Lawn Topdressing Services
to Smooth & Improve Your Lawn
Serving clients throughout the Greater Minneapolis–St. Paul MN metro area, since 2003
The Twin Cities’ Most Specialized Lawn Topdressing Company
KG Landscape is the most specialized provider of lawn topdressing services in the Twin Cities, with a process designed specifically to smooth uneven lawns, prep for overseeding and improve turf performance. This is the same process used by the best golf course superintends to smooth and firm greens and fairways.
If your lawn feels bumpy, uneven, or rough to mow, lawn topdressing is often the best solution. While many homeowners refer to this as “lawn leveling,” topdressing is more accurately described as
lawn smoothing—the process of filling low spots, covering exposed roots, and adding topsoil without tearing up the existing lawn.
Our Lawn Topdressing Service Is a 5-Step Process
We follow a proven, step-by-step process to ensure new grass seed establishes properly and topdressing soil is worked into the turf for the best possible results.
Step 1: Core Aerate (2 Times)
We double aerate your entire lawn, creating twice as many holes as a standard lawn aeration service. These holes provide the ideal environment for new grass seed to germinate and allow the topdressing soil to penetrate deep into the turf root zone, where it can do the most good.
Step 2: Overseed
We overseed using a hand-selected premium blend of sun- and shade-loving grass seed varieties.
Our mixes contain multiple varieties of all three of the best grass types for Minnesota lawns:
- Kentucky bluegrasses
- Fine fescues
- Perennial ryegrasses
This combination promotes strong germination, durability, and a lawn that performs well across varying light and soil conditions.
Step 3: Apply Starter Fertilizer
We apply a full dose of lawn starter fertilizer that contains phosphorus, an ingredient unique to starter fertilizers. In lawn care, phosphorus is used specifically to optimize seed germination rates.
Our starter fertilizer also includes nitrogen and potash, which help new grass seedlings thrive and fill in quickly after germination. Because of this, there is no need to apply additional fertilizer for at least six weeks after our topdressing service is completed.
Step 4: Apply Topdressing Soil
Using a professional topdressing machine, we evenly apply an average of ¼ inch of topdressing soil mix across the lawn.
The exact soil blend and depth applied depend on your goals and existing soil conditions. We offer three topdressing options, light, medium, and heavy, which are based on the total amount of soil applied.
Heavy topdressing works best for leveling bumpy lawns, while light topdressing is focused primarily on improving seed germination when overseeding.
Step 5: Smooth and Level the Topdressing Soil
Once the soil is applied, we drag a metal mesh screen over the entire lawn, which we refer to as a lawn drag. This step smooths the topdressing soil and pulls material into low areas, helping to even out bumps and undulations in the yard.
Think of it like using a very large rake to perfectly smooth the soil after it is applied.
Fun fact: The lawn drag we use is nearly identical to the tool used to smooth a baseball diamond’s infield to remove footprints, slide marks, and divots. It is also commonly used on golf course greens after aeration and overseeding, the same way we use it on residential lawns.
Why Homeowners Choose Our Lawn Topdressing Service
Most people contact us because their lawn feels bumpy, uneven and they would love to get it smoothed out once and for all.
Common Issues Our Topdressing Services Can Fix:
- Low spots and shallow holes that collect water and a pain to mow
- Uneven lawn caused by old tree stumps, removal of structures or other changes to the yard
- Exposed tree roots that are difficult to mow around
- Thin turf caused by poor soil conditions, underwatering, general neglect
- Lawn damage or machine tracks left by another company (lawn damage from: tree removal, excavation work for sewer lines, construction equipment from additions, etc.)
- Ground undulations that make mowing rough and bumpy "ankle breakers"
- Exposed tree roots that are difficult to mow around
- Thin turf caused by poor soil conditions, underwatering, general neglect
- Lawns that feel soft, lumpy, or inconsistent underfoot
Topdressing addresses all of these problems by adding a custom specialized topdressing soil blend soil where it’s needed and integrating it properly into the lawn.
We Offer (4) Topdressing Service Options
- Customized to precisely meet your goals
- We offer four(4) types/levels of lawn topdressing services, so you can choose the right service specs based on your lawn’s condition and goals.
- We'll make our recommendation for which service will best meet your needs based on your goals and site conditions
Light Topdressing Service
This option is ideal for homeowners looking to renovate a thin lawn, improve overall turf density, or repair smaller dead areas. All of our topdressing options help maximize the effectiveness of aeration & overseeding by covering the new grass seed with topsoil, thereby drastically increase germination rates when overseeding.
Best for: renovating thin lawns with some light smoothing benefits too
Includes:
- Double lawn aeration
- Overseeding
- Application of starter fertilizer
- Application of approximately
1/8" layer of topdressing soil mix, applied evenly throughout the lawn
Medium Topdressing Service
The Medium Topdressing Service includes everything in the Light Topdressing Service but with a greater volume of soil. This allows us to better fill low areas and patch larger sections of thin or dead grass.
Best for: renovating thin lawns with bare spots, smoothing out small bumps and undulations
Includes:
- Double lawn aeration
- Overseeding
- Application of starter fertilizer
- Application of approximately
1/4" layer of topdressing soil mix, applied evenly throughout the lawn
Heavy Topdressing Service
When the primary goal is to level out a bumpy or uneven yard, we highly recommend our Heavy Topdressing Service. This option includes everything in the Medium Topdressing Service but with even more soil, allowing us to make a noticeable impact on lawn smoothness and overall grade.
Best for: leveling bumpy lawns, Improving overseeding results
Includes:
- Double lawn aeration
- Overseeding
- Application of starter fertilizer
- Application of approximately
3/8" layer of topdressing soil mix, applied evenly throughout the lawn
Heavy+ (Plus) - Topdressing Service
When the primary goal is to level out a bumpy or uneven yard, we highly recommend our Heavy Topdressing Service. This option includes everything in the Heavy Topdressing Service provides, but includes even more soil, allowing us to make the most noticeable impact on lawn smoothness when compared to our other topdressing service tiers.
Best for: leveling bumpy lawns, filling in large low spots, covering tree roots, best possible overseeding results
Includes:
- Double lawn aeration
- Overseeding
- Application of starter fertilizer
- Application of approximately 1/2" layer of topdressing soil mix, applied evenly throughout the lawn
- Includes some additional soil for filling in larger low spots and covering tree roots
- This option gives our crews the most soil to work with for lawns that need significant amounts of smoothing
We Install Extra Topsoil to Fill in Low Spots & Cover Tree Roots
One of the most common reasons homeowners choose topdressing is the need to add topsoil to problem areas throughout the lawn. Many older lawns need major fixes, but are not bad enough overall to complete start over, this is where topdressing become the best value and option.
Over time, lawns naturally develop:
- Shallow holes and depressions
- Bare spots where soils in thin lawns has eroded
- Sunken areas where soil has settled
- Eroded soil along drainage pathways (e.g. edging lines and retaining walls)
- Low spots where trees were removed
- Exposed tree roots that create trip hazards and rough mowing conditions
- Areas where erosion for rain has washed out topsoil
- this happens often around down spouts and in swales
Topdressing allows us to strategically add soil to these areas while blending it evenly into the surrounding turf.
Tired of Mowing Over Bumpy Tree Roots? We Can Fix That!
We cover exposed tree roots with topsoil to make mowing smooth again and provide the soil needed to have great looking grass below the tree and right up to the tree trunk.
Tree roots often rise above the soil surface, making it difficult to mow without scalping the roots and bouncing the mower around (which can be very frustration we know!).
To make matters worse, when soil erodes around trees roots, the grass tends to die out below the tree and make soil erosion even worse, so its a cycle of lawn damage caused by tree roots that can't be broken without making some changes. At KG Landscape, we add topsoil to cover the tree roots again and provide the soil thickness around the roots needed to grow nice turf again.
Adding topsoil to cover tree roots and smooth the soil around trees
- Covering exposed roots to smooth the area for mowing
- Replaces eroded soil
- provides the topsoil needed to reseeding / renovate the grass below the tree
- Creates a smoother transition around the tree
- Making mowing safer and far less bumpy
Topdressing vs Regrading: Which Is Right for Your Lawn?
Both topdressing and regrading can improve how your lawn looks and functions, but they solve very different problems. Understanding the difference helps ensure you choose the right solution from the start. Many homeowners use the term "lawn leveling" when what they actually need is lawn smoothing.
- Lawn topdressing smooths out minor bumps, fills shallow low areas, and improves surface consistency
- True lawn leveling making major changes to a lawns flatness or contouring typically requires regrading, which involves moving larger amounts of soil and often completely rebuilding the lawn, or at least the section where regrading takes place.
Topdressing
Best for smoothing uneven lawns while keeping the existing grade
Topdressing is used when the overall slope and contouring of the yard is acceptable, but the lawn surface has become bumpy, uneven, or difficult to mow. This process keeps your existing lawn grade intact while improving surface smoothness and soil quality.
Topdressing involves applying up to ½ inch of a sandy, nutrient-rich soil mix across the lawn. This material is worked into low areas to fill shallow depressions, repair damage from mowing and erosion, and smooth out surface irregularities. It also provides the ideal foundation for overseeding, widely considered the most effective way to thicken and renovate an existing lawn.
Topdressing allows you to improve the lawn without tearing it up, preserving healthy, established grass while making the surface smoother and easier to maintain.
Regrading
Best for changing the slope and shape of the yard
Regrading is required when the goal is to change the underlying grade of the yard. This may include creating a level area for a backyard play space, correcting drainage issues, or reshaping the lawn to support features like patios, walkways, or an outdoor hockey rink.
Regrading involves moving and reshaping larger volumes of soil to alter how water flows and how level the yard is. Because the grade is being changed, regrading often requires rebuilding sections of the lawn after the work is complete. This means either reseeding or sodding the yard wherever regrading works takes place.
What is the Best Type of Soil to Use for Topdressing?
We use a sandy topsoil mix that's engineered to be ideal for lawn topdressing. Our mix is a 60/20/20 blend of sand, organic soil and peat. Our sandy organic soil mix was selected by our in-house turf scientist and is a favorite for many golf course superintendents, because it is the ideal for topdressing turfgrass in many ways.
The reason our sandy soil mix works great for leveling lawns, is that sand doesn't decompose (shrink in volume) and settle like soils too rich in organic matter do. Why add any organic matter then? Well, soil that's ideal for growing lawns does need to contains some nutrients and be able to hold some water within the rootzone, which is why we do add a small percentage of organic material to our mixes.
However, soils that contain too much organic matter do not make for functional lawns either, because hold too much water and simply won't dry out. Poor lawn drainage can cause turf diseases and kill grass from being too wet for too long. Soil too rich in organic matter can also easily become too mushy to walk on, think of a bog.
As if those reasons weren't enough, soils that are too heavy in organic matter also have tendency to settle unevenly over time due to decomposing organic matter and frost heaving due to super saturation, which causes small rolling undulations and lumpiness in lawns grown on these types of soils overtime.
How Much Soil Should be Applied when Topdressing?
Applying between 1/8" -1/2" of topdressing soil over existing turf is ideal. When the goal is just to fill in thin or bare spots in the lawn, 1/8" works great. When the goal is to level out bumpy spots in the yard, a thicker application of up to 1/2" is most effective.
How Much Does It Cost to Topdress a Lawn in MN?
The cost of our topdressing service is directly correlated to the amount of soil applied. In general, the larger the quantity of soil required, the higher the overall cost of the service.
As a broad price range, our 5-step topdressing service typically costs between $1,500 and $4,500 for a mid-sized lawn in the Twin Cities, with no special circumstances.
- The lower end of the range reflects our Light Topdressing Service
- The higher end of the range reflects our Heavy Plus Topdressing Service
Additional factors that can impact pricing include:
- Lawn size and shape
- Ability to access and use our topdressing equipment
- Amount of slope or uneven terrain
- Several other site-specific considerations
- Amount of hand work is needed
All estimates are customized to your specific lawn, based on an on-site evaluation and your goals.
Why Overseeding Works Better with Aeration & Topdressing
Overseeding is more effective when combined with aeration and topdressing, especially for lawns that have many and/or large dead patches and bare spots. If your lawn has noticeable bare spots you'd like to fix quickly, topdressing is the better option because it creates a soil layer where new seed can establish anywhere it’s applied, not just in the aeration holes.
Topdressing does add to the overall cost of the service. If you’re looking to keep costs down and your lawn is generally healthy with only minor thinning, aeration and overseeding alone can still be a good choice.
We’re happy to help you choose the option that best fits your lawn’s condition and your budget.
Why is Overseeding with Our Topdressing Service - More Effective than Aeration & Overseeding Alone?
Aeration & overseeding only:
- Most seed falls into aeration holes spaced about 6 inches apart for standard single pass aerations
- Germination happens mainly in those holes
- Grass fills in slowly between plugs
- Best suited for lawns that are already fairly thick and healthy
Aeration, with topdressing & overseeding:
- Seed makes contact with soil across the entire lawn surface
- Germination is more uniform, not just in aeration holes
- Moisture is retained longer, improving seed survival (improves seed to soil contact)
- Bare spots and thin areas fill in faster and more evenly
- Results in a thicker, more consistent lawn
Not All Top Dressing Service are the Same
Our Topdressing Service is VERY Different from Our Competitors
There are other lawn care companies in the twin cities that consider adding a handful of 50lb bags of product to your lawn a "topdressing," however that would equate to a fertilizer treatment for us, not a topdressing. We are applying about over 20x times more product for our topdressing service than some of our competitors do, because we know what works and what doesn't. Using too little soil, will not help level the lawn or cover it thoroughly enough to increase seed germination rates when overseeding prior to topdressing.
Our Topdressing Smooths Lawns - Others Do Not
We are applying 4,000 - 12,000 lbs. of premium topdressing mix for an average sized lawn depending on which service option you pick, which is the same as applying between (80) and (240), 50lbs bags of material. Want to compare pricing?
How to Compare Topdressing Service Quotes from Different Companies?
- Ask them to include precisely how many pounds or cubic yards of soil amendments they will be applying for the price they quoted.
- Ask if their service includes: aerating the lawn 2 complete times or just a single aeration that pokes only 50% as many holes.
- Ask if their service price includes lawn overseeding, starter fertilizer application, and weed or grub control applications.
- You can also ask them how they ensure pre and post emergent weed control is going to be timed perfectly for best results.
KG Landscape vs. Our Local Competitors Comparison Chart
| Feature | KG Landscape Topdressing | Typical Lawn Care Company |
|---|---|---|
| Amount of Soil Applied | 4,000–12,000 lbs per average lawn | A few 50-lb bags or light surface application |
| True Lawn Smoothing | Yes – enough material to smooth low spots | NO – WAY too little material to level whatsoever |
| Overseeding Effectiveness | High – uniform seed coverage and protection | Limited – seed mainly germinates in aeration holes |
| Aeration Method | (2X) Double-pass core aeration | (1) Single pass or spot aeration |
| Overseeding Included | Yes | Often extra or not included |
| Starter Fertilizer Included | Yes | Typically not |
| Soil Quality | Premium topdressing blend | Basic or unspecified material |
| Weed Control Planning | Coordinated pre- and post-emergent timing | Often not addressed |
| Results | Faster fill-in, thicker, healthier lawn | Slower, uneven results |
Why Choose KG Landscape for Lawn Topdressing?
We're Minnesota's Most Qualified Lawn Topdressing Company
KG Landscape offers every proven service option for smoothing, leveling, and renovating lawns in Minnesota. Because of that, we can provide experienced, unbiased guidance on which solution will actually achieve your lawn care goals.
Sometimes that means topdressing—and sometimes it means a different approach.
Our goal is simple: Help you make the right choice and deliver real, lasting results.
The KG Landscape Difference
- The most specialized, educated, and experienced lawn topdressing provider in the Twin Cities
- Topdressing programs developed by our founder, Kent Gliadon, a University of Minnesota Turf Science Program graduate with over 20 years of hands-on field experience.
- More than 20 years refining lawn topdressing methods to maximize effectiveness and consistency
- Custom soil blends selected based on your existing lawn and soil conditions
- Clear distinction between cosmetic smoothing and true lawn leveling
- Professional-grade equipment designed specifically for topdressing
- Honest, straightforward recommendations based on your lawn’s condition, not a one-size-fits-all solution
- Serving Minneapolis–St. Paul homeowners since 2003
- Hundreds, if not thousands, of successful topdressing projects completed
Get a Quote for Lawn Topdressing Today
If you want to smooth out your lawn, fill low spots, cover exposed roots, and make mowing easier, lawn topdressing may be the right solution. It's easy to get started by giving us a call or filling out a quote request form online.
How Our Topdressing Quoting Process Works
1) Start with a Free Estimate Call us or send us a quote request online. Then we can send pricing for the topdressing and other lawn care services you are interested in based on your goals and the size of your lawn.
If you sign up of any of our services, then we can set up an onsite consultation to walk your lawn and have a in depth conversation prior to starting any service. This ensures we can make any necessary recommendation based on our site visit and update the plan accordingly prior to making our service plans.
2) Schedule an Onsite Consultation with KG Lawn Care Expert: if you would like to have one of our experienced experts out to meet with you at your home for a stie visit prior to signing up for any services, you can start by scheduling an onsite Turf Consultation.
We charge a fee ranging between $90 - $150 to have an expert travel to your home, evaluate your lawn and determine our recommended plan of action based on your goals and site conditions. We do credit 100% of the consultation fee back toward your project if you sign up to have us perform the services we recommend