Renovating my own lawn - advice needed

[DA Quality Lawn & YS]

I am a solo mow/blow and landscaper, living in the upper Midwest.
I have some questions about how I can get my own lawn looking better than it is. Beyond the seasonal fertilizer regimen. I'm not satisfied, and this is an area where maybe you guys can help out.

I live in a new development, where my lawn was sodded about 3-4 years ago. Like most new developments, the topsoil upon which the sod was laid was less than desirable, some fill (aka crap), a lot of clay, little black dirt. I also doubt that the sod was the most top quality in the world, but it is a mix of KBG/fescue/rye as is typical of the Midwest. As it stands right now, I consider my turf thin and very quick to go dormant in dry weather. Slow to come out of dormancy as well. I have issues with a little bit of clover in the backyard, along with dandelions (I have been hand digging and hand spraying those with mixed success). I have been fertilizing once in May and once in October the past couple of years, but possibly plan to add a late Aug/early Sept fert app this year. I have not gotten a soil test done to date, but I did aerate last fall and with the clay here I think that is a good thing.

What would you guys suggest to bring my lawn around? The biggest issue here is the soil to root zone in my lawn, the dirt is just so poor there. Overseed/topdress? Aerate more often? Need to get recs on dandy/clover control too as I am sure that stuff needs to be taken care of 1st.

A step by step list of to-do's would be super, but any help is appreciated.
Thanks!

[Whitey4]

Many years ago, when the town went to sewers instead of cesspools, the contractor buried all the top soil, there was maybe an inch of top soil over pure sand and rock. I struggled with this forever, until I finally said, "If I am to be a landscaper, my lawn has to be the best one around."

I killed the lawn with roundup. I used my power rake to remove the debris. I dug out the area that they trenched, about 75' long, 8' wide, got rid of the sand and rock to about 6"s deep, releveled, and put down 4 to 5 inches of top soil and compost. Reseeded this spring with a Tupersan (Siduron) starter fert, top dressed with a combination of "lie top soil" (a mix of top soil, compost and peat) and straight peat moss and the lawn came in great.

It's getting a little stressed now because the root system isn't very deep, but a slit seeding this fall will finish the renovation.

I tried amendments, all that stuff.... grass won't grow on lousy fill, period. Expensive? Yes! A lot of work? Yes! Worthwhile? YES! I get compliments on the front lawn all the time now. In fact, doing that got me four jobs just like it for this fall.

To do a whole yard, you would definitely need to rent a Bobcat or something, and find out where you can dump the fill. Buy how ever many yards of quality top soil you need and have the dump spread it out.

Radical approach, but anything else will be a band aid, and won't fix the problem. Seriously.... my new lawn has earned respect for my talents and gotten me noticed... and got me some profitable jobs too. People going for an evening walk often just stop and stare at the lawn and gardens I've put in. Best advertising I ever could have had.

[Smallaxe]

Whitey's idea is good but expensive as he said. If your soil is beyond repair then that action may be necessary.
Another possiblity is to overseed by spreading topsoil/compost over the lawn in a 1/2" thick layer or so. This is time consuming but not that bad. I would aerate b4 bringing in the topdressing.