Craigslist Fill Dirt - What to look out for?

[4570Man]

I’ve never found any clean fill for free. The contractors around here are pretty successful at getting paid at both ends. All the free fill is broken asphalt and concrete and such.

 

[Cataclysm]

Ok here is one that hasn't been mentioned. Go by the cemeteries near you and ask if they have any dirt you can have for free. Generally rural/small cemeteries will give you all the free dirt you can stand. They have no need for it and usually have a big pile that's in their way.

Once you find the right cemetery hire a contractor to haul or look into renting a dump trailer.

Yes, I dig graves.

 

[PILOON]

You said he claimed it was from cleaning out ditches.
Well other than some salt (if in snowy areas) it is probably fairly safe.
On the other hand it will be a very light and not easy to compact for a decent base.
Material that washed into ditches simply by the nature of things must be light weight otherwise it would not make it there.
Also probably high in decayed leaves and such.

Lay out a few $$'s and get decent material as others have suggested.

I guarantee that anything free will be delivered on their time frame as time is money,
They'll load, dump and load again ASAP.
Also any good free fill will go to the closest site they can find simply because fast turn around is the goal.

Again if really good most smart contractors will stock pile it for future sales.

 

[crashz]

I re-read where the soil is coming from and I'm not liking it much. The contractor is repairing some pipes and will give you the fill from the trenches. Two possibilities:
- Someone back filled pipe will bedding material that broke the pipe(s). Not my idea of good fill, but not the end of the world either.
- What was in the pipe(s)? Clean storm water? Sewage? Methyl-Ethyl-Death? What ever was in those pipes has saturated that soil at one time. That's bad.

 

[HawkinsHollow]

I re-read where the soil is coming from and I'm not liking it much. The contractor is repairing some pipes and will give you the fill from the trenches. Two possibilities:
- Someone back filled pipe will bedding material that broke the pipe(s). Not my idea of good fill, but not the end of the world either.
- What was in the pipe(s)? Clean storm water? Sewage? Methyl-Ethyl-Death? What ever was in those pipes has saturated that soil at one time. That's bad.

Yeah I hear ya. I just didn't get a great feeling about it. Think I am gonna stick with my gut on this one and give it a thumbs down. There are just too many potential negatives about it to take the risk. Thanks to everyone who gave their honest opinion about it. That's why this forum is so great!!

 

[timswi]

Talk to your local municipality. When water lines etc are replaced they have to get rid of the dirt (around here they backfill with gravel). I've had no problems with the stuff I've received.

I've seen entire ravines in peoples yards filled when sewer lines were installed. Obviously this is a timing/luck thing.