Fill Dirt in Portland, OR

Yes, fill-dirt is generally cheaper than decorative or crushed gravel in Portland because it is inexpensive native soil or subsoil used for filling and grading. Prices vary by cleanliness, rock content, and delivery distance, so structural or screened fill may cost more than raw fill.

Typical delivered prices in the Portland area commonly range from about $10 to $30 per cubic yard, depending on material quality, moisture, and hauling distance. A single small truckload (around 5-10 cubic yards) will have a different total than a backyard pickup load because delivery and minimum-order fees apply.

Fill-dirt is mostly soil and subsoil used to raise or level ground and often contains fines and clay; gravel is a coarse, rock material used for drainage, driveways, and structural base. Use fill-dirt for filling and grading, and gravel when you need strength, drainage, or a finished surface.

One cubic yard equals 27 cubic feet, so it covers about 324 sq ft at 1 inch deep, 162 sq ft at 2 inches, and roughly 54 sq ft at 6 inches. Use those conversions to estimate how many yards you need for a target depth.

It depends on the depth you want: at 1 inch depth you need about 3.1 cubic yards, at 2 inches about 6.2 yards, and at 6 inches about 18.5 yards. Multiply the yards by your local per-yard price to estimate cost, and add delivery fees for a Portland-area quote.

You can put gravel over compacted fill-dirt, but for a durable surface you should compact the fill, add a base layer (often crushed rock), and consider geotextile fabric to separate materials and prevent sinking. Portland's wet winters make proper drainage and compaction especially important to avoid rutting and washouts.

Visualize a 3 ft by 3 ft by 3 ft cube stacked on your driveway; that is one cubic yard. For landscaping, that amount will smooth a small spot or raise a 10 ft by 10 ft area by about 3 inches.

Many full-size pickup beds can carry about 1 to 1.5 cubic yards of loose dirt, but payload capacity matters: 1 cubic yard of fill-dirt can weigh 2,000 to 3,000 lbs or more when wet. Check your truck's payload rating before loading and consider a delivery truck for safety.

Yes, bulk fill-dirt delivered by the yard is almost always cheaper than buying the equivalent volume in bags from retail stores. Bagged material is convenient for small jobs, but for projects more than a few yards, bulk delivery gives better pricing and less handling.

Using typical Portland-area ranges, 20 cubic yards of fill-dirt might cost roughly $200 to $600 for the material alone, depending on quality and moisture content. Expect additional charges for delivery, special placement, or permits if required.

Yes, fill-dirt is commonly used to raise low spots and regrade yards, but for planting or lawns you should cap compacted fill with several inches of topsoil. Also ensure proper drainage away from foundations and compact in layers to prevent future settling, especially given Portland's rainy climate.

For structural uses like under slabs, driveways, retaining walls, or to minimize future settling, fill-dirt should be placed in lifts and mechanically compacted. For minor cosmetic fills or shallow yard smoothing, compaction is still recommended but may be less rigorous.

Late spring through early fall (drier months) is the easiest time to place and compact fill-dirt in Portland because the ground is less saturated and equipment operates better. Winter and heavy-rain periods can make soils sticky, heavy, and harder to compact, which may increase costs or extend timelines.

A 7x14 dump trailer typically carries between about 4 and 8 cubic yards of loose fill-dirt, depending on side height (1 ft vs 2 ft sides) and whether the load is mounded. Always check the trailer's volume specs and weight limits before loading, since wet fill-dirt can be very heavy.