Clean means soil and little else
Fill from a post hole or a shallow garden bed may be useful to someone else, or it may need a disposal site that accepts clean soil. Clean, in this context, usually means soil without trash, asphalt, concrete, treated wood, or stained earth. If the dirt came from a spill, a former industrial yard, or a place that smells like fuel, stop and ask the local environmental office before you haul it anywhere. Do not spread suspect soil on another property. For ordinary native soil, call the landfill or transfer station and ask whether they take clean fill from residents and whether plants and rocks must be removed.
Rocks, sod, and roots change the answer
A bucket of soil with a little gravel is different from a load of boulders, and different again from sod mats with plastic netting. Ask about each. Sod is living plant material and often belongs with yard waste if it is free of trash. Soil may be a separate line because it is heavy. Do not top a trash load with dirt to hide bags, and do not hide bags under dirt. Weight and honesty both matter at the scale. Cover the bed so dust does not blow out.
Do not dump it on a vacant lot
Soil dumped on land you do not control is dumping. Even on your own land, grading can be regulated. If a neighbor wants fill, confirm they want the amount you have and that it is clean. Otherwise use the site that said yes. Load within the vehicle's limits. Dirt is heavier than it looks. At the gate, say clean fill and mention if there are rocks. Unload in the fill area, not on the compost pad, unless staff specifically send you there.
Before spreading fill near a lot edge or a low swale, check the county parcel map for a recorded drainage strip. Platbookmapper covers what a drainage easement is and how it appears on plats.
Before you go
- If the soil may be contaminated, ask the environmental office before hauling.
- Call the site and ask whether clean fill is accepted and how clean it must be.
- Keep sod, trash, and rubble out unless the site allowed them.
- Cover the load and tip it only in the fill area.
Dumping excavation spoil on an empty lot because the landfill seemed far.
Questions people ask
Can I advertise free fill?
Yes, if the soil is clean and you describe it honestly. Let the other person haul it, and do not let a stranger dump their debris on your driveway in exchange.
Does topsoil with grass go as fill?
Ask. Many sites want sod in yard waste and mineral soil in fill. A mixed mat may need to be shaken apart.
Search Dumpmapper by ZIP code or city, then call the site before you load the truck. Hours and accepted materials change.