Last Updated on December 10, 2025
If you’ve ever wondered how to level ground with a skid steer, you’re in the right place. A skid steer is a versatile, extremely maneuverable machine that can navigate confined areas inaccessible to larger, bulkier equipment. Skid steers can perform various earthmoving tasks, including loading, unloading, digging and transporting materials.
With the right techniques and attachments, your skid steer can handle grading projects quickly, efficiently and safely, whether you’re using a mini skid steer or a different model to level ground..
Understanding the Basics of Operating a Skid Steer for Ground Leveling
Whether you’re curious how to level uneven ground with a Bobcat, Kubota or a skid steer of another make and model, know that successfully leveling ground with a skid steer without digging requires a fundamental understanding of a skid steer’s operating procedures and the appropriate attachments.
Skid steers, sometimes known conversationally as a bobcat or loader, come in two types:
- Wheeled Skid Steers: These skid steers have four wheels and can skid, or pivot, into a tight turn.
- Tracked Skid Steers (Compact Track Loaders): Known as track loaders, tracked skid steers, have two tracks instead of four wheels and cannot pivot (or skid) the same way a wheeled skid steer can.
Both types of skid steers level ground in a similar way, as you’ll soon learn, but wheeled skid steers are better for hard surfaces while track loaders are better for soft, uneven terrain.
- Learn More: Skid Steers vs. Track Loaders
Do Skid Steers Work Well for Leveling Ground?
A skid steer is an excellent choice for leveling ground for several reasons.
- Maneuverability: The machine’s lightweight, compact design is great for leveling ground in tight spaces in all types of small-to-medium jobsites.
- Versatility: These loaders come in various models to accommodate a wide assortment of terrain. You can also customize the results by selecting from multiple attachments.
- Efficiency: Although skid steers are smaller equipment, they generate a high hydraulic flow rate to enable you to use attachments efficiently.
- Visibility: Since they don’t have a bulky front loader like other machines, skid steers let the operator view the ground clearly and perform leveling tasks more accurately.
- Adaptability: They can adapt to various job sites, making them well-suited for multiple leveling projects.
Some examples of skid steer applications include leveling gravel for driveways and parking lots or constructing a foundation for a home or a commercial building.
Safety Measures When Using a Skid Steer for Ground Leveling
Like any heavy equipment, it’s crucial to implement appropriate safety measures when operating skid steers to avoid the two most significant dangers — rollovers and crushing from moving parts.
Employers are responsible for making sure that skid steer operators have received the appropriate training per OSHA guidelines.
Conducting a pre-operating safety inspection is paramount when using a skid steer for grading or ground leveling. Examples of the areas your checklist should cover include the following.
- Tires: The tires should be in good condition and properly inflated.
- Tracks: The tracks should be in good condition and properly tensioned.
- Cab: Some skid steers have side screens to protect against moving parts and feature a design to prevent rollover injuries. These should be intact and free of damage.
- Grab Handles: Check for worn-out grips that cause falls or a loss of control of the machine.
- Steps: To minimize the risk of slip-and-fall incidents, clear the steps of ice, snow, mud and other debris.
- Attachments: Make sure the bucket or other attachments are appropriate for the specific skid steer model and are mounted and connected correctly.
Skid steer operators should also wear appropriate safety gear and follow the operating guidelines pertaining to the machine’s make and model.
How Much Slope Can a Skid Steer Handle?
An important aspect of safely operating a skid steer is understanding how it handles uneven terrain. While a skid steer is a reliable choice for many grading activities, it does have limitations when creating slopes. Going downhill can be especially challenging in a wheeled skid steer.
When dealing with slopes, opt for a tracked skid steer, if possible, and follow the manufacturer’s recommendations. A general rule of thumb is that the slope should be no steeper than 30 degrees or slightly more than a 2:1 ratio.
Tips for Safely Maneuvering Down a Slope:
- Understand how attachments affect the machine’s center of gravity and maneuverability. Adjust accordingly.
- Keep the heavy end of the skid steer pointed uphill.
- Maintain a slow speed.
How To Level Ground with a Skid Steer: A Step-By-Step Guide
The following steps explain basic techniques to efficiently level ground with a skid steer. It will work as a good starting guide, but always review your operating manual to understand your model’s full range of skid steer capabilities. Make sure you know the basics of how to operate a skid steer before you start to level ground. If you’re renting, ask your equipment provider for safety training specific to your skid steer model.
1. Assess the Site: Understanding Soil Types
When grading with a skid steer, keep in mind you could be working with various soil types. When you know what types of soil you’ll be working with, you can choose the best skid steer model and attachments, choose a grading approach, and minimize risks and inefficiencies.
- Topsoil: Generally, screened topsoil works best with these machines and is the most common choice for residential construction and landscaping projects.
- Heavy Sand or Clay: Soil with heavy sand or clay content can be more challenging for mini skid steers that can’t deliver sufficient power. Track loaders may offer more lifting power. Less porous soil, like clay, will also require more grading for drainage.
- Soft or Wet Soil: Very soft and wet soil may present a risk for bogging down a wheeled skid steer if operators are not vigilant.
2. Choose Attachments: Selecting the Right Equipment to Level Ground
Leveling with a skid steer requires choosing the right earthmoving attachment for the job. These tools enable you to achieve high-precision results for your grading project.
Depending on the application, your skid steer grading attachment needs may include:
Buckets: A bucket enables you to scoop soil, sand or gravel. Choose from various options to achieve specific project results.
Leveler: A skid steer leveler provides aggressive grading capabilities when cultivating, cutting and leveling land.
Landscape Rake: If you need landscaping tools and equipment, a rake can prepare a slope for planting and seeding by removing rocks and vegetation.
Trencher: Whether digging a trench for pipes, wires or drainage, trenchers can dig lines into many types of soil.
Box Blades: Box blades are used for more precision in grading. It uses wheels behind the blade to move the soil more efficiently than a bucket can. Additionally, features like laser detectors can add an even greater amount of precision.
3. Begin Grading: Rough Grading to Shape the Ground
Rough grading gets the site into the general shape and contours that the project needs. Rough grading is important because it will tell you if you need to bring in more soil or have soil removed. It also creates the slopes needed to provide drainage while work continues.
To rough grade a location:
- Use the bucket to push dirt from areas that you want to lower to areas that need to be raised.
- Use the bucket to do basic leveling, grading and contouring.
- Drive over the area to compact the soil. This will help make the final result more even.
4. Flatten the Grade: Back Dragging with a Bucket Attachment
Once everything is roughed in, you can start leveling the site. Use a bucket attachment and a back dragging technique to flatten the grade.
To back drag, angle the front of the bucket (the edge used for digging) so that it just touches the ground without any pressure. Then as you reverse, the blade will drag any dirt from high spots to low spots, leveling the area.
5. Make Final Adjustments
Once you are finished with the final leveling of the site, spray the ground with water and look for places where water is pooling.
Pooled water can either indicate there is a low spot or that the grading is not moving water away from the site appropriately. Either way, adjust as necessary by repeating steps 3 through 5.
Common Mistakes When Leveling with a Skid Steer
Like any project, ground leveling needs to be done efficiently. Common mistakes that can negatively impact results when using a skid steer for ground leveling include:
- Choosing a skid steer that is too large or small for the job. If it’s too large, you may not be able to safely navigate a tight space. If it’s too small, the project could take longer, or you could damage the machine by lifting too much weight.
- Selecting incompatible attachments. The wrong attachments can keep you from performing desired tasks or cause unnecessary downtime and rework.
- Failing to even out the ground and attain the correct slope. Leveling creates a stable foundation for construction while correct grading provides appropriate drainage.
An equipment rental provider can provide the expertise and suggestions that set you up with the right size of equipment for your project.
Renting vs. Buying a Skid Steer for Ground Leveling
If you have a project that requires ground leveling, you could purchase or rent a machine. While buying enables you to own the equipment, renting offers more flexibility.
Buying is usually only a good option when you have the work to keep the machine in constant use, as well as the infrastructure to maintain and repair it.
However, if a machine is irregularly used or the repair and maintenance of the machine is outside the normal scope of your business, it will often be better to rent a skid steer. Additionally, bundling projects into one long-term rental agreement will offer reduced per-day rates that can significantly reduce the expense of using a skid steer.
Finally, when you rent, you can customize which machine and attachments you pay for based on what the project needs. When purchasing, however, you may get stuck buying attachments that see little to no use outside of a single project.
Rent a Skid Steer from Herc Rentals for Your Leveling Needs
At Herc Rentals, we offer a wide selection of skid steers and attachments that can deliver exceptional results for your company’s ground-leveling projects. Our expansive fleet includes products from leading manufacturers at competitive rates. We back every rental with excellent service and support to maximize your customer experience.
Our team can visit your site to fix or swap gear if needed, enabling you to keep your projects on schedule. Plus, we offer safety training so that your team can learn how to level ground with a skid steer safely.
Browse our inventory of skid steer rentals and call 1-800-432-6215, or contact us to learn more today.
