Cost to Level a Yard in Boston [2025 Data]

Yard leveling in Boston costs an average of $2,766, and most projects total between $1,229 and $4,328. Your costs depend mostly on the square footage you’re looking to grade and how severe a slope you have on your property. You can get a good estimate of your total by assuming you’ll pay between $1 and $3 per square foot of yard you want leveled.

Yard Leveling Cost Factors

Yard leveling costs in Boston, Massachusetts, can be as low as $600, but some projects reach as high as $8,100. There are a few factors at play that will determine where in this range your project will fall.

Size

The average cost of yard leveling in Boston is between $1 and $3 per square foot, so it’s a good idea to measure the area you want leveled and then estimate your costs accordingly. Larger projects will drive up labor costs and either material costs for fill dirt or dumping costs for dirt removal, so they’ll almost always cost more.

The average plot in Boston is just 0.022 acres or just under 1,000 square feet, so most projects will fall between $1,000 and $3,000, but prices fluctuate outside of that range based on other factors. If you can’t get accurate measurements of the area, look up the size of your plot and estimate based on acreage.

Type of Project

The part of the outdoor space you’re regrading and why plays a significant role in calculating the final cost to level your yard. Check out these common regrading projects below to get a better idea of what your project will cost.

Severity of Slope

The slope of your existing lawn will help dictate the overall price tag for this project. If you have a very steep slope on one side of your yard that you need to level, that will cost you more than a slight slope. Contractors typically charge based on the elevation change; the more significant the change, the bigger the price tag.

Land Clearing

When it’s time to regrade your yard, you may first need to consider land clearing if you have trees or shrubs growing in the area you want graded. Land clearing costs in Boston can add anywhere from $100 to $500 to your total, depending on the square footage and what you need cleared.

Prices for this line item will tend to be higher in the southwestern part of the city, where the tree canopy is much more developed.

Land Surveying

Boston is densely populated, with relatively small properties averaging just 0.022 acres each. As such, there’s a good chance your yard leveling project will require work close to property lines, as well as potentially interfere with underground utility lines. It’s a good idea to get a land survey done first to make sure you don’t infringe on a neighbor’s property or hit a buried water, sewer, or gas line. A land survey will cost an average of $2,300.

Fill and Topsoil

Fill dirt is a rocky material that’s ideal for packing in pockets during a regrade. It costs between $5 and $30 per cubic yard. How much you need delivered depends on the size of your regrading project and how much is available to relocate from elsewhere in your yard.

Topsoil goes down over the fill dirt. You’ll pay between $12 and $55 per cubic yard. Topsoil costs more than fill dirt because it’s full of nutrients to help nurture a lush landscape.

Yard Leveling Pro Costs

Labor will account for between 90% and 95% of your yard leveling cost, so hiring a landscaping pro in Boston, Massachusetts, will mean paying an average of between $2,500 and $2,600 for labor alone. The cost of labor is more than 50% higher in Boston than in most other cities due to the high cost of living.

Hiring a pro to regrade your yard is worth it, though, as land leveling is back-breaking and time-consuming work, and failing to compact the area properly can lead to ongoing issues with settling and uneven surfaces. Additionally, a lot can go wrong if buried utility lines run under the area you’re excavating, and hitting one can lead to thousands of dollars in damage or even dangerous explosions. Hire a pro for the best results and to keep yourself safe.

The City of Boston doesn’t require permits for yard leveling, so you won’t need to worry about related fees. However, if you’re leveling your yard as part of another project, like installing a fence or putting in a concrete patio, you may need permits. The city charges a $50 primary fee plus $10 per $1,000 worth of work.

Does Leveling a Yard Increase Home Value?

Leveling a yard in Boston normally won’t boost home value, especially because the elevation in the city is so minimal that existing slopes won’t really detract from home value. However, the reason you’re leveling can affect home value.

Leveling for improved landscaping appearance can drastically improve curb appeal and provide a return on value (ROI) of over 100%, depending on the specific project. Leveling your yard to add a patio or driveway can also add to your home’s utility and offer an ROI of 50% to 80%. On the other end of the spectrum, leveling land for a pool may lead to an ROI as low as 5%.

How Angi Gets Its Cost Data

Home is the most important place on earth, which is why Angi has helped more than 150 million homeowners transform their houses into homes they adore. To help homeowners with their next project, Angi provides readers with the most accurate cost data and upholds strict editorial standards. We survey real Angi customers about their project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We pair this data with research from reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects. 

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