I'm getting my yard ready to lay new grass and the ground is really uneven, full of depressions. Do you guys use a manual hoe or is it worth calling in a machine? What's the price more or less for that here in Rio?
The most important thing is really to assess the size of the area before deciding between a machine or a shovel - if the yard is small (up to around 100-150m²), a manual shovel will do the job, but anything bigger than that gets exhausting and a machine is worth it.
To level it properly, start by removing as much debris and large stones as possible, then it's a matter of filling in the dips with good soil (any old dirt won't do) and compacting it well. If the irregularities are really pronounced, like differences of 10-15cm or more, that's when it's worth calling in a machine - could be a motor grader or even a small backhoe depending on the situation. The manual work with a shovel is basically fill and level, you fill the hole, spread the soil, compact it with a rammer or a heavy board. If you've got the patience and the space isn't huge, you can do it without calling anyone.
As for prices in Rio, it's hard to give you an exact number because it varies a lot depending on the professional and the condition of the land - but machines run somewhere around 150-300 reais per hour depending on the equipment, and usually the whole job for an average yard takes 4-8 hours. There's also the option of calling a guy who works with soil and landscaping, who sometimes charges per square meter or for the amount of soil moved. It's worth calling three or four companies in your area to get quotes, because the price varies a lot.
It really depends on the size, but I'd say people are partly right. For up to about 100-150 square meters you can do it with a hoe and a manual roller compactor, but if the terrain is really uneven, with deep ditches, a machine saves you all that backbreaking work. In Rio, a backhoe or grader runs around 150-300 reais an hour, depending on the company and whether it's half a day. I heard recently about people paying around 500-800 reais to level an average yard, but it varies a lot depending on who does it.
Now, what a lot of people forget is that after the machine passes, you still need to even it out manually with a hoe. It doesn't come out perfect the first time, especially near the edges and around obstacles. If the terrain has a lot of standing water or is really clay-heavy, let it dry a bit before working on it, otherwise it turns to mud and gets messier.
My tip is to start with the hoe even if the area is small to medium. You have better control over where you want to remove soil and where you want to level. If it gets too heavy in the middle of the work, then call the machine just to help out. And if you end up calling someone, get quotes from three places before - it varies like crazy depending on who has availability that month.
When I did this in my backyard, I realized the machine is totally worth it if you have more than about 150m² or deep depressions, but the detail nobody mentions is that after the machine levels it you still need to run a manual compactor roller to make it really firm so the grass doesn't sink later.
About price in Rio, it should cost between 800 to 1500 reais a day for the machine depending on the size, but maybe it's worth more to hire someone who already has the machine and charges by square meter.
If the terrain has deep depressions, honestly a shovel alone is gonna be a nightmare - now, what nobody's really talking about is that after the machine levels it, you need to let the soil settle for at least a week before planting, otherwise the grass will sink over time and everything ends up wavy again.
A machine makes sense from around 200-300m² on up, or if the holes are really deep; in Rio, renting a motor grader for an hour should run you about 300-500 reais, maybe more depending on the area. If your plot is smaller, also consider hiring someone with a hydraulic roller compactor after you've fixed everything with a shovel - it's cheaper than a leveling machine and does the job.
The price really varies depending on the neighborhood and who's doing it! In Rio it's around 80 to 150 reais per hour if you hire a machine, but you guys are right that above 150m² it's definitely worth it. What I think is important to point out is that after leveling, you really need to let it settle for a week or two before laying the grass - otherwise the soil is still loose and the grass will end up uneven when you walk on it! I picked up that tip from a neighbor who did it that way and it turned out much better.
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