Versatile, lower-grade soil commonly used for volume and elevation changes in various construction and landscaping projects. Great for leveling or grading ground, backfilling pools and filling ditches, and evening out low points or depressions on your property.
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Related Materials Available in Palo Alto, CA
Fill Dirt: Stable Backfill For Bay Area Projects • Next-Day Fill Dirt Delivery Options Available
Fill Dirt
Versatile, lower-grade soil commonly used for volume and elevation changes in various construction and landscaping projects. Great for leveling or grading ground, backfilling pools and filling ditches, and evening out low points or depressions on your property.
How Hello Gravel Works?
Simple, fast, and reliable fill dirt delivery in Palo Alto
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Schedule Delivery
Choose your preferred date and time frame. Place your order online. We will call to confirm within 24 hours.
Materials Delivered
We source materials locally through our trusted supplier network and deliver straight to your home or job site.
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Why Palo Alto Chooses Hello Gravel
Trusted by homeowners and contractors throughout Palo Alto
Free Local Delivery
Free local delivery via dump truck using our trusted supplier network.
Local Quality Standards
Materials are quality checked to ensure 100% satisfaction.
Local Support Team
We will be with you through delivery. Call us any time if you need to make any changes to your order.
Quick Turnaround
Most deliveries within 2-4 business days. If you need a rush delivery, give us a call!
Why Palo Alto Homeowners Choose Hello Gravel
Palo Alto is a compact, high-demand community with a city population of 86,482 within the San Francisco-Oakland metro area of 2.5+ million. With steady growth of 0.70% annually and a moderate Mediterranean climate—about 225 sunny days per year and 34.70 inches of rainfall—local projects must balance dry-season work with winter rain and good drainage. Homeowners and small contractors often take on grading, raised-bed landscaping, and foundation backfill in response to ongoing residential updates and infrastructure work. That activity makes reliable, properly graded fill dirt essential: it reduces settling, supports structures and hardscapes, and helps direct water away from buildings when placed and compacted correctly. In Palo Alto’s climate and hardiness zone 8b, typical fill dirt needs to be low in organic material and free of debris so it compacts well and resists erosion during rainy periods. Hello Gravel connects you with local suppliers who source regionally appropriate fill dirt, and coordinates delivery by professional dump trucks so material arrives on schedule and matches local soil characteristics. Standard delivery requires 2+ business days, with a next-day option for orders placed before noon CST for an additional fee, and drivers may offer tailgate spreading at their discretion.Popular Projects in Palo Alto This Season
- Backyard Grade Fill Dirt20 tons
- Shed Pad Fill Dirt8 tons
- Foundation Backfill Fill Dirt15 tons
- Patio Subgrade Fill Dirt12 tons
- Small Pool Base Fill Dirt25 tons
Palo Alto Quick Facts
- 📍 Location: San Francisco-Oakland, CA
- 🏘️ Population: 86,482
- 🏡 Metro Area: 2.5+ million
- 🌧️ Annual Rainfall: 34.70 inches
- ☀️ Sunny Days: 225/year
- 🌡️ Hardiness Zone: 8b
- 🏗️ Growth Rate: 0.70% annually
- 🚛 Delivery Coverage: Citywide delivery available
Best Times for Palo Alto Projects
- Oct–Nov: Stable Fall Compaction
- Feb–Apr: High Moisture Risk
- May–Sept: Ideal Dry Compaction
- Dec–Jan: Winter Saturation Risk
Summer Tip: Choose low-organic, well-graded fill dirt and compact it in 4–6" lifts to reduce future settling; schedule deliveries for dry days after checking permit needs for fill or grading.
Material Calculator for Palo Alto Projects
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Quantity Recommendations
Orders Under 5 Tons - Add 20% extra to your estimated gravel needs.
5+ Ton Orders - Add around 10% to ensure enough additional material on hand.
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Looking for Fill Dirt in Palo Alto ?
Frequently Asked Questions - Palo Alto Fill Dirt Delivery
Everything you need to know about fill dirt delivery in Palo Alto.
Fill dirt is subsoil with few organic materials used to raise grade or fill voids; it is mostly clay, silt, sand, and small rock. Gravel is crushed stone or rounded rock used for drainage and structural layers. In Palo Alto you would choose fill dirt when you need to build up earth or fill low spots, and gravel when you need a stable, draining surface.
Fill dirt is generally cheaper per ton than gravel because it is a lower-spec material with more fines and fewer crushed pieces. Prices in the Bay Area vary by source and haul distance, so savings can shrink if dirt must be hauled from far away. For an accurate cost compare, request a Hello Gravel quote for both materials to see delivered pricing to Palo Alto.
Yes, fill dirt is commonly used to raise and level low areas in yards, especially for small grading jobs and planting beds. In Palo Alto's clayey soils you should add fill in thin lifts and compact between lifts to reduce settling. For projects affecting drainage, driveways, or finished grade near structures, check with a licensed contractor or the city for permit or grading guidance.
Fill dirt can be used as structural backfill for non-critical areas, but it is not always the best choice directly against foundations or utility trenches where engineered backfill or gravel is preferred for drainage. In Palo Alto's climate and seismic setting, engineers often specify drained granular backfill or controlled fill for foundation work. Always follow your engineer's recommendations and local building codes before backfilling near structures.
Volume depends on the depth you want. For example, to raise 1,000 sq ft by 3 inches you need about 9.3 cubic yards (1,000 x 0.25 ft / 27). That equals roughly 11 to 14 tons of fill dirt, depending on moisture and compaction. Use Hello Gravel's calculator or request a quote for an exact delivered amount to Palo Alto.
Costs vary with material source, haul distance, and truck size. A typical tri-axle dump (about 10–12 cubic yards) in the Bay Area can range widely; expect to request a local quote to see current pricing for Palo Alto. Hello Gravel can provide delivered pricing and availability for your zip code so you know exact costs before ordering.
You can add fill dirt over existing soil for small grade adjustments, but failing to remove topsoil, roots, or organic material can cause uneven settling and poor compaction. For larger lifts or areas that will support structures, removing unsuitable material and compacting in layers gives a more stable result. If you are covering gravel, consider whether you need a separation fabric or proper drainage first.
Grass can grow on fill dirt, but success depends on the soil's organic content and topsoil depth. Pure fill dirt is low in nutrients and may need a layer of topsoil or amendments and proper grading before seeding. For Palo Alto lawns, add at least 3–4 inches of topsoil or compost on top of fill and ensure good drainage and irrigation for healthy turf establishment.
Small landscaping fills are generally fine, but building foundations or structures on uncontrolled fill can be risky because fill may settle or behave differently in earthquakes. Palo Alto sits near active faults and on variable soils, so larger structural projects typically require a geotechnical evaluation and engineered fill specifications. Consult a geotechnical engineer and the city for permit requirements before placing significant fill under structures.
Filling a hole with fill dirt alone usually does not help drainage because fill dirt often contains fines that reduce permeability. For drainage features you generally use coarse material like gravel or perforated pipe within a designed drain system. If your goal is to direct water away, grade with a permeable base and consider a drainage plan suited to Palo Alto's local soils and runoff patterns.
Uncompacted fill will settle unevenly over time, so compaction in lifts is important for any grade that needs long-term stability. Small garden fills can be placed and lightly compacted by tamping, but structural or sloped areas require mechanical compaction and proper lift thickness. Hello Gravel drivers can deliver fill dirt, but compaction is usually a separate contractor service.
The lowest-cost approach is to use minimal imported fill, spread it in thin layers, and compact as you go, and to reuse onsite material when possible. Buying fill dirt in bulk reduces per-ton delivery cost, so plan accurately to avoid extra truck trips. Still, balance cost with proper compaction and drainage to avoid expensive rework later.
Because Hello Gravel sources materials locally, the color, texture, and clay content of fill dirt in Palo Alto will reflect Bay Area geology. That means some fills may be stickier or heavier than fills from inland areas and may compact differently. If you have preferences or need a specific gradation, note that in your order and ask our team for supplier details when you get a quote.
2A and 2B are classifications for crushed gravel mixes with specific grading and compaction properties used for base and drainage layers; they are not fill dirt. If you need structural backfill or a drainage base, ask for the appropriate aggregate (like 2A) instead of fill dirt. For raising grade where compaction isn't critical, fill dirt is the right product; for load-bearing or draining layers choose a specified gravel.
As of today, we require 2 business days for delivery.
Use our material calculator here: https://hellogravel.com/calculator/ to enter the length, width and depth measurements of your project. It will automatically calculate the cubic yards/tons needed. If you are unsure how much to order, contact our team for guidance.
Please type in your zip code on any product screen and it will let you know if we service your area. The chances are that we do!
The material will be delivered via dump truck. If your order is under 20 tons, then it will likely be just one dump truck load. If your order is more than 20 tons, it will be more than one dump truck load.
Absolutely! Try our aggregate quiz here: https://hellogravel.com/aggregate-quiz/ Alternatively,you can call us, chat with us (box in the bottom right corner of the website), or email us!
We cannot get out of the truck and manually spread it. However, depending on the location, safety, and comfortability of the driver – we may be able to tailgate spread your material. This involves pulling the truck forward as material is being dumped to make it easier for you to distribute material after delivery.
The minimum order size is 3 tons.
Hassle Free! Our goal is to make the buying process for gravel and other aggregates as easy and seamless as possible. Enter your zip code on our site, select how much material you need (see below FAQ’s to determine order size), select the date and time frame you would like your material delivered at Checkout, and place your order with any major credit card. After the order is placed our in-house support team will contact you to confirm the details. We will send additional confirmations on the day before and the day of delivery. On delivery day, a dump truck will arrive to dump the materials at your specified location. We request that you have someone available to accept the delivery so that we can make sure to dump it in the correct location. That’s it!
No, because we are a national supplier, we utilize our existing network of suppliers across the country. Therefore, the materials will likely be delivered from a contracted trucking company.
We specialize in making the aggregate buying process as easy and seamless as possible by managing the process from end to end. We have a network of suppliers that we source the materials from where we have negotiated rates. However, we do charge a markup and because of this you may be able to find the materials cheaper on your own. But if you want a hassle free experience, then we are for you!
Please fill out the Quote Request form and we will work up a quote for you! https://hellogravel.com/quote-form/
Although uncommon, due to regional sourcing, the type and color of our materials may vary somewhat from the images on our website, reflecting the unique geological offerings of your area. Please communicate any specifications you desire to our team so we can consider them during the sourcing process.
Please contact our customer service team promptly if you experience any delivery or product quality issues. We will work to resolve them satisfactorily.
We are headquartered in New Orleans, LA. However, we have a network of suppliers across the country from which we provide the materials.
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