How to Calculate the Slope of a Backyard

Knowing the slope of your backyard comes in handy for landscaping projects such as building a retaining wall, installing a fence, creating a raised garden bed or even designing an infinity-edge swimming pool. A mathematical formula can tell you the slope percentage of even the steepest backyard. Armed with this knowledge, you can start planning the best way to use your backyard.

Wooden stakes
String
Tape measure
Level

Instructions

- 1
  Pound a wooden stake into the ground at the start of the slope. Tie a piece of string around the wooden stake and push it down the stake until it rests on the ground.
- 2
  Measure down the slope, 50 feet from the wooden stake, and hammer a second wooden stake into the ground. Tie the other end of the string to the second wooden stake.
- 3
  Hold a level on the string. Move the string either up or down along the second wooden stake until it runs straight from stake to stake.
- 4
  Measure how high the string is from the ground, on the second wooden stake. Convert this measurement to inches, divide by 50, then multiply by 100 to get the slope percentage. For example, if the string's height is 2 feet, that would be 24 inches. Divided by 50, the figure is .48. Multiply .48 by 100 to get 48 percent slope.

The Advantages of Brushed Concrete

What Colors of Siding Look Good With Brick?

Overall Landscape Planning