How to Make a Berm Wall

Arrange dirt or fill material into a mound to create the berm wall. Use a shovel for the project if it's a small landscape berm. If you need to move a lot of dirt, rent a skid steer tractor with a front loader.

Compact the dirt or fill for the berm wall with a hand tamper. Add up to 12 inches of clay dirt and tamp it in place. Clay is impervious to water and helps retain the shape of the berm wall.

Calculate how much topsoil you need to cover your berm at least 6 inches deep. Multiply the length times the width of the berm in feet to get the area in square feet. Multiply this number by the desired depth of topsoil to get the cubic feet. For example, for a depth of 6 inches of topsoil on a berm measuring 10 by 20 feet, multiply the area (200) by 0.5 (6 inches) to get 100 cubic feet of topsoil. Divide that number by 27 to determine the number of cubic yards of topsoil necessary. If you used a large quantity of fill and clay, you won't need as much topsoil. As the soil settles in the berm, add more topsoil as needed.

Cover the compacted berm with topsoil. Plant the berm with desired plants. Cover the rest of the berm with mulch to help hold the topsoil in place.