Cost to Level a Yard in Minneapolis [2025 Data]

Yard leveling costs in Minneapolis average $1,918, and most projects total somewhere between $1,051 and $2,785. Your cost will depend mostly on the size of the area you’re leveling and how severe a slope you’re changing. Minneapolis has a mostly flat topography, so yard leveling costs fall below the national average.

Yard Leveling Cost Factors

Yard leveling in Minneapolis, Minnesota, can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $4,500. Where your price falls within that range will depend on a few key factors.

Size

Most landscaping companies in Minneapolis will charge mainly based on the size of the area you need leveled, with costs averaging between $1 and $2 per square foot. You can get a good idea of what your project will cost by measuring the square footage of the land you need resloped and multiplying by these averages.

Since the topography in Minneapolis is relatively flat, it’s unlikely that you’ll need large-scale yard leveling, but if you do, pricing out by acreage may be more helpful. The average property in Minneapolis is 0.21 acres, much larger than the average for other metropolitan areas, so regrading your entire lawn can get very expensive.

Type of Project

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

Minneapolis is known for its flat topography with gently rolling hills, so the minimal variation in land elevation means most slopes you need to correct won’t be severe. This is a big reason why the yard leveling costs in Minneapolis are below the national average.

Land Clearing

Before you dive into yard leveling, you may need to clear the land you’re resloping. Expect to add $500 to $1,000 if you need land clearing before leveling. You’ll pay closer to the lower end to remove light brush and debris, while removing trees and tree roots can push your total for this line item closer to the higher end of that range. Only 28% of the Minneapolis metro is covered by tree canopy, so most homeowners will pay closer to $500 for land clearing, if anything.

Land Surveying

If you’re sloping land near your property’s borders to install a fence or to avoid hitting underground utility lines if you need to excavate, you may need to consider the cost of a land survey first. Minneapolis has buried electrical, water, and sewer lines, and most of the city has gas service that relies on buried gas lines. 

Excavating near these can be extremely dangerous and expensive if something goes wrong, so paying between $800 and $5,500 for a proper survey first could save you money and frustration.

Fill and Topsoil

Fill dirt is a rocky material ideal for packing in pockets during a regrade. It costs between $5 and $30 per cubic yard. How much you need depends on the scope of your project and what you can 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

Yard leveling costs in Minneapolis, Minnesota, will include between $1,700 and $1,800 that goes toward labor, which accounts for between 90% and 95% of your total. The cost of living in Minneapolis is close to 17% higher than the national average, so labor will end up being more expensive than it would in most other areas.

It’s still a good idea to hire a landscaping company in Minneapolis to get the job done, though. A pro will ensure your yard is smooth and level and that no utility lines are ruptured in the process. Plus, leveling a yard is back-breaking work, so hiring a professional can potentially save you from injury.

The City of Minneapolis won’t require permits when you level your yard, but you may need to consider the cost of permit fees for fences, concrete patios or driveways, decks, pools, and outbuildings. Permit fees will vary based on the reason you’re leveling your yard.

Does Leveling a Yard Increase Home Value?

Leveling an otherwise unusable yard can drastically improve property value, but since the elevation changes in Minneapolis aren’t severe, yard leveling is unlikely to boost home value. However, you should consider why you’re leveling your yard, as you may see a healthy return on investment (ROI) for landscaping costs, patio costs, and other landscaping features.

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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