Etobicoke & Greater Toronto Area
The way your yard slopes determines where water goes after every rainfall. When the grade directs water toward your home instead of away from it, the result is wet basements, eroded garden beds, damaged hardscaping, and soggy lawns. We regrade residential yards to move water in the right direction — away from foundations and toward proper drainage outlets.
Most grading problems in older Etobicoke and Toronto neighbourhoods aren't the result of poor original construction — they develop gradually. Soil settles around foundations over the years. Additions, fences, and retaining walls change how water moves across a property. Garden beds built up over time create barriers that trap water near the house. The result is a yard that no longer sheds water the way it should.
Proper grading creates a slope that directs surface water away from the foundation and toward a natural drainage outlet, a storm drain, or a drainage system designed to handle it. The standard recommendation for foundation grading is a slope away from the house within the first several feet — but every property is different, and the right solution depends on what's actually happening on site.
Grading also sets the foundation for almost everything else in the yard. Interlock driveways and patios need a properly graded base to drain correctly and last. New sod laid over an uneven or poorly drained yard rarely takes hold the way it should. Retaining walls built without accounting for the grade and drainage behind them are under extra stress from the start.
Whether you need a full yard regrade, targeted leveling in one area, or grading as part of a larger project, we assess the site and give you a clear picture of what's needed before any work begins.
These are common indicators that your yard's slope is working against you. Most of them get worse gradually, which is why they're easy to overlook until the damage is already visible.
If your basement gets wet after heavy rainfall, the grading around your foundation is one of the first things to look at. Water pooling against the house has to go somewhere, and the path of least resistance is often through the foundation wall or floor joint.
Water pooling in consistent locations after every rain means those areas are low relative to the surrounding grade. They're collecting water that has nowhere to flow. This can be a simple leveling issue or the symptom of a larger drainage problem, depending on the site.
If you look across your yard and notice the ground running downhill toward your foundation rather than away from it, that's a negative grade — the most common grading issue we see. In many older properties, soil settlement over decades has reversed what was originally a proper slope.
New sod that struggles to root, or lawn areas that stay soggy and yellow even in dry spells, often indicate soil that stays too wet because water isn't draining away. Regrading before laying new sod makes a significant difference in how well it establishes.
Soil washing out of garden beds or accumulating against a fence after each rain shows that water is moving across the surface with enough force to carry material. This often points to an unmanaged slope that needs either regrading or a drainage outlet to slow the water down.
When interlock pavers develop low spots, dips along edges, or areas where water now pools on the surface, the grading under or around the installation is usually part of the cause. Water finding its way under the base layer erodes the compacted material and causes the surface to move.
Grading isn't one-size-fits-all. The scope depends on what the property needs — from targeted leveling in a problem area to a full yard regrade ahead of major landscaping work.
Rough grading establishes the overall shape and elevation of a yard before finish work begins. It involves moving larger amounts of soil to create the correct general slope across the property — typically done after excavation, construction, or when a yard has significant grade changes that need correcting. This is the foundation that all finish work builds on.
Final grading is the precise finish pass that prepares a surface for sod, seed, garden beds, or hardscape installation. It levels out the surface to a smooth, even grade within the larger slope established by rough grading. A proper final grade determines how evenly sod grows, how cleanly interlock drains, and how finished the yard looks when complete.
Yard leveling addresses specific problem areas — low spots that collect water, uneven sections from tree removal or stump grinding, areas that have settled unevenly, or entire lawns that have developed a bumpy, irregular surface over time. We fill low areas with topsoil or screened fill, compact where needed, and feather the edges to blend with the surrounding grade.
Positive foundation grading means establishing a slope that runs away from the house within the area immediately surrounding the foundation. When this slope is absent or has reversed due to settlement, rainwater and snowmelt flow toward the house instead of away. This is one of the most direct ways to reduce the volume of water reaching the foundation wall — and it's often done in combination with foundation waterproofing work for properties with existing moisture issues.
Sod installed on a poorly graded yard tends to develop drainage problems and uneven growth fairly quickly. Before laying sod or establishing new planting beds, we grade the area to the correct slope, smooth the surface to a consistent finish grade, and make sure low spots are filled so water doesn't sit on the surface after rain. It's a step that makes a significant difference in how the finished lawn performs long-term.
Interlock driveways, patios, and walkways depend on a properly graded surface to drain correctly and maintain their level over time. Before we excavate and install a compacted base, the surrounding grade needs to be set so that water runs off the finished surface in the right direction rather than pooling on it or flowing toward the house. On every interlock job we do, grading is part of the scope from the start.
When drainage systems like French drains, catch basins, or downspout outlets are being installed, regrading the surrounding area is often part of the solution. Drainage infrastructure is only as effective as the surface it's working with. If the grade still directs water away from the drain rather than toward it, the system won't perform the way it should. We coordinate grading and drainage work so the two reinforce each other.
Every grading job starts with a site visit. What looks like a simple slope issue on the surface sometimes has multiple contributing factors that need to be understood before moving any soil.
We walk the property with you, identify where water is moving (and where it isn't), assess the existing grade against the foundation and neighbouring lots, and discuss what you're trying to achieve — whether that's fixing a drainage problem, preparing for sod, or grading ahead of a hardscape installation.
You receive a written quote outlining the scope of work, the materials being used, and the expected finished grade. We flag any constraints we can see up front — utility lines, neighbouring property grades, existing landscaping. If site conditions turn out to be different once we start, we discuss any changes with you and get approval before proceeding.
We excavate, add fill, or remove material as needed to achieve the correct grade, using topsoil or screened fill for areas that will be seeded or sodded. Slopes are checked throughout and adjusted to ensure water moves away from the foundation and toward the intended outlet or drainage point.
The finished surface is smoothed to the required grade, edges are feathered to blend with the surrounding yard, and the site is cleared. If the project is preparation for sod or other landscaping, we leave the surface ready for the next trade or for you to proceed directly.
Grading one area without accounting for what's happening across the rest of the yard can move a problem rather than fix it. We assess how water moves across the entire site before recommending scope.
We come to the property, look at the actual conditions, and quote based on what we find. Grading problems are site-specific — an assessment over the phone rarely gives an accurate picture of what's needed.
You receive a clear written quote outlining the agreed scope, materials and price before work begins. If unforeseen site conditions or requested changes affect the scope, we discuss them with you and receive approval before completing any additional work.
When a property needs both regrading and drainage work, we do both. Coordinating the two means the grade directs water to where the drainage system can handle it — not to a different problem area.
We carry general liability insurance on all work. Proof is available on request before we begin anything on your property.
Clay-heavy soil in the GTA drains differently than sandy or loam sites. We work primarily in Etobicoke and the surrounding area, and the soil conditions and lot configurations here are familiar territory.
We grade yards across Etobicoke and the Greater Toronto Area. Here are the neighbourhoods and cities we regularly work in.
Don't see your area listed? Call or text — we travel for larger jobs and can confirm availability quickly.
We come to your property, assess the grade and drainage, and give you a clear written price. No fee. No obligation.