Table of Contents

• Dirt Removal in a Jiff with Discount Dumpster
• Can Dirt Go in a Dumpster Rental?
• What Would Be the Best Size for a Dirt Dumpster Rental?
  • Dirt Disposal and Landfills
  • The Best Dumpster Size
  • Dirt Dumpsters and Weight Limits
  • How Much Can Dirt Weigh in a Dumpster?
• Is Dirt Costly to Dump?
  • Dumpster Rental Cost
  • Junk Removal Service
  • Self-Haul to Landfill
  • Alternatives to Dirt Disposal
  • Can Dirt Be Recycled?
• Is There a Limit on Dirt Disposal in a Dumpster?
  • "Clean" vs. "Mixed" Dirt
  • Contaminated Soil

What do excavation projects, landscaping jobs, grading work, and pool installation all have in common? Lots and lots of dirt! If you’re doing a big job that involves digging out soil or dirt, you’ll end up with piles of dirt that need to be handled.

You may be tempted to haul your excess dirt to a vacant lot, shovel it out of your truck, and be on your way. But dumping dirt on an empty lot, at a construction site, on public property, in a park or forest, or even behind your back fence is considered illegal dumping. If you have a large amount of dirt to get rid, you’ll need a better, more responsible plan.

A big landscaping or excavation project can yield a lot of excess dirt, but dealing with a big dirt removal job doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. Sometimes, you can reuse dirt from one part of your project in another area of your site. But if you have no use for it to complete your project, you’ll have to find a way to dispose of all that dirt. Discount Dumpster offers an easy and affordable way to dispose of dirt quickly.

Excess dirt can be discarded in a rental dumpster container. Getting a roll off dumpster at your home or job site is very convenient and makes dirt disposal easy. Because dirt is very heavy, you’ll need to be aware of the weight limit of the disposal container you’re using. Filling a huge dumpster container full of dirt will certainly exceed both the weight limit for hauling on our roads and the weight allowance at the landfill.

If you are discarding dirt, let us know when you call to order your rental dumpster. We’ll discuss your project, find out how much dirt you’re discarding, and put together a disposal solution that meets both your needs and your budget. In general, dirt should not be disposed of in a dumpster container larger than 20 cubic yards. If you fill up a container that is larger than this, the weight limit will exceed acceptable limits.

Dirt is very dense and may be heavier than you realize. Because of this, it is easy to go over the weight restrictions for a dumpster container. If you are combining dirt with other types of waste, you’ll have to keep track of how much heavy dirt is going into your dumpster container. But using a special inert dumpster can make this process easier.

An inert dumpster container is the best way to handle very heavy material for disposal. Inert waste is waste material that does not contain any biodegradable or contaminated material. This type of waste can be disposed of in a separate section of a landfill and requires less handling and containment than waste that contains organic material.

Inert waste does not react with the environment in a way that could contaminate nearby water, soil, or air. This makes it easier to manage in a landfill.

You can use an inert dumpster for your dirt disposal as long as you are careful to not put any household or mixed waste into the inert dumpster container. There may be some cost savings when using an inert dumpster, so take care not to contaminate the load.

Dirt mixed in with other material may be rejected at the landfill. In this case, the truck may be diverted to a mixed waste landfill. This could result in an extra unexpected fee.

What size dumpster is best for dirt disposal? If you are not using an inert dumpster, the maximum size container should be our 20 cubic yard size. You can choose a 10-, 15-, or 20-yard dumpster to handle your dirt debris. Dirt should not be loaded above max fill line for heavy material.

When a dumpster is overfilled, it cannot be hauled safely on our roads. You may be required to remove some material from an overfilled dumpster before transporting.

In the case of our 20-yard dumpster, overfilling the dumpster could cause it to exceed the maximum weight limit. When a truck picks up your dumpster and hauls it to the landfill, it is weighed upon entry to the landfill. After dumping the load, the truck is again weighed as it exits the landfill.

The difference in the two weights is the weight of the dirt. If this weight exceeds the allowed weight at the landfill, you could be subject to an overweight fee.

When you call to order your dumpster, we’ll review all weight limits and rules for filling your dumpster. We’ll help you avoid any overweight fees by estimating the amount of dirt you have to discard and getting you the right size dumpster for your needs. Let us know that you will be discarding heavy dirt when you call to order your dumpster.

Also be sure to let us know if you’ll be disposing of other household or construction and demolition (C&D) waste with your dirt. The amount of dirt you need to dispose of is important in our calculations for your dumpster order. A significant amount of dirt will need to be accounted for in order to get you the right size dumpster. Usually, small amounts of dirt can be accommodated in a 10- or 20-yard dumpster along with other waste without going over the weight limit.

How much does dirt weigh? The weight of dirt depends on the composition of the soil, along with any water weight in the soil. In general, clean dirt will weigh about 80 pounds per cubic foot or just over one ton (2,000 pounds) per cubic yard.

Dirt that contains stones, cement, or asphalt could weigh more. If the dirt is damp or wet, the water will increase the weight of the load. Dirt with heavy materials in the mix or that is damp or wet can weigh up to 110 pounds per cubic foot. This is almost 3,000 pounds per cubic yard. 

We’ll review how to load up your dumpster when you are depositing dirt in the container. In most cases, you will not be able to fill your dumpster all the way to the top with dirt without exceeding the weight limit for the container. This is especially true in the case of very wet soil. We’ll assist you with the information you need to stay within the weight guidelines and avoid any overweight charges.

Share this infographic

When renting a dumpster for dirt disposal, the cost of disposal is included in your flat rate rental price as long as you don’t exceed the weight limit. At Discount Dumpster, we offer a flat rate all-inclusive price for all our dumpster rentals. Your quote will include all fees, dump charges, and taxes.

Your final cost for dirt removal and dumping depends on how you plan to dispose of the dirt. This is a general guideline for the cost of disposing of dirt:

10 cubic yard dumpster - $300-500

20 cubic yard dumpster - $400-600

Discount Dumpster offers affordable dumpsters for dirt disposal. We offer a flat rate that includes all fees and taxes. As long as you don’t exceed the weight limit for the container you rent, that flat rate charge will cover all the dirt you can fit in your dumpster up to the max fill line for heavy material. This gives you the opportunity to control your costs and budget accurately from the get-go.

10 cubic yards of dirt - $500-600

20 cubic yards of dirt - $900-1,000

Load must be bagged/boxed or extra charge will apply

A junk removal company may be able to haul away a small amount of dirt. Junk hauling trucks typically cannot handle very heavy loads, so they may not be able to take all your dirt at once. If your need a second or third trip, the cost of using a junk hauling service can quickly add up.

Some junk haulers require that the dirt be placed in trash bags or boxes for pickup, or they may charge an extra fee to load up the dirt into their truck. This makes this disposal option expensive and a hassle to manage.

10 cubic yards of dirt -$200-300

20 cubic yards of dirt - $400-600

Additional costs include fuel costs and truck rental if applicable

You may be wondering if it is cheaper to haul the dirt to the dump yourself. The landfill will charge you by weight, with a set per-ton cost for inert material. You’ll have to load up the dirt into a pickup truck, secure the load, and take it to the dump. Multiple trips can be costly, with the dump fee and gas costs, plus your time to do the loading, driving, and unloading.

Before considering this option over a dumpster rental, find out whether your local landfill will accept self-hauled dirt for disposal. Also ask about the cost of dump fees. You’ll likely find that using a rental dumpster is a more convenient and cost-effective way to get rid of your excess dirt.

There are some alternatives to disposing of dirt that can save you money. Clean fill dirt is needed at some landscaping and construction sites. Clean dirt is soil that does not contain other materials, including cement chunks or blocks, metal, lumber, construction debris, or any other waste. Fill dirt is used for applications such as bike or walking paths, ditch filling, landscaping, berm building, grading projects, and simply filling holes.

Often contractors or landscapers will look for offerings of free dirt on community sites such as Craigslist, Freecycle, or Facebook Marketplace. In many cases, you can get free pickup of your fill dirt. There are also some specialized websites that connect people with dirt to get rid of and those seeking clean fill dirt. Check out Clean Fill Wanted, DirtFill, or DirtGeo to find people or companies ready to take your dirt off your hands.

The Construction & Demolition Recycling Association (CDRA) has a list of recyclers that take construction and demolition (C&D) waste. Some may also accept fill dirt. Contact these companies directly to find out if they are in the market for free clean fill dirt.

Offering free fill dirt may seem like a good solution to your dirt disposal needs, but it is not a reliable way to discard a large amount of dirt. You may not be able to get rid of it all at once. It could end up sitting on your property for a while.

If you have a large amount of dirt, you may end up having to offer to deliver it if no one will pick it up for free. Using a reliable dumpster rental service is the best way to handle your dirt disposal in the quickest and most convenient way possible.

If the dumpster is going to be used for mixed waste, the amount of dirt needs to be accounted for in the final weight of the dumpster container. Dirt is heavier than other typical household or construction waste. If you are disposing of large amounts of dirt, let us know when ordering so we can get you the right dumpster size for your needs.

Besides the weight limit on the amount of dirt you can dispose of, there are restrictions when the dirt is mixed in with other material. As long as you are not using an inert dumpster, dirt that has leaves, stones, or other organic waste can be placed in a regular dumpster container. But the dirt put in an inert dumpster must keep these types of material out of the dumpster container.

And in fact, some dirt can be “dirtier” than what is considered clean fill dirt. Clean fill dirt can contain some material other than dirt, but it should be limited to sand, gravel, or crushed concrete. Fill dirt that is considered non-clean has other material in it, such as household waste, metal, glass, paper or cardboard, or organic waste. In fact, dirt from landscaping jobs usually has enough plant material in it to render it useless as clean fill dirt.

Sod, leaves, vegetable matter, shrub debris, and flower material are all difficult to remove from soil. This type of fill dirt cannot be used at construction sites or in other landscaping applications.

Some dirt may be contaminated or mixed with certain prohibited material. Dirt is also deemed non-clean if it is contaminated. If chemicals have spilled into the dirt or it has been treated with pesticides or herbicides, it could be unsuitable for disposal in a landfill. Dirt that is contaminated with flammable liquids are likewise banned.

If the dirt contains asbestos, it will require special handling. Improper handling of contaminated dirt can end up costing you, with potential fines and jail time for violations.

How does soil get contaminated? Sometimes chemicals are added to topsoil as fertilizers or to control pests or weeds. Oil or other automotive leaks or spills can contaminate dirt.

If there is a nearby underground oil or fuel storage tank, your excavation site will need to be inspected to determine if any of the soil is affected by these fluids. You can’t always see this type of contamination on the surface, but may discover a problem when you dig down at your site.

Soil in this condition must be treated before disposal. If that is not possible, the contaminated soil must be contained from other landfill debris. Some contaminated soil is subject to federal Superfund guidelines. Typically, landfills require advance notice of the intent to dispose of contaminated soil.

You will usually need approval by the landfill regulatory compliance manager. If approved, you can expect extra fees to dump contaminated dirt in a landfill. This extra fee covers the cost of the special burial procedures that must be followed.

If you need to dispose of contaminated soil, talk with us when you call to order your dumpster. We’ll determine if we are able to haul and dump the soil in our landfills. If not, we’ll direct you to the appropriate disposal or recycling facility or agency to assist you.

Ready to get started on your landscaping or excavation job? Give Discount Dumpster a call today to get your dirt clearing project started! We’re standing by to assist you with the ordering and delivery process.

Enter Your Zip Code to Find Your Location