Spillway Dirt
from $230.00 per load, delivered
This product contains unscreened material; rocks, roots, and debris may be present. Not suitable for finished landscaping. Moisture content varies; may require settling time. Always verify site conditions and consult engineer for critical water-management projects.
What is Spillway Dirt?
Low on organics, packs tight under a compactor, and holds the shape you put it in. This is the dirt people here use to raise ground and build berms.
Spillway dirt is a local name more than a spec. Because it comes out of the ground instead of off a production line, the color and the moisture change from load to load. It is the second most ordered material we haul.
Its natural composition aids compaction and stabilization in wet environments.
Best uses for Spillway Dirt, ranked
- Raising a low lot before sod
- Pond berm and basin construction
- Driveway and road embankment fill
- Backfilling depressions and washouts
- Rough grading on commercial sites
When not to use Spillway Dirt
Spillway Dirt is fill. Here is what to use for the jobs it can't do.
- Structural fill under slabs, footings or foundations. Bearing fill needs an engineer's spec and testing. Follow your engineer's spec. We're happy to help you choose.
- Planting beds, raised beds, vegetable gardens. Low in organic matter; can carry weed seeds and rhizomes. Use Premium Garden Soil instead.
- Topdressing an existing lawn. Can bring in torpedograss, nutsedge and dollarweed. Use Premium Garden Soil instead, in thin layers.
- The drainage zone right behind a retaining wall. Wall drainage needs clean, free-draining stone; silt is excluded. Use #57 Limestone instead.
- French drains or any layer meant to drain. Silt holds water. Use #57 Limestone, the stone water runs through, instead.
- Bedding under pavers. Silt holds water and settles. Use Concrete Sand instead, over a Crushed Concrete base.
- The base under a slab, patio or driveway. It is fill, not a base. Use Crushed Concrete as the base instead, with #57 Limestone on top for a driveway. Spillway Dirt can go underneath to bring the grade up.
- Piled over tree roots or against a trunk. Fill in the root zone can kill trees. Use Hardwood Mulch instead: 3 to 4 inches at most, kept off the trunk.
- A finished or decorative surface. It is not screened; small roots, sticks or debris may remain. Top it with Pea Gravel or Hardwood Mulch instead.
Spillway Dirt pros and cons
Pros
- Budget-friendly
- Compacts well
Cons
- Contains debris
- Variable moistur
- Needs settling
Tips for working with Spillway Dirt
DIY tips
- Compact in 6-inch lifts with hand tamper for small areas
- Water the material lightly before compacting to optimize density
- Allow 2-3 weeks settling before final grading near structures
- Use for temporary erosion barriers; reinforce with erosion cloth if needed
Pro tips
- Place spillway dirt in 6-8 inch lifts and compact with sheepsfoot rollers for optimal density and strength
- Conduct soil classification testing before critical projects; clay ratios affect slope stability
Spillway Dirt specs at a glance
Clay dominant excavated soil, low organic content, running from fines up to clods a couple of inches across. Compacts firm under a plate or a roller. Measured in cubic yards.
- Coverage
- About 81 sq ft per yd³ at 4 in deep
- Material
- Silt with some clay
- Size
- Mixed
- Texture
- Fine (silt with some clay)
- Color
- Brown
- Also called
- Raw Earth Fill, Embankment Fill
Spillway Dirt load size and minimum order
Big fill jobs add up fast. Here is how Spillway Dirt is sold today, straight from our price list.
- Sold by
- the truckload
- Truckload
- Up to 9 yd³, one price
- Minimum order
- 3 yd³
How much Spillway Dirt do I need?
Measure the low area and how many inches it needs to come up, and the calculator turns it into Spillway Dirt to order, rounded up. When one end sits lower than the other, use Raise the low side.
How Spillway Dirt delivery works
From your price to the pile on the ground, here is how a Spillway Dirt order goes.
Have it dropped as close to the low area as the truck can safely reach. Every wheelbarrow trip you save makes the job faster.
- See your price. Enter your address for the exact delivered price. No surprise fees: delivery and taxes are shown before checkout.
- Pick your day. Pick your day at checkout. Anytime gives you the best chance; Morning and Afternoon are requests, not guarantees. If a crew or equipment will be waiting on the material, have it delivered the day before.
- Tell the driver where. Put gate codes and where to dump in the driver notes, and make sure there's clear access for a dump truck.
- Delivery. Our own drivers place the material where you want it. Once it's on the ground it's yours to spread and pack.
Until your truck is on its way, an order can still be changed or canceled. Just call us.
Materials that work with Spillway Dirt
- Crushed Concrete: The packed base that goes on top of Spillway Dirt under a slab, patio or driveway.
- River Sand: Sand fill for leveling, pool decks and pipe trenches.
Spillway Dirt guides and tools
Questions about Spillway Dirt
How much does Spillway Dirt cost?
Spillway Dirt is from $230.00 per load delivered. Up to 9 yd³ at the same price. Enter your address for a quote.
How is Spillway Dirt sold?
By the truckload.
What is the minimum order for Spillway Dirt?
The minimum order is 3 yd³.
How much Spillway Dirt do I need to raise a low spot?
Measure the area in feet and how many inches it needs to come up. Length × width × depth in feet, divided by 27, gives cubic yards; the calculator on this page does the math and rounds up. Fill settles as you pack it, so order a little extra.
Can Spillway Dirt be compacted?
Yes. It is a silt with some clay, and it packs down when you spread it in thin layers and compact each one before the next. That is how it goes in as driveway, pad and embankment fill under the base stone.
Does Spillway Dirt drain well?
No. Silt holds water, so never use it for a French drain or right behind a retaining wall: use #57 Limestone instead. What Spillway Dirt can do is reshape the ground so rain runs away from your house.
Can I put Spillway Dirt under a slab, patio or pavers?
Not as the base. Crushed Concrete is the base, with #57 Limestone on top for a driveway, and pavers bed in Concrete Sand. Spillway Dirt can go underneath all of that to bring the grade up. For structural fill under a slab or footing, follow your engineer's spec.
Is Spillway Dirt screened?
No. It is not screened, so small roots, sticks or debris can turn up in it. Bury it under sod, base stone or Premium Garden Soil rather than leaving it as the top layer.
How is Spillway Dirt delivered?
It comes loose in one of our own dump trucks. Pick a spot the truck can reach close to the low area, and keep the street and the curb clear of the pile.