Landscaping, leveling

[kram]

I often get asked by customers about having an area levelled, either for lawn or planting flowers. These areas are often containing small or big stumps, roots, well established weeds. Asked a few people but noone seems to have experience of the job.

I'd guess there may also be concrete hidden under, often along a fence line.

 

I'm thinking a mini digger would lift it all, tho would struggle on any larger stump or concrete.

I'm told a rotavator, but they seem to be low powered tools for easy, perfect ground. I dont believe a 7 or 15hp baby engine will do it? 

 

Has anyone here got experience of this job?

Machine would be hired in for a day or week.

[Jwoodgardenmaintenance]

Personally I’d say it’s been battered for a reason is the other side a different level to the height on your side? You could quite easily dig it back to realise you’ve exposed the footings of the posts so they’d need taken out and replaced so the bottom of the post is buried in the ground 

 

Jack

[daveatdave]

as j wood says, then who dos the fence belong to, dig the topsoil off and save then do the sub soil 

[kram]

The other side is the same hieght as rest of garden.

 

I think I shall need to go back with a long masonary drill bit and do some test holes to check if theres a slab or lumps underneath along the fence. Its concreted the other side.

 

Thanks

[marne]

Quite some experience here:

 

1.Use a Stump Grinder for super-rototilling, regular tillers don't go deep enough. 

 

2. Your best bet for grading is a harley rake or power box rake, best attached to a mini skid. 

As the UK seems to be the inventor of pointless narrow gates, a walk behind tractor, preferbly with hydro drive would be your second choice. 

 

3. If no harley rake is available, a power harrow or better a stone burrier or both (first pass stone burrier second pass harrow) would be an acceptable option. 

 

4. If none of 2. and 3. Is available, try to get a newer p38 with blade, grind rough grade, use handrake. A micro digger would fit anywhere between these options, if you know how to use it. 

 

5. Compact/roll seed

 

6. Tell the customer if say don't water everything's lost, they are responsible for germination, avoid responsibility for their lazyness.