I am about to buy a house and the yard is just hard dirt and rocks. The person I am buying the house off is going to put topsoil down, but I am wondering if this is the best thing to do. Is it all right to put the topsoil over the hard dirt or should I have something done with that dirt before we put down the new topsoil? If anyone can help me out, I would really appreciate it.

Thanks,
Scott

Maybe a good idea to break up the hard dirt by going over it with a rototiller first, then put on the topsoil.

One of the most important things is to make sure the rough grade isn't left too high. Code requires the ground level to be at least 8'' below the frame of the house. The ground must slope away from the house. There shouldn't be any low spots that will collect water. The larger rocks should be removed before the top soil is spread.