Best way to slope my grade near the gas meter and driveway?

That transition by the gas meter is ussually where people get stuck, but you have to prioritize the foundation regardless of what the parging looks like. If that window well is at a wierd angle, it’s often becuase the ground settled unevenly over decades or the previous installer just winged it. You want to keep that slope moving away from the house for at least six feet if you can, even if it means the grade looks a bit aggressive toward the fence. Be extremely careful not to bring the dirt up too high against the house. You need at least two to four inches of clearance between your final grade and the bottom of your siding or the top of the foundation wall. I've seen people bury their bottom plate trying to get a perfect slope, and they end up with termite issues or sill plate rot within a few seasons. If the parging height shifts, just follow the lowest point as your guide for safety.

On the sagging driveway, skip the DIY jacking. Trying to leverage a slab yourself usually ends up snapping the concrete because you aren't getting uniform pressure underneath. It’s a nightmare to fix once it’s in three more pieces. Just hire a **mudjacking** or poly-leveling crew. They can drill small holes and pump material in to fill the voids properly. It’s way faster and actually addresses the hollow spots that caused the sag in the first place.

Since you alredy have downspouts tied into the municipal drain, you’re ahead of the game. Just make sure the surface dirt is packed down well. If you're using loose topsoil, it'll just settle again after the first big rain. Mixing in some clay or using a hand tamper will help that slope stay put so you aren't out there with the laser level again next spring.

I was looking at hand tampers at the hardware store yesterday and they seem like a massive workout. Is there a specific type of dirt I shold be asking for at the yard to make sure it actually stays put? I'm worried if I just use regular garden soil it'll turn into a muddy mess the first time we get a thunderstorm.

Also, for the poly-leveling, does that stuff hold up better than the mud in colder climates? I’m in a spot where the ground freezes pretty deep and I don't want to pay for a pro fix just to have it heave and crack again in two years.

Stay away from garden soil. It’s too spongy. Ask for 'select fill' or 'screened fill' at the yard—you want something with a high clay content that packs down tight. Topsoil is for grass, not for structural grading.

As for the poly vs. mud debate in the cold, go with poly every time. Mudjacking is basicly a wet dirt pancake under your slab. In freezing temps, that moisture can heave. Polyurethane is closed-cell, meaning it doesn't absorb water and won't wash out. It costs more, but it’s a permanent fix for those of us in the frost belt.

If you're dreading the hand tamper, just rent a plate compactor for a few hours. It’s way more effective at getting that fill dirt packed tight so you don’t end up with sinkholes later.

About that window well—if the angle is really messing with your drainage, you might have to just dig it out and reset it properly now while you’ve allready got the laser level out. It sucks to do, but it's better than having water sitting against your basement windows becuase the frame is slanting the wrong way.

Keep a close eye on that gas meter regulator while you're working. It’s tempting to bring the fill up to hide that parging shift, but you can't bury the vent on the regulator. If that gets blocked, you're looking at a major safety hazard. I ussually build a small gravel pocket right around the gas riser to keep the soil back while still letting the water move. Since you mentioned that 40-foot tree was right there, double-check for old roots under the sagging driveway section. If those roots are still rotting out, they’ll leave huge voids. Even the poly guys can’t help much if the ground underneath is still actively decomposing and shifting every few months.