ᐅ Cost: Raise the garden’s ground level by 80 cm (approximately 31.5 inches)

But you should also expect a proper answer. We have shaped our garden a bit both in front and back. We didn’t remove the old topsoil; instead, we had a landscaper distribute excavated soil from neighbors using a mini excavator. It was a win-win situation. The mini excavator costs less, only $100 per hour. Then I worked the raw surface with a rotary tiller, broke it up, removed stones, and where the soil was too compact, I dug it up by hand. Raked it. Now it lies fallow over the winter. Frost loosens it up. The earthworms start their work. The soil settles. At the end of March, I will till it again, rake it again, sow grass, and roll it. I don’t buy compost or screened soil. The land we live on has a soil rating of more than 50 points and used to be a grain field. Why shouldn’t grass grow there! Grass is very resilient and grows almost anywhere. We planted a hornbeam hedge along one border as a privacy and windbreak. Another area has a berm where we will plant shrubs to create a hedge, so that birds will find nesting places there in the future. The obligatory apple tree, Holsteiner Cox, of course, must not be missing. We are still not quite sure whether we want everything covered with grass or leave a corner for strawberries and such. Karsten

Where is the plot located? I have about 200 cubic meters (260 cubic yards) of excavation soil and 20 cubic meters (26 cubic yards) of topsoil available for free.

Christian NW schrieb:
What prices should I expect if I want to raise the elevation level of our garden?

You can only find out by requesting specific quotes! Even two comparable offers are helpful…

As a preliminary guideline, all prices net(!), as of October 2016, Saxony-Anhalt:

• Loosening soil and spreading it within the construction site – 12.50 Euro/m³ (0.44 Euro/ft³)
• Preparing subgrade for building ground, allowable deviation from target height 5 cm (2 inches) of vegetation support layer – 2.20 Euro/m² (0.20 Euro/ft²)
• Fine grading for lawn area, allowable flatness deviation 3 cm (1.2 inches), soil group 4 DIN 18915 – 0.90 Euro/m² (0.08 Euro/ft²)
• Topsoil, screened, delivery and unloading – 15.60 Euro/t (14.17 Euro/ton)
• Sowing lawn seed, RSM 2.1, 25 g/m² (0.81 oz/ft²) – 1.00 Euro/m² (0.09 Euro/ft²)
• Laying turf, RSM 2.1 from rolled turf, specification DIN 18917, installation area, soil group 4 DIN 18915 – 6.75 Euro/m² (0.63 Euro/ft²)
• Green waste – loading, transport, disposal – 16.50 Euro/m³ (0.58 Euro/ft³)

You can calculate the volume yourself, and there are online resources to convert tonnes to cubic meters – I always look that up as it depends on the soil type.

Thank you, the answers already help me a lot, and yes, I’m not actually from agriculture; otherwise, I wouldn’t be asking these kinds of questions here. But I’m not afraid of new things either.

V3ctra schrieb:
Where is the plot located? I have about 200 cubic meters of excavation and 20 cubic meters of topsoil to give away.

Thanks for the offer. It is in the Düsseldorf area...

Christian NW schrieb:

Thanks for the offer. It is in the Düsseldorf area...

Okay, that is a bit far. The "hill" is located in Nuremberg...

V3ctra schrieb:
Ok, it’s a bit far away. The „mountain“ is located in Nuremberg...

Actually a bit far away