How to Level a Lumpy Lawn

The UK Lawn Care Association Expert Guide

02 May 2025 (Last updated: 2 May 2025 14:08)

What’s your idea of lawn perfection? We’re guessing it doesn’t involve lumps, bumps or big holes. In our step-by-step guide to levelling a lumpy lawn, we’ll explain how to smooth out the surface of your sward to make using and caring for your lawn far more pleasurable.

•    Identify what’s causing your lawn to look lumpy

•    Decide whether you can make repairs by carrying out renovation, or if it would be better to start again and re-level the surface to create a new lawn from turf or seed.

•    Work out what materials you need to buy to mend your lawn

•    Prepare the lawn for repair works

•    Use screened topsoil to fill the hollows

•    Overseed the area

•    Irrigate if necessary

•    Adopt a regular lawn care regime while your newly mended lawn settles down

Why Is Your Lawn Lumpy?

Lawns and soil are natural living things and that means they are in a constant state of change. They’re outdoors, so exposed to all kinds of weather and wildlife. Add into the mix that everything that anybody does on your lawn can compact the soil and/or create divots, well then, it’s clear that dips and hollows are almost inevitable.

As ‘natural’ as it may be, a lumpy lawn is not necessarily ideal. Firstly, it’s all too easy to scalp the higher areas with the mower, creating ugly scars and leaving the grass vulnerable to weed ingress. Then there are usability issues. You can’t enjoy tea on the lawn if the tables and chairs are wobbling all over the place, games can be adversely affected by an uneven surface, and worst of all is the possibility of trip hazards.

How Lumpy Is Your Lawn? Should You Repair It Or Replace It?

What is your instinct telling you? Is the surface of your lawn rutted and littered with potholes or do you have just half a dozen shallow dips that need levelling out? Are the natural contours of your garden undulating? Have years of wear and tear compacted the soil and created holes and hollows in your lawn?

Our advice would be to read the rest of this blog to learn the basic lawn levelling techniques and then decide whether you can do the work yourself, or whether you need to call in the professionals to bring your lawn up to the standard you’d like it to be.

New build homes are particularly prone to lumpy lawns simply because the builder has taken insufficient care in preparing the soil and laying turf. It can take months for the garden to settle and reveal its flaws leaving the homeowner flummoxed and confused. Very often, when these lawns are viewed from an upstairs window, it’s possible to see where buried debris or thin soil are affecting grass growth. The best solution for these lawns is to dig them up, prepare the ground properly and start all over again. In worst cases,  it might even be a case of replacing the poor soil and importing good quality top soil.

Shallow dips and small imperfections in a lawn can usually be rectified by topdressing. Lay a flat piece of wood across the top of the ‘hole’ and then use a rule to measure the depth from the top to the bottom of the hollow.  If it measures 10mm or less, topdressing is your answer. Read our article to learn how to top dress a lawn.
For deeper depressions, read on to discover how to use topsoil to level up the surface.

How To Use Topsoil And Grass Seed To Level A Lumpy Lawn

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.       Remove the grass from in and around each dip in your lawn. You can either take off a little of the turf to expose the topsoil beneath, or use a systemic weedkiller. If you choose weedkiller, allow 3-4 weeks for it to take effect.

2.       Calculate how much good quality topsoil you will need by measuring each of the ‘holes’ and multiplying the width, length and depth measurements to obtain the approximate volume

3.       Order in some 10mm screened topsoil.

4.       Buy some suitable lawn seed. Enough to cover all of the filled holes and some extra so that you can overseed the whole lawn.

5.       Mow your lawn nice and short.

6.       Scarify and aerate the whole lawn - this will create the best possible growing conditions for your grass seed.

7.       One by one, fill each hole with topsoil, firming and levelling the ground as you go.

8.       Sow grass seed onto the bare soil at a rate of 30g per square metre. Then add a little pre-seeding fertiliser to feed the young plants as they emerge.  For Larger renovations where many tonnes of top soil is required a mechanical top dresser will evenly spread large amounts of soil and top dressing quickly.  This is usually carried out by a professional lawn care contractor

9.       Finally, overseed the whole lawn with approximately 25g per square metre of seed. This will help to ensure that the newly seeded patches blend seamlessly with the rest of your lawn.

10.   Protect the seeded areas from birds and keep seed well watered until it is established.

Caring For A Newly Levelled Lawn

Naturally you’ll want to get back to using your lawn as soon as possible, but you may need to be a bit patient with those recently reseeded holes. It can take anything from 4 to 16 weeks for the grass to grow strong, depending on the time of year and the weather.

Don’t let the grass seed dry out until the plants are well established.

Avoid mowing until the new grass is 7-8 cm (3 inches) long, and then reduce the height to around 5cm (2 inches). Maintain the height at 5-6cm for at least 6 months to give the plants the opportunity to harvest lots of sunlight and develop a strong root system.

Now that you’ve put so much work into creating your perfect lawn, establish a lawn care regime with regular feeds and treatments to ensure a strong root system that stabilises the soil.

Replacing A Lumpy Lawn

For extremely lumpy lawns, the best option may be to remove the grass, and start again by creating a whole new lawn with either seed or turf. This can be hard, physical work and be more time consuming than you first imagined. However, it offers the perfect opportunity to address any issues with drainage, poor soil or buried debris.

If your garden is on a slope, you may want to consider re-contouring the land or installing retaining walls to create level terraces. This kind of construction requires expert knowledge and it would be wise to consult a landscape professional. The Association of Professional Landscapers has an online directory of reputable garden designers and landscapers who can be trusted to do a good job.

Where To Find Professional Help With Lawn Repairs and Renovations

The UKLCA is a voluntary association of independent UK lawn care operators who are committed to providing the best quality and highest level of lawn care service at your home. Our members are skilled, experienced and have access to the specialised materials and equipment needed to create and maintain beautiful lawns.

Visit the UKLCA website and use our simple search tools to find and contact a reputable lawn care company in your area.

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