Excavation & Earthwork
Fill Dirt & Topsoil Delivery Cost (2026)
Fill dirt costs $5-$25 per cubic yard and topsoil $10-$50 in 2026, plus $50-$150 delivery. Truckload pricing, which material each job needs, and how to avoid paying topsoil prices for fill jobs.
Dirt is the one material where buying the premium product can be the mistake. Topsoil under a slab settles and shrinks as its organic matter decomposes; fill dirt in a garden bed grows nothing. Matching material to purpose, and buying by the full truckload, is most of the game. Here are the 2026 numbers.
2026 prices per cubic yard
| Material | Per yd³ | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Fill dirt (unscreened subsoil) | $5-$25 | Raising grade, filling holes, berms |
| Screened fill | $15-$30 | Final grading below topsoil |
| Unscreened topsoil | $10-$30 | Rough lawn grading |
| Screened topsoil | $15-$50 | Lawns, beds, final 4-6 inches |
| Garden mix / compost blend | $25-$60 | Raised beds, planting soil |
| Sand (fill / utility) | $15-$40 | Bedding pipe, leveling, play areas |
Ranges from 2026 cost guides including HomeGuide and Angi. Delivery is typically a flat $50-$150 within a supplier's service area; some fold it into a delivered per-yard price, so always compare the total for your quantity.
Truckload economics
Like gravel, dirt hauling is a fixed-cost trip: a 14-yard load of $12 fill is $168 of material and maybe $100 of freight. Split that order in two and the freight doubles while the dirt does not change. Order the full load, and if you have extra, a neat stockpile of fill is rarely wasted on a property with projects. Truck capacities and weight limits are covered in dump-truck loads of dirt.
How much to order
Then add 10-15% for compaction and settling: placed fill consolidates under its own weight and rain even without a compactor. The cubic yard calculator handles rectangles, circles, and triangles, and converts to tons (fill dirt runs 2,000-2,700 lb per loose yard, so a big order may be weight-limited on the truck).
Worked example: raising a 20 × 25 ft low spot by 6 inches
- Volume: 500 × 6 ÷ 324 = 9.3 yd³
- With 12% settling allowance: 10.4 yd³, so order a full 10-12 yard truckload
- Fill dirt at $15/yd³: about $160; delivery $100; delivered total: roughly $260
- Top 4 inches as screened topsoil for the lawn: 6.2 yd³ ≈ $190 + delivery, second trip
Ordering mistakes to skip
Topsoil everywhere. The structural 80% of most raising jobs should be fill dirt at half the price; topsoil is the final growing layer only.
Free fill without questions. Free dirt from excavation listings can carry construction debris, contamination, or expansive clay. Fine for a berm; risky under anything built.
No plan for the pile. Fourteen yards is a car-sized mound. Know where it lands, protect the surface below, and schedule spreading before rain turns it into a mud fort.
Ignoring weight on delivery. A loaded tandem exceeds 25 tons; keep it off septic fields, thin pavement, and irrigation lines.
Sources & standards: quantities and factors in this guide follow the references documented in our methodology, including ACI 302/318 (concrete practice), OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart P (excavation safety), ASTM aggregate designations, and the International Residential Code. Local codes, climate, and site conditions govern.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a truckload of dirt cost in 2026?
A 10-15 cubic yard dump truck load of fill dirt or topsoil costs $150 to $600 delivered. Screened topsoil fills the same truck at the top of the range; unscreened fill dirt at the bottom.
What is the difference between fill dirt and topsoil?
Fill dirt is subsoil with little organic matter: stable, compactable, and cheap, used to raise grades and fill holes. Topsoil is the organic-rich top layer that grows things. Never buy topsoil for structural fill or fill dirt for a lawn.
How many yards of dirt do I need to raise my yard?
Area (sq ft) x depth (in) / 324 = cubic yards. Raising 500 sq ft by 4 inches takes about 6.2 yards, ordered as 7-8 to cover settling. Fill compacts roughly 10-15% after placement.
Is unscreened topsoil worth the discount?
For rough grading under sod, often yes at 20-40% less. For garden beds and seeded lawns, screened is worth the premium: unscreened loads carry rocks, roots, and clay clumps you will be raking out for years.
Does dirt delivery include spreading?
No. Quoted prices are dump-and-go. Spreading and grading is either your labor or $50-$100 per hour for a machine and operator, so budget it separately on larger loads.