Fix it yourself
Landscaper repairs you can do yourself
9 landscaper problems a careful person can handle at home — and the point where each one becomes a job for a pro.
- You can do
- 9
- Pro-only
- 0
- Typical time
- 20 min – 5 h
- 01Open
Dead lawn patches
Diagnose first: pull on the dead grass — if it lifts like a carpet, grubs have eaten the roots; if it is dry and crisp in a sunny spot, it is drought; a round patch with a green ring is often pet urine or fungus.
easy 1–2 h· $10–40 for seed and soil
- 02Open
Downspout erosion at foundation
Fill the eroded trench with clay-rich soil, tamping it in layers, and grade it so the ground drops at least 15 cm over the first 3 m (6 inches over 10 feet) away from the wall.
easy 1–3 h· $20–60 for an extension and rock; $80–200 for a buried drain
- 03Open
Driveway weeds growing through cracks
Pull or dig out the weeds with the roots using a crack weeder; do it after rain when the soil is soft.
easy 30–90 min· $10–40 for filler or polymeric sand
- 04Open
Mulch Beds Washing Out in Rain
Walk the beds during or just after rain and watch where the water enters and exits; the wash-out follows the water, so that is where the fix goes.
easy 1–3 h· $40–150 in edging, mulch and netting
- 05Open
Overgrown shrubs blocking windows or walkways
Check the plant type: spring-flowering shrubs are pruned right after flowering; most others in late winter. Evergreens tolerate light trimming any time.
easy 1–3 h· $0–40 for pruning tools
- 06Open
Patio pavers sinking or uneven
Pour a bucket of water on the patio and watch where it runs and where it sits; the sunken area is usually where water enters the base, and the fix includes getting that water elsewhere.
moderate 2–4 h· $30–80 in sand and polymeric sand; $60–150 with stone base
- 07Open
Sprinkler head broken or leaking
Run the zone and watch: a geyser means a broken head, a bubbling puddle means a cracked riser or pipe.
easy 20–45 min· $3–15 for a head
- 08Open
Tree canopy blocking sunlight to lawn
Measure the light: an area that gets under three hours of sun a day will not hold turf whatever you plant; mark those zones for mulch or ground cover instead.
moderate 2–4 h· $30–80 in seed, compost and mulch
- 09Open
Tree Roots Lifting Driveway Pavers
Lift the raised pavers with a pry bar and set them aside in order; photograph the pattern first.
moderate 2–5 h· $40–120 in base, sand and a root barrier
What it costs
Typical rates by country, so you can compare DIY parts against a pro's invoice.
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These are the calls a landscaper takes every week. Licensing, training and where the work is short of people.
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