Sidewalk Yard Change of Plan

I am not satisfied with the way this project is turning out. The final grade is still an inch and a half too high. I am trying to go too cheap by re-using the old sod. The turf being a mixture of different grasses, mostly weeds, is not uniform. Also, even though I have been very careful cutting and removing the sod, I end up being short about 1/3rd to fully re-sod the area. So the resulting turf is uneven and patchy and mostly weeds. I think that the small amount of sod required for this effort would not be a budget buster.
I think I should go ahead and cut down the rest of this area recovering the excess soil. Then, I will pull up all the sod I have put down, regrade the whole area and then put down some decent sod to cover every square inch.
One good thing is the rich top soil this effort is producing. That aspect of this project is on track. I also found a 1941 silver quarter screening the dirt.