Waste Disposal (TopSoil)

[PerfiCut L&L]

Just wondering what everyone does with soil they excavate on simple paver job. We always try to use what we can when we're doing a renovation of some sort, but on a lot of our paver only jobs we end with a lot soil we have to haul away.

Around here the only choice is to take it to the landfill. At $90 a ton this adds up rather quickly. Unfortunately we can eat the cost, and passing this cost on to the customer can dramatically increase the final bill. There is a recycle plant nearby by more often than not, they wont take topsoil. Especially if it has grasses and large stones mixed in it.


This upcoming spring we are looking at picking up some property to construct a storage facility for our equipment and such. Ideally if we can get a property large enough we could stock pile extra topsoil until it is needed for another project. But in the mean time we're stuck with high estimates, and hauling the stuff to the landfill.

To think.... I have to pay good money to move dirt from one part of the earth to another. Such a waste.

[mrusk]

On my current job we are trucked off about 500 yards so far with another 200ish to go. Ofcourse you pass the cost on to the customer. To find a dump site the best thing to do is become friends with local builders and excavators. Someone always needs dirt.

[BrandonV]

most grading contractors here haul from one and dump on another... charge both parties. I'm luck i have a lot of land so we stockpile it, if you have a screener you could probably resell it at a good $

[DVS Hardscaper]

There are websites where people will post a listing LOOKING for clean fill. As well as looking for places to dump.

We have 2 places where we dump for free.
1) Our shop is on 25 acres and at the moment we have plenty of spaces to dump thousands of cubic yards.

2) My personal residence. I live on a mountain ridge. Part of my land is extremely sloped. So I have plenty space where I can always use clean fill.


Another avenue, being you are in MD is to call the company that has the grey roll off containers. I forget their name. Their containers are grey with red lettering (usually). EAI? Something with an "E". You see their containers all over commercial projects in MD, Balt, & DC. They will haul your spoils for a set fee, and they HAVE places to dump.



It's funny...you guys cringe over exporting soil! I love exporting soil, as I have use for it. Everyday at the close of the day, we haul one load back. Heck, we gotta drive back anyway....might as well do so with the truck loaded.

[neversatisfiedj]

I don't know anyplace in Glen Burnie , but in Carroll County I have a couple of landscape suppliers that let me dump there. In turn they screen it and sell it as topsoil. Everyone's happy. I know a residence in Finksburg that need 100 yrds , but I that is my little place to dump. ;)

[bigviclbi]

$90.00 a ton is insane. I can fill a 20 yard dumpster for $225.00. You need to call quarry and stone yards, I pay like $6.00 a ton to dump dirt with a $20.00 minimum.

[DVS Hardscaper]

Hoow bout 'The Stone Store'?

They sell top soil, etc. (under a different name)

You'd think they would take spoils, screen and sell.

I'd try calling around to different soil suppliers. In Frederick we have one company that sells screened soil and they'll gladly take our spoils. They just screen it and ship it back out.

[McKeeLand]

DVS,

what are the sites for listing fill dirt wanted? i thought of that a not to long ago, guess i am too late, LOL.

[DVS Hardscaper]

I dunno.

About 18 months ago I did a Google search and came across them. And then turned out I didn't need them.

I run ad ad on Craigslist, where I am stating that I am accepting fill material (at my residence). Although.....I'm not sure I have the ad placed at the correct spot, as I only got one call!

[McKeeLand]

I found a couple when i googled them. thats good to know for next season. i had a nice little spot last season, but he has all he needs now.

[Ramairfreak98ss]

$90.00 a ton is insane. I can fill a 20 yard dumpster for $225.00. You need to call quarry and stone yards, I pay like $6.00 a ton to dump dirt with a $20.00 minimum.

In central/south jersey, these yards only charge those fees for very CLEAN FILL or Top soil grade dirt. Most times, in this industry, i keep all that for use on later jobs at my property. Ive seen dumps charge $96+ per ton and i can take 5 ton in my dump trailer to the dump so thats not even an avenue i would consider, since on a "small job" i may have to take 3 trailer loads.

What do you guys do if the soil is ALL clay? Ive had jobs where i knew it was going to cost 10k to remove many yards of clay and other jobs i took clay mix soils, mixed them with sandy soils, fill dirt and yards of manure, 6 months later the dirt is "usable" and not so clay like anymore.

Its always been a PITA to figure out what you can do on certain jobs when it comes to this, especially for bidding. Knowing your figuring the cost of hauling and excavating while the other guy is going to plant or build right in/on top of it :(

[cutbetterthanyou]

If you are board and want to take a ride you can bring it to my house for free i am about 45 mins from the bay bridge.

[RockSet N' Grade]

RamAir........around here a neat trick I have found is to send a sample to the local University and they will analyze it and send you back a recomendation as to what to add to make the "dirt" into premium soil. They do this service at no charge. That is a possibility for an onsite solution.

[lawnscapesLLC]

Carl, Last I heard Rutgers did what Rockset said. Also a friend of mine had a lco in Washington TWP/turnersville area and there was some kind of conservation or environmental place that used to let him dump grass clippings and dirt there by the truckload for only like $5. That was a few years ago tho and he has since moved to CO but i'll e-mail him and try to find out where the place was.

[forestfireguy]

We are in the same boat as DVS, we have a large "yard" sits on about 30 acres, 15 or so is cleared, 10 of which is used, the junk goes "over the edge" and the decent/good get seperated and stockpiled for resale as fill ot topsoil, it is rare that we will take excavated soil and be able to sell it as topsoil, but we do collect a fair amount of fill. We don't push bulk materials but if someone calls and wants some it's a good way to keep the truck busy on a slow day. We just make it very clear that they are to receieve their deliveries at our convienience If you went to the local yard and bough clean fill you'd pay 9 a yard picked up.

[NMS0219]

If you were closer to me I say bring it to my shop. I have lots and lots of space. If anybody close to me needs a dump place pm me Nick

[ChampionLS]

Just wondering what everyone does with soil they excavate on simple paver job. We always try to use what we can when we're doing a renovation of some sort, but on a lot of our paver only jobs we end with a lot soil we have to haul away.

Around here the only choice is to take it to the landfill. At $90 a ton this adds up rather quickly. Unfortunately we can eat the cost, and passing this cost on to the customer can dramatically increase the final bill. There is a recycle plant nearby by more often than not, they wont take topsoil. Especially if it has grasses and large stones mixed in it.


This upcoming spring we are looking at picking up some property to construct a storage facility for our equipment and such. Ideally if we can get a property large enough we could stock pile extra topsoil until it is needed for another project. But in the mean time we're stuck with high estimates, and hauling the stuff to the landfill.

To think.... I have to pay good money to move dirt from one part of the earth to another. Such a waste.


Without even reading anyone's responses... I don't see why a landfill would even charge you to dispose of fill material. They should be thankful for receiving solid capping material free of charge.

When you design a hardscape for a client, theres a certain skill to figuring out how much excavated material you will generate. A smart design would recycle that material and use it as fill. Example: Your building a paver driveway that wraps around to a raised patio in the back yard. With proper compaction methods, you could save yourself a lot of headache and use the fill material for the subgrade.

If Fill materials need to be hauled off site, there are plenty of farms and construction sites that need fill. Usually it can be unloaded for free. There is a trade publication called Hard Hat News, and several others where you can offer your material for free. Got dirt? need dirt? it's all in there.

For you Jersey boys' Call MIDCO They'll drop a dumpster and you can fill it up to the top with dirt. They even take Asphalt, and Concrete. Very cheap.

[RockSet N' Grade]

Another thought I had. If you were to scrape the top sod layer off and pile it somewhere and add, say horse manure, it would set up a composting process and become a valuable/salable product. The dump site here has recently set up a "green waste" recycling area where people dump their yard debris, grass clippings, etc. for minimal. We have horses and clean our pens on a daily basis and the dump lets us bring our loads of manure for free because the manure helps in the microbial breakdown process. We have even started doing this on a very small scale on a 1 acre parcel we own and are creating some pretty rich stuff that is in demand.........grass clippings, leaves, chicken poop, horse manure, our "green garbage" from the house and some dirt. That stuff is smokin' and steamin' as we speak ( its about 20 degrees here ) and I expect come spring it will be some really rich stuff. There have got to be some "green" movement type groups in your area that would welcome some dirt.....

[idrissa]

Be very careful stockpiling other peoples dirt. if you can sample it and have it tested that will save a ton of money later. My supplier accepted roughly 11 yards of dirt laden with lead. It cost him $10,000 to remove off site. Of course testing was courtesy of the state which gave him a stiff deadline to remove it. Lead anyone?

[PerfiCut L&L]

We did just recently find a place that will take fill dirt at a more reasonable rate. I beliebe it's $50 a load. Regardless of tonnage, whatever size truck/trailer you can get in the gate, $50 bucks. A huge savings over the alternative.

We are looking at buying a piece of property, however, given the price, at the moment we have to start out small. About 1 to 1-1.5 acres is all that we can afford at $300,000 +

We want to build a pole barn with about 1200 s.f for equipment and dry stack materials. Then we can bring in fill dirt and stock pile it to be used on other jobs. Hopefully this will work out well.

[ChampionLS]

Oh you mean like this? :usflag:

I bought a house on 2 acres. Back yard was mostly woods and a jungle. All my fill material from every job I've done has built up my property. Still not finished.

[neversatisfiedj]

ahhh I'm jealous of that back yard .