The first thing I would do is find out the legalities of raising the level of the property. Disregard what the neighbor has done, as you will be the one paying any finds. Is a permit legally required to do what you want? When you change the grade of your property will it change the basic water flow on the properties around your lot? If it does it could cause some hours with and attorney. etc.

Learn the legal ramification first.

Thank you for your reply. I'm from the UK so the laws are different here. I do not need a permit, I can just go ahead with the operation as it is my father's private property (he owns the land) and is supportive towards me to change the land to a car park.

"In brief, outbuildings are now (since October 2008) covered by
permitted development rights – a type of planning classification which
says that you have automatic planning permission without application
subject to certain restrictions.

"The main general restrictions are that the house is not listed
and that you’re outside ‘Designated land’, which includes national
parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, conservation areas and World
Heritage Sites." So if you’re not in one of those, you qualify for permitted development rights. " - The Big Property List and Home Building.

The land does not affect the land of any neighbour (apart from next door, who has already raised his ground) and will not affect water flow. Other neighbours have the same amount of land, who have already raised their grounds and built garages on top. I was just wondering what the steps are for raising the ground.

Kind regards. :)

The laws in the US vary significantly from state to state, from county to county. We live in an area where the laws are quite lax.

You will need about 31 cubic yards of material, (144" X 21" X 158") converted to yards. Roughly a cubic yard weighs a little over a ton.

However, there are many variables in this. To convert you need to know the composition of the material you are buying. Sand weighs one thing, Clay weighs something else. Mix sand, gravel, clay, and organic material would be something entirely different. It would be best for you to talk to the company where you are buying the fill and let them estimate the amount of material you need. In this area of the US, it will probably in number of loads the vendor needs to deliver with his truck ;-)

I have no way of estimating the cost as it is dependent on the variables mentioned above plus the locality where the material is being delivered.

Alternative if you have a free source, is to get a trailer and start hauling it in until you get the level you want. This way you will also need a lot of liniment for your back. ;-)

23 cubic meters. That's a lot of fill. I would start with big rocks and move to smaller rocks as you get near the surface. Otherwise it will all wash away. The little rocks will lock the big rocks in place. By big I mean bigger than your hands but smaller than your head. Small means hand size. Do not use river rock. Use something with sharp corners and flat edges so it will help lock it in position.

Thank you sincerely for your replies and assistance krnuttle and dchall_san_antonio. :)

Thank you also for letting me know how much soil I'd need in cubic yards/meters, and by looking at the figures, it seems I'd need quite a substantial amount. I thought 2 tonne would be adequate, but that wouldn't even be enough to cover or raise a quarter of the land.

I have found someone who is giving away 10 tonnes of free topsoil, so I'll take a full roll of bin liners (and double-bag) and load as much as I can into my car, even if I have to fold the rear seats down. (Minus the liniment for now, haha. :P)

How would I go with this by the way? If it's just clean/screened topsoil, can I just lay it over my existing grass or will I need to purchase sand, gravel or clay or anything else? To be honest, I've never done this before so I'm not too familiar with the process (which is why I'm asking here, sorry for the bother). I plan to put patio on top of it all, once the grass/ground level is raised.

dchall_san_antonio: So I would just put rocks on top of the existing grass? Thank you also for the details. Would using only topsoil deteriorate overtime and eventually reduce the ground level?

Thank you all ever so much and kindest of regards.

P.S. I'm going to go pickup the topsoil tomorrow. :)

While you could remove the sod from the area that you intend to raise up, and place the sod on the new platform that would be a lot of work with an area that large.

Since the average depth of the raised platform is 21', I believe that will kill all of the current grass and you can disregard the current grass.

In the US we have several rental agency that rent trailers and small trucks for a nominal price. I have seen pickup trucks for about $20US per day. If you can get a truck or trailer that would make more sense than trying to transport that amount of soil in a car. To transport 10 tonnes in a car you are talking about many trips, and at a minimum you would have a very dirty car. On the other extreme you could possibly damage the car, like break the springs, which would be a costly repair.

I suggest gaining a clearer understanding of how much fill volume is needed. Depending on its size it may take a dump truck as many as three loads to deliver 30 cubic yards of material.

It's unreasonable to do this with your car. Using your car, at a minimum you're looking at 60 round trips. You'll need to bag, load, unload, and spread the material versus having it dumped into position and only needing to spread it. Between fuel costs, wear/tear on car, time and labor...it's highly impractical.

Since you plan to place a concrete pad over this fill, there's also the need for compaction, and base requirements for freeze-thaw cycles and concrete pad weight. Over time you may be able to acquire the needed fill for free, but you'll be paying for the concrete mix whether you lay the pad yourself or professionally...and a poor base will eventually get you a bad concrete pad that must be replaced in a few years.

This is a large job that ought to be hired out to professionals whom offer a warranty. I'm not saying you can't do it yourself, but at the very least hire out delivery, and hire a skilled helper because after all your time, effort, and money, the last thing you want is a cracked/broken parking pad.

As others have already said, you need rock...lots and lots of rock and gravel. Don't even bother with dirt because it will take too long to settle, and after compaction it may still wash out.

As yardtractor1 said, call a professional for a free phone estimate. Question them on the specifics of the job so you can gain an appreciation of the task before you. Ask for a breakdown between labor and material costs. If you find it unaffordable, at least you'll have an accurate idea of what's involved and the cost you to do it yourself.

As an aside, kindly use another pejorative for shabbily built. Many cowboys know how to properly build a raised parking pad, and also own companies that build them. I'm sure you weren't being "obnoxious" or intending offense, but many of us from the Western USA might take offense. Thank you.