What do you do with spoils?

[Mbella]

What do you do with your excavated material? Do you automatically assume it has to be removed from the property?

The first thing I do, with regard to disposing of excavated material, is look for a place to use it on the site (Obviously, this has to happen during the bidding process).

Potential uses are: Filling low areas, creating a berm, raising planting beds, etc. Many times, using the soil on site actually turns into an extra. For example: We propose building a berm to add privacy. Most folks don't just want a grassy berm, they want a planting on the berm.

If we cannot dispose of it on the work site, we look to lose it nearby. I scout the area for clean fill signs, new housing developments, new commercial building sites, etc. Of course, it is necessary to speak with the superintendent of the potential site and get permission.

If unable to lose it on the work site, or nearby, I will figure the cost of using a container if the space on the site allows for storage. I pay $450.00 for a 20yard container. That includes dropoff, a full 20 yd. container, pickup and disposal. Sometimes, that is the best option.

Lastly, if unable to do any of the above, we haul it to our yard, or a paysite.

Those are a few options. Regardless, of how the soil is disposed of, you need to be thinking of that while calculating your bid.

[cgland]

As sites get tighter and tighter we find that more and more we need to dispose of it. A little hint, when calculating the amount of spoils you will have remember to add about 25% for the aeration of the soil when excavating. This little factor is a real profit robber if you are paying to dispose of spoils.

Chris

[scaper27]

It all depend son how much and what kind of material. Most soil and natural stuff could be given away for free. But left over RCA, stone or whatever sometimes is tough. May have to pay at the end to get rid of it sometimes

[Mbella]

It all depend son how much and what kind of material. Most soil and natural stuff could be given away for free. But left over RCA, stone or whatever sometimes is tough. May have to pay at the end to get rid of it sometimes

Many times the contractor does have to pay "at the end." That's why it's important to know at the beginning, so the expense can be included in the proposal.

[scaper27]

I know we try to estimate in there, but through some of these jobs sometimes I get stuck with the little pain in the a@@ stuff that sometimes takes more time then expected.

And also sometimes when materuials are given away for "FREE" it sometimes cost more then justing paying to dump it

[Mbella]

Scaper, what pain in the azz stuff are you talking about?

[scaper27]

mostly mixed material. If we take up an old driveway, especially gravel. gravel couls be used somewhere else or added to anothe rdriveway. But then its not clean, so now what. I got one of those recently. i don't know if you are talking about the same thing here. I know you probably meant more soil

[MuirView Design]

Mike, who do you use for renting a container? I'm lucky enough to live on 40+ acres, so I have a spot on my property to dump dirt, sod and brush. For excavated concrete, brick, pavers, stuff like that, I use a place that turns it into RCA and they only charge $20 per truck load, up to 4 ton. Mixed materials is $30. Reusable stuff I store at my shop. But, like MBella said, I always try to find a use for it on site first.

[Mbella]

Mike, who do you use for renting a container? I'm lucky enough to live on 40+ acres, so I have a spot on my property to dump dirt, sod and brush. For excavated concrete, brick, pavers, stuff like that, I use a place that turns it into RCA and they only charge $20 per truck load, up to 4 ton. Mixed materials is $30. Reusable stuff I store at my shop. But, like MBella said, I always try to find a use for it on site first.

Galante out of Downingtown.

[tthomass]

I take mine to another local landscape company. He has a sifter/drum thingy and he makes topsoil. I can dump for free. I still bill the customer and save/make a lot of money from not having to pay the dump $60 per ton for disposal.

[tthomass]

*Random thought.

I'm always impressed by the developers in my area. Say they put in 50 houses...huge piles of soil and nothing left over in the end. Being able to do the site plans they do is impressive.

[GSVA]

I live on 3 acres, so I usually can find some way of using the stuff. I might start building some dirtbike jumps or something like that for the kids. I had to extract some old rectangular concrete pavers. You know the thin ones you get from lowes. Anyways I took the things, layed them out on the dirt driveway and hit them with a sledgehammer. Now I have something to drive on. After I did this I put gravel on top of it.

[MuirView Design]

Galante out of Downingtown.

Thanks! That's perfect. Is there any issue with mixed materials, or do you just throw it all in there?