topsoil, buy or create?

Mosey · Oct 8, 2002

I just got my driveway paved. It's about 175' long. The pavement is about 3" higher than the yard on each side of it now, which makes it harder to mow since I used to be able to go along the edge of it with the mower hanging a few inches over the driveway. Plus, it's dangerous to have that 3" ledge, my wife has already twisted her ankle. So, I need to build it up on each side.

I was planning on putting a 6' wide layer of new dirt along each side that tapers in thickness as it goes out from the driveway. So, it would be 3" thick on one side and taper down to zero, making the average thickness of the new layer of dirt 1.5". That would be 2 x 175' x 6' x .125' = 262.5 cubic feet, or about 10 yards of dirt. Did I figure that right?

I have an area on the top of a hill that I've been wanting to knock down anyway, so I keep it tilled and use it as an area to get fill dirt. It's about 150 yards away. I don't have a FEL, but I have a 30" rear scoop which will hold 9 cubic feet, so I could move that much dirt in about 30 trips, which is not too bad. The problem with this dirt is that I've already used the topsoil that was there in other places, so it's all clay now.

Sorry for the long post! I'm trying to decide if I should use the clay or buy some topsoil. How much can I expect to pay for topsoil?

If I use the clay, what is a good way to make it into decent topsoil, just add some compost and leaves? I can get compost and mulch for free at the local recycling center.

PS: I have a duplicate post on CBN under projects - landscaping.

MossRoad · Oct 8, 2002

You figured right... there are 27 cubic feet in one cubic yard.

Is there topsoil along your driveway now? You could pull it back, lay down the clay, then put the topsoil back. Or lay down the clay and till the whole thing. It might be easier to just buy the topsoil. I don't know of any standard price, as around here, you can pay through the nose or get it free, depending who you know and how much you want.

gerard · Oct 8, 2002

topsoil around here's around 15-18 a yard delivered. One dump truck will do it and if you have the room a decent driver will dump and drive at the same time and deposit as he goes leaving you less spreading. If you do it yourself you'll spend more time raking out the rocks. Guess it depends how valuable your time is. Also you should figure an average of 2 inches instead of 1.5. When you get a delivered load it's loose and fluffy, after you place it it will settle a fair amount and if I wanted 3 inches finished depth I'd leave it 4 inches high and figure an inch of settling/compacting.

Anonymous Poster · Oct 8, 2002

Hi,

You could buy a cheap box scraper...I ended up buying my 60 inch KingKutter for $299...strip top soil off, lay down the clay, smooth it off with the box blade, and then put the original top soil back down.

Without a loader it may be a bit cumbersome to do, but the box blade will allow you to drag the soil and if you raise it a bit, to deposit it back down in a layer.

At least that is my limited experience with mine...

BUT... the easy way would be just to buy some top soil and lay it on top of what is there already. Save a lot of time that way...I guess you have some way to level it out...

Bill in Pgh, PA

Mosey · Oct 9, 2002

Scraping the topsoil back and then reusing it is a good idea. But, unfortunately, the "topsoil" that's there now isn't very good, so I'd just as soon put something better on top.

I also have another problem that I didn't think about until this morning. Since the pavement is so new I don't dare let a dump truck drive on it, so I'd have to have them drive around the ditch and across the yard and I'm afraid a dump truck will just tear up the yard and create more work.

So because of that and my need to save money, I think I'll go with a compost/clay mix since it will all be free. I can get the compost for free if I self load it, and the recycling center is a half mile from where I work, so I can swing by and load the trailer (6'x10') on the way home. I'm guessing 5 or 6 trailer loads would be enough to mix in with the clay.

It probably would be easier to just buy the topsoil. Halfway through this project I'll probably wish I listened to you! I'll try the clay/compost mix method on the side of the driveway that's closest to the area where I'll be getting the clay. If that's turns out to be a pain, I'll buy a dump truck load of fill dirt for the other side and have them dump it by the side of the road so they don't have to drive across the yard, then I can move it (175') with my rear scoop.

I have a grader blade to level it off with, or can borrow my neighbor's box blade. But, I've found that by the time I drive over and get it, remove the teeth (since they just get in the way for leveling), then do the job, put the teeth back on, then return it again, I can get it done just as fast with my grader blade.

Mosey · Oct 9, 2002

I've been thinking about this some more and now I'm really kicking myself. I priced topsoil and it's not too bad. I can get 10 yards of "rotovated" topsoil, which they say is already finely tilled so it would be easy to work with, delivered for $265. That's a pretty good price and I would gladly pay it except for the problem of how to get it dumped where I need it. The reason I'm kicking myself is that if I'd have known I was going to need it, I would have had the topsoil delivered before I got the drive paved and they could have just dumped it off each side of the gravel drive. For some reason I thought the pavers would remove more of the existing gravel and dig down so when it was paved it would end up at the same level. But, it didn't end up that way.

JJT · Oct 9, 2002

Mosey, I'd forego the topsoil and grass - simply more maintenance. I'd save the time and $ and put in crushed stone shoulders. Around here stone is ~1/5 the price of top soil, and will be half the effort to put down, (no seed to sow, rake, roll, mulch, water, reseed the bare spots). And you'll never have to maintain and reseed the ruts from cars and trucks that will drive off the edge of the drive.

Mosey · Oct 10, 2002

JJT - Thanks for the idea, but my wife's parents did it that way and it didn't work out. They have to keep spraying Roundup to keep the weeds from growing in the stones. They're getting ready to change it back to grass.

Soundguy · Oct 10, 2002

Yikes!... The company I work for only charges about 3-4 $ per yard.. plus delivery... 60$ minimum delivery.

Most local runs are only 132$ for 18cy...

Soundguy