Do you get snow? Around here driveway first is the norm. We had a sand driveway so there is no way we could have waited to do it. We also had a dog and two boys and dirt everywhere so I get your concern. I can't imagine doing the grass first and having the heavy trucks come in afterward. FWIW we had the drive done in May and the grass not until the following July. It stunk but it was DIY and we couldn't get to i any faster. The saving grace - snow. We had plenty and it covers the dirt for a long while. ;)

Could you wait on the final grading and seeding, yet create a "sacrificial" grass area just for this winter? Throw down some seed and perhaps fence off with inexpensive welded wire to create an area for the kids and dog. The grass (and some weeds) will grow even in clay -- not well, but well enough -- and it will all be rototilled come spring. Not lovely, but it would beat mud.

Hi Autumn, we're in SE WI so we do get a decent amount of snow. I'm wondering how we'd clear snow with traffic bond for a drive but I guess lots of people do it with the number of gravel drives I see around. That must have been tough waiting that long to put in the grass! Its interesting as the landscaper said wait on drive because you need to get all the heavy equipment access to finish grading, put stone base down for patio, moving trucks, etc. He said that will compact the drive base even more.

Its a tough call as I have final grade in excavator's bid so they already have all the equipment on site to spread the topsoil.

Hi bluesanne,

That might be an option for our lab but our kids have no boundaries! lol. Are you thinking put drive in first and wait on grass? Any reason you heard of doing one first over the other?

We did final grading first. Next, we spread the topsoil using machinery to the back property We had the option to put sod in the back at that point (we opted for some sod in back). Next, we did the driveway. Then we spread the topsoil around the front property (wheel barrow). Finally, we finished the sodding/seeding.

Carol

Hi Ontariomom,

I might take a similar approach and get everything completed on the sides and back, which includes topsoil and seeding. Then get the drive in and then put that layer of topsoil in the front. How many yards do you think you spread in the front?

I do not recall how much topsoil DH ordered for our property, nor how much he used just for the front. We have a front patio/hardscape area and garden area, so there is not that much grass area out front. It was very manageable for us to use wheel barrows to spread it around the front. Even in the back property, the loader just dropped the soil in a pile in the backyard and we spread it around. The machinary was mainly in use to do the grading, not the spreading of topsoil.

Good luck

Carol

Hi homechef59,

As part of occupancy they need to build up traffic bond up to the garage floor so that might help. I talked to the builder today and he mentioned it would be more cost effective to have the excavator do the grade and set the topsoil. Then the landscaper can come in to fine tune it and seed. They just set the grade further away from the drive. Worst case I'll have to bring in some soil and seed up along the drive.

From what I gathered it goes occupancy grade, drive, then finish grade as standard practice but there are exceptions, for example timing!

Thanks for the feedback. Sure everyone is going through the same questions specially for those in zone 6 or lower that are finishing up in fall.

The sooner this happens the better for your sanity: Just be resigned to a mess (in a new house).

What makes sense in my mind is grading, driveway, soil touchups, then seeding. This ensures your driveway is sloped properly.