How much does fill dirt cost in South Carolina?
Fill dirt costs $5 to $25 per cubic yard or $4 to $15 per ton delivered, according to HomeGuide. A dump truckload holds about 10 to 14 cubic yards and runs $150 to $400 with delivery. Spreading costs extra, and a long haul out to a rural lot can raise the delivery charge.
A few yards will fill a low spot. A house or mobile home pad takes whole truckloads. We build house and mobile home pads around Florence and the Pee Dee. We bring small amounts of fill on our dump trailer, and for a full pad we line up truckloads.
What does fill dirt cost per yard and per ton?
In HomeGuide’s price table, standard fill dirt runs $5 to $20 per cubic yard and structural fill $10 to $30. By the ton, those two run $4 to $15 and $8 to $23. Clean fill sits between them.
| Fill type | Per ton | Per cubic yard |
|---|---|---|
| Standard fill dirt | $4 to $15 | $5 to $20 |
| Clean fill dirt | $6 to $15 | $8 to $25 |
| Structural fill dirt | $8 to $23 | $10 to $30 |
| Septic fill | $15 to $40 | $25 to $60 |
Source: HomeGuide, fill dirt prices by type.
HomeAdvisor’s guide comes out close, at $5 to $30 per cubic yard. It adds that bulk orders get a lower rate per yard.
What does a truckload of fill cost, and how much does a truck or trailer hold?
A dump truckload of fill dirt runs $150 to $400 with delivery, HomeGuide says. Each load is about 10 to 14 cubic yards, and the type of fill sets the price.
| Fill type | Per truckload |
|---|---|
| Standard fill dirt | $150 to $250 |
| Clean fill dirt | $200 to $300 |
| Structural fill dirt | $250 to $400 |
Source: HomeGuide, truckload prices by type.
Truck sizes vary. HomeGuide lists a standard dump truck at 8 to 12 cubic yards and a dump trailer at 4 to 6. A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet and weighs 1.3 to 1.5 tons.
How much fill dirt do you need for a pad?
Multiply the pad’s length, width and depth of fill in feet, then divide by 27 for cubic yards. Measure the pad, which runs wider than the building for working room around the edges.
| Pad | The math | Cubic yards | Truckloads | Standard fill, delivered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile home pad, 30 by 70 feet, raised 1 foot | 30 x 70 x 1 = 2,100 cubic feet ÷ 27 | About 78 | 6 to 8 | $900 to $2,000 |
| House pad, 40 by 60 feet, raised 18 inches | 40 x 60 x 1.5 = 3,600 cubic feet ÷ 27 | About 133 | 10 to 14 | $1,500 to $3,500 |
Source: math on HomeGuide figures. Spreading and shaping cost extra.
Some plans call for structural fill. At HomeGuide’s $250 to $400 a load, that house pad runs about $2,500 to $5,600 in dirt.
The raw math is a floor. Loose fill packs down as it gets shaped, and a raised pad’s sloped sides take dirt too. Your supplier or engineer gives the factor to add.
Some lots have a high side. We cut it down with excavation work and move that dirt to the low side, which trims the truck order.
What is the difference between standard fill, clean fill, structural fill and topsoil?
Standard fill dirt is inorganic subsoil, the broken-down rock, clay and sand below the topsoil. Certified clean fill is screened to remove organic matter and debris. Structural fill costs the most per truckload in HomeGuide’s table.
Topsoil is the dark, organic layer that lawns and gardens use. HomeAdvisor notes that topsoil settles or erodes over time, which makes it less stable than fill dirt. We strip the topsoil, roots and stumps off a pad’s footprint first, because that soft material settles later.
Mobile homes make up nearly one in five homes in Florence County, per Census survey data. The federal installation standard allows two bases for a manufactured home foundation. One is firm undisturbed soil. The other is fill compacted to at least 90 percent of its maximum relative density.
The same standard says grass, roots, twigs and wood scraps must be removed where the footings go. South Carolina’s Manufactured Housing Board rule, Regulation 79-42, calls for controlled fill free of grass and organic materials. It sets a minimum load-bearing capacity of 1,000 pounds per square foot.
If the installer or an engineer has fill specs, we build the pad to that plan. Our mobile home site prep guide covers the full order of work.
What else moves the price of fill dirt in the Pee Dee?
Distance and access move the delivered price, and spreading adds its own cost. HomeGuide’s truckload prices include free delivery up to 10 miles. HomeAdvisor notes that larger trucks and longer distances cost more, and so do remote or hard-to-reach sites.
HomeGuide says delivery is one dump and does not involve moving the dirt into a backyard. A pad behind the house needs machine time to carry the pile back.
Wet ground is the other catch. HomeAdvisor says the usual delivery fee covers a dump on solid, dry ground, 15 feet or more from overhead trees. After a wet spell, a drop may wait or land nearer the road. Our land grading cost guide explains why flat Pee Dee lots hold water.
Spreading is the last add-on. HomeGuide says rough spreading after delivery adds $200 to $400. A pad takes more than a rough spread.
We shape the fill in layers so it settles more evenly. The top ends up flat and a few inches above the ground, which falls away on every side. That is how we build a dirt pad, and we price it on site. Grading the rest of the lot so water runs off is grading and site prep work.
Do you need a permit to bring in fill dirt in South Carolina?
Whether fill needs a permit depends on how much ground the job disturbs and whether any of it is wet. SCDES counts clearing, grading, excavating and filling of low areas as land disturbance. State stormwater coverage applies to construction that disturbs one acre or more.
Florence County has its own Stormwater and Land Disturbance Application for sites under one acre. It carries no application fee. Ask the county whether your job needs one before the first load comes.
Wet ground can bring in federal law. Fill going into waters of the United States needs a Section 404 permit first, and that includes wetlands. If part of the lot might be wetland, get that answered before any fill goes down.
Mobile home lots get one more question. Florence County’s mobile home permit packet asks whether any portion of the parcel touches a flood plain. Before any digging starts, SC811 asks for a locate request at least three business days ahead.
Questions people ask
How much is a truckload of fill dirt?
HomeGuide puts a dump truckload of fill dirt at $150 to $400 with delivery. Standard fill runs $150 to $250 a load, clean fill $200 to $300 and structural fill $250 to $400. Each price covers about 10 to 14 cubic yards, with free delivery up to 10 miles.
How many yards of fill do I need for a house pad?
A 40 by 60 foot house pad raised 18 inches takes about 133 cubic yards. The math is length times width times depth in feet, divided by 27. That comes to roughly 10 to 14 truckloads. Loose fill packs down, so your supplier or engineer tells you how much extra to order.
Is fill dirt cheaper than topsoil?
Yes. HomeAdvisor lists fill dirt at $5 to $30 per cubic yard and topsoil at $12 to $55. Topsoil carries the organic matter that lawns and gardens use. HomeAdvisor notes it settles or erodes over time, so topsoil stays out from under a pad.
What kind of dirt goes under a mobile home pad?
Firm undisturbed soil, or fill with no grass, roots or wood in it. The federal installation standard allows fill compacted to at least 90 percent of its maximum relative density. South Carolina’s rule calls for controlled fill free of grass and organic materials. That base must carry at least 1,000 pounds per square foot.
Do I need a permit to bring in fill dirt in SC?
Whether you need a permit depends on the size of the job and the ground. SCDES counts filling of low areas as land disturbance, and state stormwater coverage starts at one acre. Florence County has a land disturbance application for sites under one acre with no application fee. Fill in wetlands needs a Section 404 permit first.
How much does it cost to spread fill dirt?
HomeGuide says rough spreading after delivery adds $200 to $400. Delivery covers one dump in one spot and does not include moving the pile into a backyard. Building a pad takes more than a rough spread, since the fill gets shaped in layers. We price that work on site.
Want your pad priced on site?
We price pads after we see the ground and the way in. You can ask for a free on-site estimate or give us a call.