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Free fill dirt, and how to actually get it

Fill dirt is often free because getting rid of it costs the other person real money — hauling excess away runs from a few hundred dollars for a short local dump run to $1,400–$2,300 per load for full-service removal. Bought instead, clean fill and topsoil typically sell for $5–$50 per cubic yard plus delivery, or $150–$400 for a delivered dump-truck load. On Dirtly, the dirt itself is usually free or cheap — you’re only solving the moving. To figure out how many yards you actually need, run the numbers in our fill dirt calculator.

Updated July 27, 2026 · Figures: industry estimates, 2026

Search "free fill dirt" and you get a lot of pages promising it and very little dirt. Here's the honest version: fill dirt genuinely is free a lot of the time, because the people who have it are trying to get rid of it. When a crew digs a pool or a foundation, all that subsoil has to go somewhere, and paying to dump it costs real money by the load. Handing it to someone down the road is the cheaper option for them. Have dirt to get rid of instead of needing it? Our guide to what to do with excess dirt walks through every option.

So the dirt is free. The work of moving it is what you're really negotiating — who loads it, who hauls it, and whether you can be there when it comes out of the ground. That's the whole deal, and it's better sorted out person-to-person than through a listing fee or a broker.

How to find it without chasing dead ends

  1. Open the map and look for brown pins near you — those are people with dirt to give away.
  2. Read the pin. It says the soil type, rough amount, and whether it's free or priced.
  3. Message the person, agree on who moves it and when, and go get it. No fee to anyone.

Nothing near you yet? Post what you're looking for as a green pin. The next crew digging nearby can find you instead of paying to dump.

Common questions

Is fill dirt really free?
Often, yes. When a crew digs a pool, basement, or foundation, the dirt they pull out has to go somewhere — and dumping it costs money. Giving it to someone nearby is cheaper than hauling it to a dump, so the dirt itself is frequently free. What is not free is moving it, which is the part you agree on directly.
What's the catch with free fill dirt?
The catch is logistics, not money. You usually have to load it, haul it, or be ready when the dirt is available — a dig happens on the crew’s schedule, not yours. It also may be rough, unscreened subsoil with the odd rock or root. For raising a low spot that’s fine; for a garden bed you want topsoil instead.
What does "clean fill" mean?
Clean fill is plain dirt, rock, and sand with no concrete chunks, trash, roots, or contaminated soil mixed in. It’s what you want under a slab, a driveway, or a raised yard. When someone posts fill on Dirtly, ask whether it’s clean before you commit to hauling it.
How is Dirtly free to use?
Dirtly is free for individuals, always — no listing fees and no cut of anything. It simply connects the person with dirt to the person who needs it and then gets out of the way. You two work out pickup, hauling, and any price yourselves.
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Looking locally? Fill dirt in Ravenna, Ohio · topsoil in Kent, Ohio