Who would I hire ...

Nancy T
by Nancy T
Who would I hire or talk to about leveling a section of my backyard. My backyard sits at the bottom of a hill and the fence between me and my back neighbor sit up on a small retaining wall made out of broken concrete (which is covered with ivy).
My question is who / what kind of service would I hire to advise me on the best way to level only that small corner of the yard so I can build a shed there?
I want to build the shed in the corner and I know it's hard to tell but the change is about 2 - 3 feet.
I know the backyard is ugly and a mess (we just bought the house) and I can't afford to build a nicer retaining wall at this point.
  9 answers
  • 360 Sod (Donna Dixson) 360 Sod (Donna Dixson) on Mar 22, 2014
    talk to a local landscape contrator, they should be able to guide you in what to do.
  • Susu Susu on Mar 23, 2014
    I wouldn't level the ground, I would level the shed. I would build a raised platform using "stilts" , then build my shed on that. The shed will stay drier, the floor won't rot out and you won't have to move a lot of heavy earth. Just be sure to put down chicken wire and gravel under the shed or you will have varmints. (I know)
  • H.C. Lawn H.C. Lawn on Mar 23, 2014
    you could put the rear of the shed on sona tube cement , then you can use under the shed too .dig some out. or need rock soil just soil will settle landscaper or local contractor builder try www.homeadvisor.com if going to use a wall to hold dirt back in stead put in under shed for walls
  • Sue Bingham Sue Bingham on Mar 23, 2014
    We found a fantastic man thru Craig's list. He was very reasonable and did a surperb job!
  • Anna Ibarra Anna Ibarra on Mar 23, 2014
    Why don't you get several bids on both, leveling the shed or leveling your yard. It doesn't look like a huge job, But this way you have an idea of what you want to go for. Also depends what you plan for the rest of the unleveled portion of your yard that doesn't house your new shed.
  • Nancy T Nancy T on Mar 25, 2014
    Thank-you all, I think I will get a couple different bids as Anna suggested.
  • Jeanette S Jeanette S on Mar 25, 2014
    I would definitely build the shed above ground to keep the flooring dry. You can put lattice around the bottom to give it a finished lt off. Put on a small porch (deck) and add a couple of rocking chairs...it would be adorable. Make sure you have at least a 36" door or double doors. A ramp would allow easy access for large equipment access.
  • Janis Jones Janis Jones on Jun 22, 2015
    Call a landscaper for an estimate, and in the mean time keep looking and thinking about how you want to use this space. You'll need to build up the ground , put a stake at the high point, wrap a string and put another stake at the lower part. That'll give you the best estimate of how much grading will have to be done.
  • Kincaid99 Kincaid99 on Sep 23, 2015
    Be careful of Craigslist, we hired a man who lied about his talents, he tried to charge exorbitant fees by hiring someone else to do the work for him, when I had expressly stated in ad no subcontracting, ask around to your friends to recommend someone. We asked at Home Depot and they have a list of good honest people to do the work.