Fill Dirt in Fort Irwin, CA

Delivered fill dirt in the Fort Irwin area commonly runs about $20 to $45 per cubic yard, or roughly $15 to $35 per ton, depending on supplier, distance, and material quality. Remote delivery, steep access, or requests for screening/clean fill can push the price higher, so check your zip code and delivery notes at checkout.

To raise 1,000 sq ft by 2u0022 you need about 6.2 cubic yards of fill dirt, and for 4u0022 about 12.3 cubic yards. At local delivered rates ($20-$45/yd3), material-only cost is roughly $125 to $555 for 2u0022 and $245 to $1,100 for 4u0022; plan on extra for delivery to remote sites and for compaction if you hire a contractor.

Local tri-axle dump trucks commonly carry about 10 to 14 cubic yards of loose fill dirt (roughly 12 to 18+ tons depending on density). One truckload delivered to a remote Fort Irwin address often costs in the $400 to $1,000 range, depending on distance, road access, and supplier minimums.

Fill dirt can be used to build up grade, but it is not a good long-term wearing surface. For driveways in Fort Irwin, use fill dirt only to raise or level the subgrade, then install compacted crushed stone as the structural base and wearing surface for drainage and stability.

Use fill dirt in compacted lifts of 3u0022 to 6u0022 to achieve final grade, compact each lift thoroughly, and add a geotextile if you have very loose or silty native soil. Finish with 4u0022 to 6u0022 of compacted base rock and 2u0022 to 3u0022 of surface gravel; in desert soils watch for caliche or expansive clay and allow extra compaction effort.

Choose fill dirt when you need low-cost, inert material to raise grade, backfill trenches, or create planting berms. For structural bases, drainage trenches, and areas under concrete, opt for sand-and-gravel mixes or crushed rock instead, because those materials drain and compact reliably compared with untreated fill dirt.

For perimeter drains and French drains you should excavate fill dirt and replace it with clean drain rock (typically 3/4u0022 to 1-1/2u0022 crushed rock). If you are backfilling non-drain trenches with compactable fill, use clean fill dirt in 6u0022 lifts and compact; as an example, a 12u0022 wide by 12u0022 deep trench uses about 0.037 cubic yards per linear foot (about 27 linear feet per cubic yard).

You can place fill dirt on native soil for simple grade adjustments, but for load-bearing or long-term installations you should remove vegetation, scarify the native surface, place fill in 3u0022 to 6u0022 lifts and compact each lift. Use geotextile fabric if the native soil is very loose or if you expect drainage issues; for structural work add base rock under the surface layer.

For a 20-ft wide driveway, costs vary by length and depth. As an example, a 20 ft x 100 ft driveway filled with 4u0022 of compacted fill dirt needs about 24.7 cubic yards; at $20-$45/yd3 material-only cost is roughly $495 to $1,110, with additional delivery and compaction charges often adding several hundred dollars.

Rule of thumb: 1 cubic yard of loose fill dirt typically equals about 1.2 to 1.5 tons (varies by moisture and soil type). Typical truck sizes: single-axle 5 to 7 yd3, tri-axle 10 to 14 yd3; multiply cubic yards needed by 1.2-1.5 to estimate tons and divide by truck capacity to estimate truckloads. Always confirm with your supplier and use our online calculator to check quantities for your zip code.