Replace entire lawn.

[Xstar]

Hey ya Group,
I'm new here but not to home onwership. My yard sucks and I have a brown thumb, or I'm just too lazy. I want a nice yard but I know that the rock, clay and debri from the builders 5 years ago is going to have to be taken out.
I want to clean out down to a required depth, bring in clean top soil and then seed. My questions to you folks are these: What kind of equipment scours the yard, removing stone and such? When do I, or should I till? To what depth should I go? Should I kill all the weeds/clover first or till them under and go?
I see it happening this way; 1 kill lawn, 2 remove debri, 3 topsoil and level,
4 sod or seed. I wonder what type of equipment is available for rent to help me do this. Or should I pay someone to do this?

Thanks ahead for any thoughts that you share. This is a great how to site I will visit often!!

Xstar

[Wgoodrich]

A bull dozer has teeth they can drop to tear up the existing ground. Then push it into a pile then a back hoe or end loader can load that dirt into a dump truck and haul away. Then that dump truck can haul in about 8" of top soil and a finish grader can level, crumb and pick up the rock left on surface. Then plant seed by a spreader and lay straw with a retainer or spray a retainer to hold the straw in place. The winter will soak the installation and spring bring up a lush grass using seed about 50/50 rye and blue grass.

Now warning that above is proper method of doing as you think. Hold onto your heart when it skips a few beats after the bills are received.

Less intrusive costly method is look at the lay of your land compared to your home. If you have 6 to 8" of room to maintain 6" from wood siding, not filling over the bottom of your brick, 8" from untreated wood, not covering your foundation vents and maintaining 6" fall in finished grade in 10' then you can just add the 6 to 8" of top soil to the top of what you have then level and smooth out with a rented tractor and finish grade box, seed and straw then spray with a retainer to hold the straw in place.

Just some ideas

Wg