foot quotes line up.
- Find your property survey, so the work stays on your side of the line.
- Ask the county about permits before moving dirt near a property line.
- Ask each contractor whether fill dirt, topsoil and hauling are in the price.
- Ask whether the quote is per square foot, per hour or for the whole job.
- Line up a landscaper for sod or seed once the grade is set.