Good yard grading in Woodland, WA follows one rule: water should run away from the house and off the lawn, not toward the foundation or into a bowl in the middle of the yard. When a lot is shaped wrong, no amount of seed, sod or drain pipe fixes it for long. When it is shaped right, most of the drainage problem goes away on its own.
Bogar Landscaping regrades backyards, new-construction lots and acreage across Clark and Cowlitz County. We also handle the erosion control that comes with moving soil: covering bare ground, shaping swales and planting slopes so they hold through the wet months. We run a mini excavator where there is room and hand tools where there is not.
Yard Grading & Regrading in Woodland, WA: What's Included
A regrade is quoted for the yard in front of us, but most jobs include:
- Reading the lot. We take elevations, find where water enters and leaves, and mark the high and low points.
- Saving the topsoil. Good topsoil gets stripped and stockpiled so it can go back on top instead of being buried under fill.
- Cut and fill. High spots come down, low spots come up, and fill goes in thin layers compacted as we go so it does not settle into a new puddle next year.
- Slope away from the house. The International Residential Code, which Washington adopts through WAC 51-51-003, calls for the grade to fall at least 6 inches within the first 10 feet of a foundation, and for paved surfaces in that zone to slope at least 2 percent away. We use that as the baseline.
- Swales. Shallow, grassed channels that collect runoff and walk it to an outlet. Where the soil stays wet underneath, we add a French drain.
- Finish grade. Topsoil goes back, gets raked smooth and rolled, ready for sod, seed or planting beds.
Landscape Erosion Control: Keeping Soil Where It Belongs
Bare soil and winter rain do not mix. Erosion control is about covering the ground, slowing the water and getting roots established. Depending on the site we use:
- Straw or bark dust cover on freshly graded ground that will be planted soon.
- Erosion control blankets pinned over seeded slopes, so rain hits fiber instead of loose soil.
- Fiber rolls and silt fence along the bottom of a disturbed area to catch sediment before it reaches a ditch, street or creek.
- Sod, the fastest way to put a living cover on a slope, often in a single visit.
- Deep-rooted plantings of shrubs, groundcovers and natives that knit a bank together. See native plant landscaping.
- Rock-lined swales and dry creek beds where water has to run downhill and would otherwise cut a gully.
- Terraces and walls where a slope is too steep to plant and hold. Our retaining wall page explains how we build them with drainage behind.
- Redirected roof water, since a downspout emptying onto a bank is the most common cause of the washouts we see. See downspout drainage.
Signs Your Yard Needs Regrading or Erosion Control
- Water flows toward the house or stands against the foundation after rain.
- A low bowl in the lawn that holds water for days.
- Patios, walks or driveways tilted toward the house, or puddles at the garage door.
- Small gullies and rills on slopes, or soil fanned out across a walkway at the bottom of one.
- Exposed roots and bare banks where groundcover has thinned out.
- Muddy water leaving the yard after storms, especially on a new-construction lot that was never finished.
How We Regrade a Yard, Step by Step
- Request a utility locate. Washington law requires notice at least 2 full business days, and no more than 10, before excavation. Grading disturbs the whole yard, so the locate covers the whole yard.
- Set the grades. We mark finished elevations and the direction every area should drain.
- Strip and stockpile topsoil. Sod or weeds come off first, then the topsoil is set aside.
- Cut, fill and compact. Subsoil is moved to its new shape, with fill placed in lifts and compacted.
- Shape swales and outlets. Channels get cut and lined with grass or rock, and outlets are set where water can leave safely.
- Replace topsoil and fine grade. The saved topsoil, plus new soil where needed, is spread, raked and rolled.
- Cover the soil. Sod, seed with straw or blankets, or bark dust in beds goes down before the next rain.
Erosion Control Methods Compared
| Method | Best for | How long it works | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straw mulch | Gentle, freshly seeded areas | Until the grass fills in | Inexpensive; blows around on windy, exposed sites |
| Erosion control blanket | Seeded slopes and swales | One to a few seasons as it breaks down | Holds seed and soil in heavy rain |
| Fiber rolls and silt fence | Base of disturbed areas | During construction | Catches sediment; does not stop erosion upslope |
| Sod | Lawn slopes and swales | Permanent once rooted | Instant cover; needs watering the first summer |
| Shrub and native plantings | Banks too steep to mow | Permanent, stronger every year | Needs mulch and weeding while it fills in |
| Rock swale or dry creek | Concentrated flow paths | Permanent | Stops gullies where water must run |
| Terraces and retaining walls | Slopes too steep to plant | Permanent | Engineering or permits may apply on taller walls |
Most slopes get a mix: a wall or terrace where the grade is steepest, plantings on the rest, and a blanket or straw to bridge the gap while roots grow.
Slopes, Rain and Soil Around Woodland and Cowlitz County
Rain is the engine of erosion here. NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals put Longview at 48.12 inches a year, and Merwin Dam near Ariel, up SR-503, at 68.17 inches. Hillside lots in the Lewis River valley, above Kalama and around Longview Heights get a lot of water on a lot of slope.
Soil makes slopes touchier. Kelso silt loam, common on the terraces around Kelso, Lexington and Castle Rock, has slow permeability and a perched water table 2 to 3 feet down from December to March. Saturated soil is heavy and weak. In 1998 the Aldercrest-Banyon landslide in east Kelso began moving after several years of above-average rain, and the city condemned 137 homes. Most yards will never see anything like that, but it is the local reason we keep roof water off slopes and never dump fill on top of a bank.
Bigger projects carry state rules too. Washington's Department of Ecology requires Construction Stormwater General Permit coverage for sites that disturb one acre or more and could send runoff to surface waters. On acreage jobs we size the disturbed area with that in mind.
What Affects the Cost of Yard Grading in Woodland, WA
National cost guides put yard regrading at about $1 to $2 per square foot when no fill is needed, with a 1,000 square foot yard averaging around $1,800. That is a third-party national figure, not our price. Your number depends on:
- Area and depth of change. A light reshaping costs far less than moving a foot of soil across the yard.
- Imported soil or fill. Lots stripped during construction often need topsoil brought in.
- Haul-off. Extra soil, sod, roots and debris that has to leave the site.
- Access. Gate width, slopes and finished landscaping around the work area.
- Drainage add-ons. Swales, French drains or catch basins built during the regrade.
- Cover and restoration. Sod, seed, blankets, plants and bark dust to finish.
After Grading: Getting Through the First Winter
- Keep the cover on. Replace straw or bark dust that blows or washes away.
- Walk the yard after big storms. Small rills are easy to rake out and reseed before they turn into gullies.
- Fill settled spots. A little settling in deep fill areas is normal in the first season. Top it up with soil before it holds water.
- Water new sod and seed through the first dry summer so roots go deep before the next wet season.
