When to level a lawn — 4 tell-tale signs experts say indicate this lawncare task is overdue

Wondering when to level a lawn? An uneven surface is an obvious clue, but there are actually a few different signs to watch out for.

If you’re wondering if it’s time to learn how to level your lawn, it’s pretty simple to gauge how much work it needs. You'll need to make sure you know when to do it first, though.

‘Established lawns can become uneven over time, especially after periods of dormancy in winter where heavy rainfall and frosty conditions may have caused soil erosion and damaged your lawn,’ explains Chrissie Handley, lawn care specialist at Online Turf.

That’s why we’ve checked in with lawn and turf experts to figure out exactly when to level a lawn.

Chrissie Handley

Chrissie Handley is a lawn care specialist working for Online Turf. With extensive expertise in turf-laying, grass maintenance & seasonal gardening advice, she is dedicated to helping gardening enthusiasts achieve lush, healthy lawns year-round.

1. When the grass looks and feels bumpy

We’ll start with one of the surest signs that a lawn needs levelling. Simply taking a good look at your lawn can tell you enough about its condition — and often, it'll be noticeably uneven.

'The most obvious sign would be any visible areas where the grass looks uneven (low or high spots),' says Cheryl Harper, managing director of Greensleeves. 'This is the clearest indication that the lawn needs levelling.'

Another easy way to determine when to level a lawn is by walking on it.

‘The lawn will sometimes have an obvious uneven surface which you can feel when walking on it, giving you a clear indication that it needs levelling,’ says Chrissie.

2. When it's difficult to mow

Besides walking on your lawn, you’ll also be able to gauge whether your lawn needs levelling while you’re mowing.

‘If you’re finding it difficult to mow in a clean, straight line, this may be a sign of uneven terrain,’ explains Chrissie.

Even the best lawnmowers on the market can struggle on an uneven lawn and even become strained because of it, which is as good a reason to level a lawn as any.

3. When brown patches appear

Mowing an uneven lawn isn’t just a tricky feat — a lawnmower is also likely to leave brown patches in its wake.

‘If you’re also scalping your lawn in specific areas, this shows there are areas of lawn that are higher and therefore closer to your blades, indicating where it needs levelling,’ Chrissie explains. ‘Scalping is shown by areas of short, brown patchy grass.’

And that's not the only reason patchiness can appear. 'Low areas may result in poor soil drainage, causing the grass to die off, while high areas can create dry spots where the grass doesn’t thrive,' adds Cheryl from Greensleeves.

4. When you notice puddles

Fixing a waterlogged lawn is bad enough, but if puddles are forming in parts of your lawn, it could mean it needs levelling.

‘Rain should flow away from your house and off the side of your garden, not pool and create a boggy lawn,’ says Chrissie.

‘If there is uneven ground in your garden, water will pool in these spots like puddles, helping you identify which areas may be lower than the rest of the lawn.’

If you’re wondering how to improve lawn drainage in general, learning how to aerate your lawn is a brilliant first step.

5. It's the right season

Just as it's important to figure out the best time to sow grass seed, you'll need to know when to level a lawn, too.

The perfect time to level your lawn is in the spring, when the risk of frost has passed and your grass is actively growing. However, you should always keep an eye on the weather forecast before whipping out your tools and buying your topsoil.

‘Wait until it's been a couple of days since it last rained, or since you last watered your lawn,' advises Steve Chilton, garden expert at LeisureBench. 'It should be dry when you start this process.’

What you'll need

FAQs

How can you check if your lawn is level?

Besides judging it by eye, you can check the evenness of your lawn using something as simple as a plank of wood.

'You can also use a long straight board (about 6-8 feet long) or a spirit level,' says Cheryl from Greensleeves. 'Lay the board on the grass and check the gaps between the ground and the board. If the board rocks, it’s a sign that the lawn is not level.'

You can also use a piece of string. 'Stretch a string across the lawn from one point to another,' Cheryl advises. 'Then, measure the distance from the ground to the string at various points. This can help you identify the low and high spots.'

So, that's when to level a lawn: in the spring, when it's noticeably uneven to the eye and touch, and when pooling and brown patches start to become a problem.

Once that's sorted, you can start working your way through a list of other lawn care tips!