Quick answer: The pitcher’s mound is the high point. The skin falls about 0.5% (6 inches per 100 feet) away from it toward the outfield grass and foul lines, but mound-to-plate stays flat, with a grade toward the foul lines (Profile Products). Volunteers can fix low spots, base areas and small lips with matching mix and hand tools. Re-establishing slope across the skin is a laser job that most sources say to do every year or two.
What grade means on a baseball field
Infield mix drains slowly, so the skin is sloped to shed water into the grass (MLB groundskeeper blog). That water should run toward the outfield grass and foul territory, not toward home plate (Sports Turf Managers Association). The infield sits higher than the outfield (Profile).
| Area | Target grade (source) | What it means in inches |
|---|---|---|
| Baseball skin | 0.5% (Advanced Turf Solutions, Jamie Mehringer, MLB blog, Profile), falling from the mound out (MLB blog, Profile); STMA: 0.5–1% | 6 in. per 100 ft |
| Softball skin | 0.4% (ATS, Mehringer) vs. 1% (MLB/MLBPA Baseball Tomorrow Fund guide) | About 4.8 in. vs. 12 in. per 100 ft |
| Outfield | 1–1.5% toward fence and foul lines (Profile) | 12 in. per 100 ft at 1% |
| Mound to plate | Flat, grade toward foul lines (Profile) | No fall toward the plate |
Most sources favor 0.5% for baseball, and steeper is not better. ATS says slopes over 1% are not recommended: “The water will move too fast across the surface and create issues with infield material and or conditioners migrating.” Mehringer calls 1% too much.
Watch the edges, too. STMA: “A good grade becomes irrelevant if a lip builds up at the transition since water will tend to pool in this spot.” Standing water already? See fixing puddles and drainage.
Signs your infield is off grade
- Water collecting in low areas that developed from play (Little League International).
- Low spots at positions and running lanes; exposed base anchors, a safety hazard (Sports Field Solutions).
- Balls jumping at the grass edge, or a bump when you stand half on dirt, half on turf (Keith Winter).
- A low spot down the middle of a base path from raking across it (BTF guide).
Check your grade before you touch it
“The most accurate way to determine the correct grade is to survey the field,” says the Sports Field Management Association. Work “should always begin between the pitcher’s mound and home plate, then work out to the baselines, the rest of the skinned area and finally the outfield.” Without a laser, the MLB blog describes string lines moved every 1 to 2 feet. Brian French of ATS: “Simply adding material to a low area and using the naked eye is not going to solve the problem. It will most likely move the standing water to another area or create a high area that needs to be leveled out.”
DIY: what a volunteer crew can fix
1. Fill low spots with matching mix
Profile: soil test so the fill matches your sand/silt/clay mix, and work in about 20% calcined clay. Scrape out loose mix, fill, pack and level, then topdress to match.
2. Add fill in thin, tamped lifts
The closest published guidance is for mound clay: Profile adds 1-inch layers; in SportsField Management, Michael Boettcher adds 1-inch increments and Larry DiVito tamps lifts of no more than 2 inches, scarifying before each. See building a pitching mound.
3. Level base areas
Rake excess dirt from under each base to make it level, and rake base paths along their length (BTF).
4. Knock down lips
Winter’s two cases: if turf is high and mix low, add mix along the edges and roll half on dirt, half on turf until flush; a turf edge raised by built-up material needs a sod cutter. When dragging, Little League says stay at least six inches from the grass edge; Winter says a foot.
5. Vary drag patterns
“Vary drag patterns to maintain surface grade” (BTF). More in how to drag an infield.
Leave these to a pro
- Re-establishing slope across the whole skin.
- Adding mix in bulk.
- Raised turf edges (sod-cutter work).
- Anything after adding new mix or amendments; ATS says that requires laser grading.
Gear for this job
- String line and stakes — Run from your reference point, such as home plate or the rubber, to mark the grade line toward the outfield grass.
- Line level — Hangs on the string line so you can check grade over short distances.
- 4-foot bubble level — Checks the slope as you fill and shape low spots.
- 36-inch landscape rake — Scarifies the bottom of low spots, then spreads and shapes the new infield mix.
- Hand tamp — Packs down each 1-inch lift of fill so it doesn’t settle a couple of weeks later.
Buying more than the basics? See our full field maintenance products list. As an Amazon Associate, InfieldFinder earns from qualifying purchases.
What a professional laser grade involves
A laser at a fixed point beams to a receiver on a tractor-pulled box blade, which raises and lowers the blade (ATS). Cone lasers, set at the field’s center, are the standard for new infields and put all three bases at the same elevation; dual-slope lasers are also common. Sports Field Solutions’ process, condensed:
- Shoot grades; check lips, since fixing them can cut the mix needed.
- Quote work, materials, shipping and mobilization.
- String-line the layout, cut high edges with a sod cutter, pull bases and anchors.
- Scarify and blend new mix to about four inches.
- Fine-tune with a laser box blade; roll and water heavily.
- New perimeter sod, conditioner, reset anchors.
SFS’s rule of thumb: “for every 1 inch below grade, a regulation sized infield will likely require one load of infield mix (about 22 yards).” Fields are usually playable in 1–2 days, with continued grooming and watering. Schedule with weather margin. ABI Attachments lists its Z-23 as “a self-propelled grading machine built for laser-assisted grading.”
How often to laser grade
Annually: ATS; French, preferably in the fall; the MLB blog; STMA, once a season if possible; Profile, before each season. SFS says never stretch high-use fields beyond two years, or expect a significant renovation. French’s alternative: add a load of material every other year and have it graded.
What it costs: real examples
Your price depends on how far off grade the field is, how much mix it needs, trucking and mobilization.
| Example | Year | Scope | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| BallField Renovations | 2026 (website) | Infield clean-up: weeds, edging, grading (laser grading: call) | Starts around $600 |
| Scottsboro City Schools | 2021 | Gameday Athletic Surfaces: aerate, laser grade, top dress, fertilize baseball and softball fields | $10,000 plus sand ($4,224, 192 tons) and trucking |
| City of Gulf Breeze | 2023 | Multi-field park laser grading, awarded to Field and Fairway Unlimited | $150,000 estimated |
SFS says renovating a field left beyond two years can “escalate upwards of $40-45,000, or more” (the contractor’s own claim). See what an infield renovation costs.
Questions to ask a grading contractor
- Will you shoot grades and show me the high and low spots?
- What target slope, and do you use a cone laser?
- How many loads of mix, and will it match mine (soil test)?
- Is lip and edge work included?
- Does the quote include materials, shipping and mobilization?
- When is it playable, what grooming after, and when should we schedule?
Find a grading contractor near you
Our directory as of October 2026; a listing is not an endorsement, so ask for references and a written scope (see choosing a field builder).
| State | Business | Based in | What the listing says |
|---|---|---|---|
| AL | Evergreen Siteworks | Opelika | Cone and dual-slope laser grading |
| AL | River Region Sports Fields | Millbrook | Laser grading, top dressing |
| AR | Athletic Field Services of Arkansas | Sherwood | Laser leveling, lip removal |
| AZ | Point B Grading and Turfgrass Maintenance LLC | Goodyear | Laser grading, infield leveling |
| AZ | WestGro Contracting | Buckeye | Infield regrading, lip removal |
| CA | Barkshire Laser Leveling Inc. | San Juan Capistrano | Fine-finish laser grading |
| CA | Diamond Designs | San Diego | Renovations, laser grading |
| CA | Sportsfields, Inc. | Rocklin | Laser grading, infield rebuilds |
| CO | All-American Sports Materials (AASM) | Henderson | Infield mix, laser grading |
| CO | BigFoot Turf | La Salle | Laser grading, infield edging |
| CT | Greenway Athletic Field Services | Stamford | Laser grading, lip removal |
| DE | Mountaineer Diamond Care & Landscaping | Middletown | Laser grading, lip removal |
| FL | LTG Sports Turf One, LLC | Boynton Beach | Construction, laser grading |
| FL | Medley Sports Construction | Sorrento | Laser grading, infield renovation |
| FL | Mor-Sports Group | Estero | Laser grading, mix installation |
| GA | Field and Fairway Unlimited, Inc. | Talmo | GPS-guided laser grading |
| GA | Laserturf SE | Watkinsville | Annual tilling and laser grading |
| GA | Sports Turf Services | Roswell | Infield laser grading, renovation |
| IA | Diamond Doctors of Iowa | Vinton | Laser leveling, lip removal |
| IA | Iowa Sports Turf | Des Moines | Skin installation, laser grading |
| IL | Bush Sports Turf | Milan | Laser grading, clay work |
| IL | Midwest Field Solutions | Elk Grove Village | Laser grading, drainage, mounds |
| IL | Professional Outdoor Solutions | Tolono | Lip repair, skin laser grading |
| IL | Turf Solutions Group | Peoria | Infield mix, laser grading |
| IL | Van’s Enterprises, LTD. | Waukegan | Skin laser grading, lip removal |
| IN | BallField Renovations | Greenfield | Infield renovation, laser grading |
| IN | Moster Turf | Metamora | Infield construction, laser grading |
| IN | Precision Lawn Care & Vigo Turf | Terre Haute | Infield laser grading |
| IN | RZ Sports Turf | Goshen | Laser grading, infield work |
| KS | Midwest Laser Leveling | Topeka | Laser grading, infield touch-ups |
| MA | Diamond Athletic Turf, Inc. | Stow | Infield renovations, laser grading |
| MA | Sports Turf Specialties, Inc. | Wrentham | Infield regrading, lip removal |
| MD | K & C Grounds Maintenance | Lutherville | Yearly clay work, laser grading |
| MD | Metro Grounds Management | Sandy Spring | Laser grading and re-leveling |
| MI | Sports Turf Management of Michigan | Zeeland | Laser grading, top dressing |
| MN | Magic Turf | Rogers | Laser and 3D grading |
| MN | Minnesota Sodding Company | Welch | 3D laser grading |
| MO | Mid-America Sports Construction | Lees Summit | Construction, laser grading |
| MO | Turf Renovations, LLC | Portageville | Infield renovation, laser grading |
| MO | TurfMark Services, LLC | Osage Beach | Laser-guided grading, topdress leveling |
| NE | KJ Elite Sports Turf | Lincoln | Infield skin laser grading |
| NE | Mack Bros Sports Construction | Omaha | Precision laser grading, mound repair |
| NM | GW Sport Fields | Farmington | Infield grading, lip removal |
| NY | The LandTek Group | Bay Shore | Laser grading, infield construction |
| NY | Thomas Field Solutions | Hampton | Infield installation, laser grading |
| OH | Field Source Ohio | Dublin | Laser-graded surface corrections |
| OH | SCG Fields, LLC | Brecksville | Laser grading, drainage |
| PA | Earth Matters LLC | Boyertown | Sports field laser grading |
| PA | Keystone Sports Construction | Phoenixville | Infield construction, laser grading |
| SC | S&R Turf & Irrigation Equipment | Aynor | Field building, laser grading |
| TN | SportsTurf Solutions | Gallatin | Infield renovation, laser grading |
| TN | Warner Athletic Construction Company | Smyrna | Laser grading, clay renovation |
| TX | Fields In Grass, LLC | Mansfield | Construction, laser grading |
| TX | Sports Field Solutions | Fort Worth | Laser grading, own infield mixes |
| VA | Anderson Turf Management | Halifax | Routine grading, lip removal |
| WI | Midwest Athletic Fields | Watertown | Renovation, laser grading |
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FAQ
What slope should a baseball infield have?
About 0.5%, or 6 inches per 100 feet, falling from the mound toward the outfield grass and foul lines, with mound-to-plate flat.
Can I level a baseball infield myself?
You can fill low spots, level base areas and fix small lips. Restoring slope across the skin takes a laser.
How often should an infield be laser graded?
Yearly, ideally in the fall; never beyond two years for high-use fields (SFS).
Should I put drain tile under the infield?
Usually not. Mehringer says it often goes in when the skin needed more mix to get back to grade.
Getting matching material
Added soil “must match the existing soil as closely as possible” (SFMA), and Profile says start with a soil test. Find infield mix suppliers in our directory, and see where to buy infield mix.
