How Much Will Fill, Topsoil, and Sand Cost? [2024 Data]
Normal range: $300 - $1,200
Fill dirt for landscaping costs an average of $750 for a truckload, though costs may range from $300 to $1,200 depending on where you live and the type of soil you purchase.
Buying fill dirt and hardscaping materials like topsoil and sand probably isn’t your favorite pastime—but fresh hardscaping materials will help your landscape and garden flourish, so it’s well worth the extra cost.
- Average
- $750
- Low end
- $150
- high end
- $2,000
Cost of Fill Dirt Near You
Prices for landscaping fill and other materials like topsoil and sand vary based on where you’re located. Rural areas will likely have higher delivery fees and may even require multiple trips in smaller trucks if your site is hard to access.
Here’s an estimate of going rates for materials throughout the U.S.
Austin, TX: $1,000
Boston: $750
Chicago: $550
Denver: $1,500
Miami: $650
Minneapolis: $500
New York City: $800
Portland, ME: $700
Seattle: $950
San Francisco: $1,550
How Much Does Fill Dirt Cost by Type?
Different types of dirt, topsoil, sand, mulch, and rocks can impact your project’s price, with fill dirt costing as little as $5 per cubic yard and mulch costing as much as $150 per cubic yard in some cases. Here’s what you need to know as you make your decision.
| Dirt Type | Cost per Cubic Yard | Cost per Truckload |
|---|---|---|
| Topsoil | $12 – $55 | $150 – $600 |
| Fill dirt | $5 – $30 | $150 – $450 |
| Sand | $15 – $40 | $300 – $700 |
| Mulch | $50 – $150 | $150 – $550 |
| Rocks, stones, gravel, and riprap | $20 – $120 | $450 – $600 |
Topsoil
On average, topsoil costs between $12 and $55 per cubic yard or $150 to $600 per truckload. The type of topsoil you choose affects the price of your soil. Screened black dirt will cost you around $15 per cubic yard, while loam costs around $17 per cubic yard. Expect to pay around $20 per cubic yard for standard screened topsoil.
Fill Dirt
Most fill dirt costs around $5 to $15 per cubic yard or $150 to $450 per truckload, but there are different types of fill dirt that can impact the price. For example, clean fill dirt—dirt that has been filtered for organic matter, debris, and other contaminants—costs closer to $8 to $15 per cubic yard on average.
Meanwhile, structural fill dirt for construction projects costs around $10 to $30 per cubic yard, and septic fill dirt costs around $12 to $30 per ton.
Sand
If you need to fill in damp sites, like near a septic tank or a pond, you’ll want to choose sand instead of fill dirt to do the job. Screened sand costs between $15 to $40 per cubic yard on average or $300 to $700 per truckload.
Mulch
The price for mulch ranges from $50 to $150 per cubic yard or $150 to $550 per truckload. Prices vary drastically depending on the type of mulch you choose—cypress, rubber mulch, and pine needles come in toward the higher end of the price range, and red mulch, black mulch, and wood chips fall on the lower end of the price range.
Rocks, Stones, Gravel, and Riprap
The price for rocks, stones, gravel, and riprap can fall anywhere between $20 and $120 per cubic yard or $450 to $600 per truckload. You’ll likely pay less for low-quality gravel and more for high-quality rocks like river rocks.
How Much Does Dirt, Sand, Mulch, and Rock Cost per Cubic Yard?
Expect to pay an average of $5 to $150 per cubic yard for hardscape options like dirt, sand, mulch, or rock, with unfiltered dirt coming in toward the lower end of that range and rock coming in toward the higher end.
Fill Dirt, Topsoil, and Sand Cost Breakdown
Most of the cost for your project goes into the materials, labor, and delivery. Here’s a quick breakdown of how each factor impacts the total price of your fill project.
Materials
Hardscape materials cost anywhere from $5 to $150 per cubic yard, not including delivery fees. The price can go up depending on if you hire a local landscaping company to deliver and install the fill dirt or if you choose delivery only or rent a truck to pick it up yourself.
Labor
Haulers might charge you a flat rate or an hourly rate of $65 to $100 per hour, so be sure to check your quote or ask for more information on the price breakdown to see how they calculated their labor fees.
Delivery
Most delivery trucks charge anywhere between $7 and $55 per cubic yard for hauling and delivering dirt. The price depends on the size of the truck, the number of axles, and the weight of your materials. Keep in mind that some delivery trucks may not operate on narrow streets in residential areas, so ask ahead of time to avoid any delays.
Cost to Haul and Deliver Fill Yourself
Hauling and delivering landscaping materials can be a laborious DIY project, depending on how much material you need. To rent a trailer, you’ll pay just $25 per half-day on average. For a pick-up truck, you’ll spend $45 for half a day. Dump truck rentals cost $75 per day, but you might need to acquire a special license to operate one of these trucks.
Cost to Install It Yourself vs. Hiring a Contractor
Most landscaping and delivery companies will use a set rate for delivering your items, but other companies might charge around $65 to $100 per hour to deliver your materials.
Though you can save by DIYing your materials, it’s often easier to just hire a landscaping company to install the landscaping materials—especially for large projects that require lots of transportation, as the time and effort will likely negate any real benefits you’d get from doing it yourself.
Contractors often have their own vehicles for transporting materials and may even have special deals on the materials that make it simpler and more cost-effective to just go with their services.
| Soil Type | DIY Cost per Cubic Yard | Pro Cost per Cubic Yard |
|---|---|---|
| Topsoil | $12–$55 | $19–$55 |
| Fill dirt | $5–$30 | $12–$55 |
| Sand | $15–$40 | $27–$55 |
| Mulch | $50–$150 | $62–$150 |
| Gravel | $20–$120 | $27–$120 |
How You Can Save Money on Fill Dirt, Soil, Sand, and Rock
If you’re on a tight budget, sometimes you just want to get the job done as affordably as possible. Here are a few tips for saving on fill dirt, soil, sand, rock, and other hardscaping materials.
Buy in Bulk
You can save on hardscaping materials by buying in bulk. For example, topsoil costs around $20 per cubic yard on average if you buy in bulk, but if you buy topsoil by the bag, you’ll pay around $100 per cubic yard.
Choose a Local Supplier
Another way to save is by choosing your supplier wisely. Always go for bulk orders from a local landscaping company to get the most out of your purchase. Delivery fees can easily increase in price if you choose a material from a supplier located hundreds of miles away.
Ask a Friend to Help
Speaking of fees, consider using your own truck or trailer—or a friend’s vehicle—to pick up your materials rather than renting a vehicle on your own. This can help you avoid those fees altogether.
Allie Ogletree contributed to this article.
Frequently Asked Questions
The main benefit of topsoil is that it enriches the soil with nutrients that help your plants and garden grow at a healthy rate. Topsoil improves how well your soil drains water and gives it a more fertile texture, so that not only do you get better planting, but weeding is also much easier.
You’ll want to consider the type and the quality of soil you’ll need when buying fill, as sand might be best for damp areas. Likewise, you don’t want to use fill as your top layer for your garden. High-quality topsoil is the best choice for vegetable and fruit gardens.
You may want to install a paver patio, add a backyard water feature, or build a paver walkway in your yard at the same time as filling your landscape in.
The number of bags of topsoil you need depends on the depth you’re filling. The average topsoil is sold in a roughly forty-pound bag, covering 12 square feet at a one-inch depth. Since topsoil is by nature the uppermost layer of soil, you can bet on only needing to fill about 4 to 8 inches of soil depth with it.