Do It Yourself Grading Landscaping Rock

Remove any existing landscaping rock. Use a close prong metal rake to move most of the rock to one side of its border. Brush any remaining rock out of the path or area using a thick plastic bristle brush. Lay a tarp down in an area close by. Shovel the pile of rocks into a wheelbarrow using a square shovel and dump onto the tarp. Continue until all the rocks are removed from the upper surface of your work area.

Plan the appropriate slope for your soil base. For maximum effectiveness, you want a slight grade that lowers ¼ inch every 1 foot. Keep in mind that the direction of the downward grade will determine where the water will drain. Common procedure is to slope the soil away from the house's foundation, pool or patio. If you have an island of plants or flowers, slope the landscaping rock away from its rim.

Set markers for your grade. If the area for the landscaping rock is square or rectangular, pound stakes outside its border 1 foot apart along its side. Use the mallet or hammer, wood or plastic markers and the ruler to do this. If you're laying rock in a circle around an island or if the area has curves, pound a stake outside of its borders keeping in mind that the grade will work as a grid. If you follow the rim of the curve too closely, you won't effectively mark where the change in height must occur. These stakes will give you visual reference points when digging out the grade. If you want to be exact, simply tie a string on one of the side posts and drag it to its corresponding post when digging that section of the grade.

Dig out the grade. Start digging between the first two parallel stakes. Dig to a depth of ¼ inch between the first and second set of parallel stakes. Dig to a uniform depth across the entire face of each step. Use the ruler to occasionally check the height along the steps until you reach the end of the slope. Keep in mind the final depth while you're digging. If your area is 10 feet long, you would go from a level surface to a final depth of 2.5 inches at its end.

Cover the area with landscaping rock. Pound the soil with your feet or the shovel to achieve a compact soil base for the rock. Shovel rock evenly over the graded area from the wheelbarrow or the rocks' container.

Rake the rock into place. The grade is most effective if the rock is spread evenly. Rake the rock until it covers the area at a uniform depth with a wide prong metal rake.