Lawn top dressing in Brisbane
Is your lawn full of bumps and hollows, scalping on the high spots and holding puddles in the low ones? Top dressing spreads a thin, even layer of sand or soil blend across the lawn to level it out, fill the gaps and give the roots better soil to grow into.
- Family-run, based in Beenleigh
- Our own crew and machinery
- We diagnose before we price the work
- Jobs from $220
Does your lawn need top dressing?
Lawns move over the years. Soil sinks over old plumbing trenches and rotted tree roots, turf rolls shrink apart, dogs and kids wear tracks, and the surface ends up uneven and thin. Top dressing rebuilds it a thin layer at a time, without ripping it up and starting again.
- The mower scalps the high spots and leaves the hollows long
- Puddles sit in the same low patches after rain
- Dips and ruts you could turn an ankle in
- Thin or bare patches that never quite fill in
- Gaps and seams between the rolls on a newer lawn
- You've just cored or scarified and the soil is open
Lawn bumpy, patchy or holding water?
We'll check the levels, the soil underneath and the thatch, and tell you whether top dressing will fix it or what needs doing first. Jobs from $220.
Sand or soil? Choosing the right top dressing mix
The material matters as much as the spreading. We look at what your lawn is growing in, then match the dressing to it so water and roots pass easily between the old soil and the new layer.
Washed sand
Clean, free-draining and low in weed seed. It spreads and levels easily, and it's the usual choice for filling core holes in heavy clay and for dressing couch sports fields. On its own it holds little water or nutrient, so it suits lawns that get regular feeding and watering.
Sandy loam blends
Mostly sand with a share of loam or organic matter. This suits most home lawns around Brisbane and Logan: it levels nearly as well as straight sand but holds more moisture and nutrients, which helps a thin lawn thicken up.
What we steer clear of
Heavy clay, garden soil and straight compost. Clay and garden soil bake hard, compost stays soggy, and any of them can carry weed seed. Spread over a lawn, they form a separate layer that water and roots are slow to get through. Cheap material is a false saving.
Done every year or two, a good dressing slowly improves the soil as well as the surface. Our article on the benefits of top dressing a lawn explains what it does below ground.
Spread by machine, then worked into the hollows
Tipped off a wheelbarrow and dragged out by hand, dressing goes on in heaps: thick spots that bury the grass, thin ones that do nothing. We spread it with our ECOLAWN 250 and Metermatic top dressers, which meter out an even layer at a set rate across the whole lawn. Which machine we bring depends on the size of the lawn and how we get into the yard.
Then we work the dressing in with levelling tools so it settles into the dips and core holes and comes off the high spots, leaving the leaf tips showing.
How thick should top dressing be?
Thin. For most lawns that means 5 to 10 mm per pass, with grass still visible through the dressing when we finish. Couch and kikuyu grow up through it fast; Sir Walter and other soft-leaf buffalo, and zoysia, want a lighter layer. Deeper hollows are filled over several visits a few weeks apart, since smothering the grass in one heavy go sets it back. If you'd rather tackle a small patch yourself, our beginner's guide to top dressing a lawn walks through it.
Core first, then top dress
Dressing spread over hard, compacted soil mostly sits on top. Spread straight after lawn coring, it drops into thousands of holes and replaces some of that compacted soil with better material. Do that each spring for a few seasons and, on a clay lawn, the root zone gradually becomes looser and better draining.
On a full lawn renovation we scarify to clear the thatch, core to open the soil, fertilise so the feed goes down the holes, then top dress and water in. Plenty of lawns only need one or two of those steps, and the onsite check sorts out which. Our guide to top dressing and fertilising together covers the reasons behind the order.
Before we arrive
- Mow a day or two before, a notch lower than usual
- Mark sprinkler heads and shallow irrigation lines
- Clear toys, hoses and furniture off the lawn
- Let us know about narrow side gates, steps or steep sections
Afterwards
- Water lightly most days for the first week or two
- Don't mow until the grass is back through the dressing
- Brush or rake any spots where the grass is still buried
- Keep heavy traffic off while it settles
What does lawn top dressing cost?
Jobs start from $220. The final price comes down to the size of the lawn, how deep the dressing needs to go, whether it's washed sand or a blend, and how easily the machine and material get to the lawn. Coring, scarifying or fertilising on the same visit saves a second trip.
After the free onsite check you get a firm price for the whole job, so there are no surprises on the day.
Checked first, then spread by machine
- We check the levels, soil type and thatch before choosing the material
- We explain what's wrong and lay out the work step by step
- Our own crew, with our own top dressing machines
- Family-run and based in Beenleigh, covering homes within 100 km
- The right machine for the size of the job and your access
Looking after a sports ground rather than a backyard? See our turf top dressing for sports fields.
Three steps to a level lawn
Free onsite check
We walk the lawn, check the levels, the soil and the thatch, and ask how the lawn gets used.
Clear plan and price
You get the right mix and depth, any prep work worth doing first, and a firm price for the job.
Top dressing day
We spread and level the dressing by machine, sweep the paths clean and leave you notes on watering and mowing.
Common questions
How much does lawn top dressing cost in Brisbane?
When is the best time to top dress a lawn in Brisbane?
Will top dressing fix a really uneven lawn?
Can you get the machine and material into my backyard?
Do I need to core my lawn before top dressing?
Can you top dress buffalo grass?
Book a free onsite check
We'll come out, look at the grass and the soil underneath, and tell you straight what's going on and what it'll take to fix. No charge, no pressure.
- Jobs from $220
- Homes within 100 km of Beenleigh
- Sports fields across South East QLD and Northern NSW