How to fill low spots in backyard?

Phocus – posted 08 June 2008 11:43

I have several areas that collect water and need to regrade the backyard by filling in and resodding. The largest area is 15ft. x 15ft. for instance. I live in Houston and have St. Augustine grass. Some of the low areas still have grass and some have no grass and hard ground. I was planning to fill in the areas and do some minor regrading so the water drains down the front yard that slopes downyard to the street. Should I use bank sand, sand-soil mix, or topsoil with rice husks? Can I fill over the the hard ground and grass areas without any prep? I would be filling in as much as 5 inches deep. Do I need to roll afterwards before laying sod?