Frequently Asked Questions

Contact Us with any additional questions.

From the Home page, click the “Check Prices / Register” button and fill out the simple form, or click here.

Go to the Member Login box on the Home page. Enter your login email address and click the “Forgot password” link. Your password will be sent to your email address.

Go to the Home page and login with your current login email and password. Click on “My Account” from the main menu at the top of the page. Enter your new information and click, “Update”.

If you would like to upgrade or change you membership plan, log into DirtFill.com and click "My Account" in the top menu.

When doing a search, the distance is an estimate, and is calculated from the center of your zip code to the center of the other listing zip code. The distance from center to center might be calculated at certain number of miles, but you could literally be across the street from a site or you could be on opposite sides of the zip codes. You still need to contact the members for specific site location, but the first five listings will generally be closer than the next five.

On the Search Results page (as a logged in member), click the “Report Completed Listing” link to the left of the specific listing. An automatic email will be sent to the DirtFill.com staff.

Each city, county and state has different regulations, and may or may not require a permit(s). You are responsible to determine if a permit(s) is required for your project. You can contact your city office where they normally can answer your questions about city regulations as well as those for the county, state and federal agencies.

Yes – Anyone in your company can use the service by logging in with the registration email and password. Each person can then list their own sites with their own contact information.

No – you contact other members directly and work out your own deal. Arrangements regarding delivery, timing, pricing, etc. are made directly between you and the other members.

Yes – Some contractors will deliver dirt fill (sandyclay, clay, common fill, yard fill, etc.) at no charge, and others may deliver for a fee. Typically the prices, if any, will be much lower than retail. Arrangements regarding delivery, timing, pricing, etc. are made directly between you and the other members. If a contractor has excess material that needs to be moved soon, they are more likely to deliver free if you are close. It all comes down to supply, demand, timing, distance and kind of fill dirt. The most common kind of dirt fill to get free is “Clean Fill” or “Rough Fill”. Free compactable, topsoil, rock, or specialty products are much harder to come by because these are more of a commodity. These types of material are available; they just might be harder to get free. If you think you only want topsoil, read "Why is fill better than topsoil in some cases?"

If you live in a populated area that has snow, some contractors that haul snow from streets or parking lots may be willing to pay something to dump snow at your site.

Sometimes contractors are tempted to just do a search if they need to find a quick solution. We strongly encourage contractors to create a listing too, even if your job is for the next day (just make sure to list the expiration date accordingly). Another member may have the perfect solution, but may not create a listing either. If there are two members with opposite needs and neither one creates a listing, neither one will know the other exists. Also, you can get instantly notified of new listings that match yours with our automatic email notification. It only takes a few minutes to create the listing and it could save you thousands of dollars.

Quantity - List the most dirt fill you think you can take. Some people start out listing 100 cubic yards (cy), then try to get another 100 cy after that and maybe do that a few times totaling 300 cy. If a contractor has 300 cy, they will most likely want to find a site that can take all of it. So the person listing only 100 cy might have missed several hauls of larger quantities. The same principle applies whether you want 30 cy or 3000 cy. The more you list, the more possibilities you have to match.

Flexibility – The more kinds of fill dirt you can take the more possibilities there are. "Clean Fill" and "Rough Fill" are by far the most common types available. If you think you only want topsoil, read "Why is fill better than topsoil in some cases?"

Price – Contractors incur a lot of expense in loading and hauling dirt fill. If you express a willingness to pay something, even if it is a small amount, a contractor is more likely to call you compared to another looking for free material. Just select “paying” or “negotiable” in the pricing category.

Search – Contractors can do a search to see who has excess dirt in the area. Another contractor may have dirt listed that they don’t need to move right now and are not calling you or anyone else. If contractors get proactive and call other contractors, they may be willing to work out a deal with you.

Login and go to “My Listings” at the top of the page and select “Create New Listing” from the drop down menu. Fill out the simple form and click the “Create” button at the bottom of the page.

Login and go to “My Listings” at the top of the page and select “View, Modify, or Delete” from the drop down menu. A list of your current and/or expired listings will appear. Click the “Modify” or “Delete” button of a specific listing.

Fill – Generic term used to refer to any kind of dirtfill material.

Compactable – little or no organic (topsoil)
Common uses: for building pads, driveway or road base, under concrete slabs, etc.
Depth: any depth, but usually needs to be compacted with a machine – check local building codes for required compaction density

Non-Compactable – Fill material that is not suitable for building
Common uses: raise the grade or expand your yard, fill a hole or ravine, build berms, etc.
Depth: any depth

Topsoil – mostly organic (supports plant life)
Common uses: sod, grass seed, or planting beds
Depth: sod 2-4 inches, grass seed 4-6 inches and planting beds 8-12 inches

If you need a layer of organic material for sod, 2-4 inches of topsoil is recommended. For grass seed, 4-6 inches is recommended, and for planting beds 8-12 inches is recommended. If you are filling deeper, it is recommended to use fill dirt first, and then put a layer of topsoil over the fill dirt. The reason is simple: topsoil will settle. If you spread a thick layer of topsoil alone, it will look nice when you are done, but over time you will have dips and valleys that will most likely need added topsoil. Also regular fill is generally less expensive than topsoil.

Trucks come in all sizes from small single rear axle landscape trucks which hold 3-5 cubic yards (cy) to large tractor-trailer trucks which hold 17-20 cy. Most contractors, however, use regular dump trucks which hold 10-14 cy. These include a tandum or 2 rear-axel truck at 10 cy, a tri-axel at 12 cy, and a quad-axel at 14 cy. One load from these regular dump trucks leaves a pile of dirt fill the size of a car. Five loads is like having 5 cars parked on your lot. If you are filling a large area or any kind of depth, the loads disappear fast. Many people think they need a certain amount, spread the loads, and realize they need more.

Multiply length in feet by width in feet by average depth in feet.  This will give you cubic feet.  Take that number and divide by 27 to get cubic yards. You can also use our Cubic Yard Calculator:

Enter your dimensions, then click the calculate button

Example: 3 feet 8 inches would be 3.67 feet
Cubic yards
  • Inches/Feet
  • 1 = 0.08
  • 2 = 0.17
  • 3 = 0.25
  • 4 = 0.33
  • 5 = 0.42
  • 6 = 0.50
  • 7 = 0.58
  • 8 = 0.67
  • 9 = 0.75
  • 10 = 0.83
  • 11 = 0.92