Fill Dirt in Minneapolis, MN

Typical delivered prices for bulk fill dirt in Minneapolis range with quality and distance - expect roughly $15 to $40 per cubic yard. Clean, screened or specialty fills are at the higher end; unscreened fill or long-haul deliveries can be cheaper or more expensive depending on haul distance. Seasonal demand, site access, and delivery size (partial vs full loads) also affect price. Always request an itemized delivered quote for your address.

Use this simple formula: cubic yards = (area in square feet x depth in feet) / 27. Example - to raise a 1,000 sq ft yard by 6 inches (0.5 ft): 1,000 x 0.5 / 27 = about 18.5 cubic yards. Add 5-15% extra for compaction and grading losses depending on how well the material is compacted and consolidated.

Residential deliveries commonly use small 6-8 cubic yard trucks or standard 10-14 cubic yard dump trucks. Larger dump trucks (15+ cy) are used for big commercial jobs. Many suppliers, including Hello Gravel partners, offer both full and partial loads - partials are fine but unit price can be higher because of minimums and delivery logistics. Confirm available truck sizes and minimum delivery amounts when ordering.

’Fill dirt' often contains small rocks, gravel, and decomposed subsoil - it is not the same as screened topsoil. Clean, screened fill (fewer rocks) costs more. For general grade building and utility backfill, some rock is acceptable. For landscape finish or lawn areas you should use screened topsoil or a top dressing layer over the fill. Ask the supplier for a material description or a sample photo to confirm rock content before ordering.

For small, non-structural fills you can place fill on native soil after removing organic topsoil, debris, and roots and then compacting in lifts. For unstable or wet areas, slopes, or where loads will be applied, prepare the base by scarifying and compacting the existing subgrade. Use geotextile fabric where you need separation or to limit mixing of fill and soft subgrade. For foundations, driveways, patios, or retaining structures consult an engineer - these usually require engineered fill, geotextile, and specific compaction targets.

Add fill in thin lifts - typically 4 to 6 inches loose - and compact each lift with suitable equipment: plate compactors for small areas, vibratory rollers or sheepsfoot rollers for larger/heavier compaction. Compact when the material is neither frozen nor overly wet; avoid placing frost-layered material. In Minneapolis timing is important - place and compact before heavy frost sets in. For structural supports follow engineered compaction specs (often expressed as a percent of standard Proctor density).

There is immediate settlement during placement and compaction, and additional consolidation can occur over months and through seasonal freeze-thaw cycles. Well-compacted fill should minimize long-term settlement, but many homeowners still need light top-offs for final grading and lawn establishment within the first 1-2 growing seasons. Poorly compacted or uncompacted fills are more likely to require multiple top-offs.

Fill dirt is good for raising grades and filling low spots but does not improve infiltration - it may actually reduce drainage if it contains fine clay. Use coarse gravel or sand and an engineered aggregate base for improving drainage, French drains, or underdriveway sections. A combination - using fill to regrade and gravel/sand in drainage paths - is often the right approach. For specific drainage fixes consult a drainage contractor or civil engineer.

Loose fill on slopes is prone to erosion, especially during heavy rains or spring snowmelt. Recommended measures: grade to gentler slopes, install erosion-control blankets or straw mulch, seed quickly with appropriate turf mixes, use erosion control wattles or silt fences temporarily, and consider retaining walls, terraces, riprap, or hydroseeding for long slopes. In Minneapolis consider seasonal runoff and freeze-thaw - protection through the first growing season is critical.

Small, routine yard grading usually does not require permits, but large changes to grade, work within floodplains, altering stormwater runoff, or fills that affect neighboring properties can trigger permit, drainage review, or watershed-district requirements. If you are changing elevations substantially, working near wetlands, or installing structures, check with the City of Minneapolis Planning and Inspections and your local watershed district before starting.

Use controlled compaction in lifts with appropriate equipment: compact native subgrade, place fill in 4-6 inch lifts, and compact each lift to the specified density - often 90% or higher of standard Proctor for structural work. For driveways and patios an engineered aggregate base (crushed rock) compacted with a vibratory plate or roller is preferred over loose fill dirt. For foundations or heavily loaded areas follow an engineers design - they may require compaction testing (nuclear gauge) and specific lift thicknesses.

Winter and freeze-thaw cycles complicate deliveries - frozen ground, snow, and ice can limit access and affect compaction. Spring melt can create very wet conditions that make placement and compaction difficult. Best windows are late spring through early fall. If you must place material in colder months, discuss frozen delivery and compaction limitations with your supplier and plan for additional grading and top-offs in spring.

1) Measure carefully using the cubic yard formula and add 5-15% for compaction. 2) Request photos or a description of material - screened vs unscreened. 3) Pick the right truck size for your access to avoid offload problems. 4) Stage delivery location to minimize landscaping damage. 5) Ask about offloads, partial-load premiums, and seasonal surcharges. 6) For structural or drainage work, get an engineer or contractor involved early - it almost always saves money later.

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.