re: Dirt work experts need. (not NASCAR)

yep, and best way to create a good grade doesn't take any fancy laser lights or leveling equipt, all you need to do is nail in a stake and run a string line. that's why I said stop and check the grade often so you don't remove too much dirt and you know where you need to run over spots to pack the dirt down.

plant a stake next to the house at the corners, tie the string right at ground level and run string line out to a few other stakes in the yard around where you don't have high spots to check your grade and see where high and low spots are. you don't need to overcomplicate it.


when you are done use the string line to criss-cross your yard to check for any low spots where you can spread some of that extra dirt you will have left over, then when you are sure you have no low spots left just spread the remaining dirt as thin as you can in an out of the way area