Sloped Backyard Ideas for Brentwood and Franklin, TN: 6 Ways to Use Every Foot

What are the best ideas for a sloped backyard?

Six ideas cover almost every sloped yard: tiers, a retaining wall, steps, a winding path, ground cover and a dry creek bed. A popular national roundup lists the same ones, along with a waterfall, a fire pit, veggie beds and a play area ^[2].

Many yards in Brentwood and Franklin slope. You do not have to flatten the whole lot. Pick the part of the yard you want to use, level that part, and handle the rest with plants and water control.

The sections below show how each one works and what it costs.

Terraces and retaining walls: make flat ground on a hill

A retaining wall makes level ground by holding the hill back. Iowa State University Extension says you can create flat areas on a slope with retaining walls, boulders, field stones, bricks or wooden timbers ^[1].

The same source says terracing can be as simple as a path carved into the slope to slow water ^[1]. A full terrace uses a wall at each step.

Walls cost about $20 to $53 per square foot of face nationally, and walls on a slope run about $40 to $200 per linear foot ^[3]. Our full retaining wall cost guide has prices by material and size.

On a steep lot, two or three shorter walls can keep each wall under the height lines above. Ask your estimator to price both.

Steps and paths on a slope: a safe way up and down

Steps and paths turn a slope you avoid into a yard you walk through. Stone steps and a winding path are two of the 12 ideas in Bob Vila’s sloped backyard guide ^[2].

Build steps into the hill, not on top of it. The crew cuts a level bed for each tread, sets a gravel base and locks the stone in place. Each step needs the same rise so nobody trips.

A path that curves across the slope is easier on the legs than one that runs straight up. Edge it with stone or steel so soil does not wash onto it.

Read how we build them on our walkways and pathways page.

What to plant on a slope: ground cover, shrubs and contour beds

Plantings protect a slope that is too steep to mow. Iowa State University Extension says slopes of about 30 percent or more are too steep to mow, so you need plantings other than turfgrass ^[1].

Ground covers work well because they cover the soil surface ^[1]. Plant them in rows along the slope’s contour lines, which slows water and cuts erosion ^[1].

On a slope, bare soil is the problem. Cover it with plants, stone or mulch and the rain stops carrying it downhill.

Timing matters in Middle Tennessee. The average last spring freeze is March 31, and the average first fall freeze is November 3 ^[8]. Plan to have new roots in before heavy rain. Our Middle Tennessee planting calendar shows what to plant each month in zone 7b.

For design help, see our landscape design and installation page.

A dry creek bed that carries water down the hill

A dry creek bed is a channel of river rock that guides rain downhill. Bob Vila lists it as a way to mitigate drainage issues on a slope ^[2].

A small one is a low-cost fix. Fixr says most homeowners pay around $600 for a 20 square foot dry river bed of pea gravel and mixed river stones, and river rock runs $80 to $280 per ton ^[6]. A longer or wider channel with boulders costs more.

Use it for surface water that has a clear path. If water soaks the ground and stays, you may need a French drain instead. Read French drain vs surface drain to choose.

How steep is your slope, and which idea fits?

Steeper slopes need walls and steps, and gentler slopes can take lawn or a few plants. Measure first, then match the idea to the number.

Here is a simple way to measure:

1. Set two stakes. Put one at the top and one at the bottom, in a straight line down the hill.
2. Run a level string. Tie a string to the top stake and hold it level over the bottom stake.
3. Measure the drop. That is the rise in inches from the string down to the ground at the lower stake.
4. Measure the distance. That is the run, from stake to stake in inches.
5. Divide rise by run. Multiply by 100 for percent. A 12 inch drop over 36 inches is about 33 percent.

What sloped backyard landscaping costs

Cost depends on the idea. A dry creek bed can run in the hundreds of dollars, while a long wall runs into thousands. These are national numbers and not Pineda prices.

Sources: LawnStarter (Oct 2026), Bob Vila (2022), Fixr (Jan 2025). National figures, not Pineda prices. Pineda prices each project after a free site visit.

Step and path costs vary with stone, width and number of steps, so we do not list a national figure here. Your estimator measures them on site.

Slope projects often need regrading and prep work first ^[4]. That is part of why a hillside quote can sit above the middle of a national range.

How to plan a sloped yard project, step by step

Start with how you want to use the yard, then work out the wall, the water and the plants in that order.

1. Decide what you want. A patio, a play area, a garden or just a safe path.
2. Measure your slope. Use the stake and string method above.
3. Watch the water. Walk the yard in a rain. Note where it runs and where it pools.
4. Pick the main structure. A wall, steps or both. Ask about height limits and HOA rules.
5. Plan the drainage. Gravel behind walls, a dry creek bed or a drain where water collects. Dial 811 before digging.
6. Add plants last. Plant ground cover and shrubs after the hard work, timed to the freeze dates.

Want the whole yard planned in one project? See our backyard makeovers and retaining wall installation in Franklin. Live in Brentwood? We work there too.