Ask three yards and you get three numbers, because a load of dirt is really a load of trucking with some dirt in it. Here is what the numbers look like in the Birmingham area in late 2026, and what moves them.
Typical prices per load
A tandem dump truck, the usual delivery truck, carries about 12 cubic yards of dirt or 16 to 18 tons of stone.
| Material | Per load, delivered |
|---|---|
| Fill dirt, unscreened or clay | $150 to $350 |
| Screened topsoil | $300 to $650 |
| Crusher run | $400 to $700 |
| #57 stone | $500 to $900 |
| Chert | $350 to $650 |
Smaller loads cost less but not proportionally less; a single-axle load of eight yards is usually $100 to $150 under the tandem price, not a third off. Hauling off dirt runs $150 to $500 a load including loading.
These are typical ranges from Birmingham-area yards and public price lists as of October 2026. They are not quotes. The quote you get depends on the things below.
What moves the price
Distance is the biggest one. A yard charges for the round trip, often as a flat delivery fee of $75 to $150 inside its normal area and by the mile beyond it. A load of fill from a yard in Calera delivered to Calera is cheap. The same load to Gardendale is not, and a Gardendale yard would be cheaper. This is the whole reason to ask a supplier who works your part of town.
Material matters next. Unscreened fill is the cheapest thing on a truck. Screening it adds a few dollars a yard. Topsoil costs two to three times fill. Stone is priced by the ton at the quarry, so #57 beats crusher run beats chert.
Full load or part load: most of the price is the truck. Nine yards and twelve yards often cost nearly the same delivered. If you are close to a full load, take it.
Access. If the driver has to back a loaded tandem down a steep drive, get out and look twice, or dump at the street and come back with a smaller truck, that costs time, and time is what you are paying for. Say what the access is like up front.
Time of year. Spring is busy and wet, and wet clay is heavy, so trucks carry fewer yards for the same money. Late summer and winter are quieter.
Spreading is separate. Delivery means dumped where the truck can reach. Spreading and grading is a separate job, usually $85 to $150 an hour for a skid steer and operator, often with a half-day minimum.
How to get a fair quote
- Know roughly how many yards or tons you need. The calculator gets you there in a minute.
- Know what the dirt is for, so the supplier can say whether you want clay, screened fill or topsoil.
- Give the zip code and the street. The quote is a trucking quote; they need to know how far.
- Say whether a truck can reach the spot, honestly.
- Ask whether delivery is included in the per-yard price or separate. Both are normal; you just want to compare the delivered total.
A supplier who asks you those questions back is the one to use. One who quotes a per-yard price with no questions is going to surprise you on delivery.
Free fill dirt
It exists. A contractor with a basement to dig out needs somewhere to put a hundred yards of clay, and sometimes that somewhere is your low spot, for free or for the cost of the trucking. Watch Facebook Marketplace for "free fill" in your area. You still pay the trucking, you take whatever is in the dirt, and you need room for a tri-axle. For a big fill it is worth a look. For six yards in a back yard it is not.
Questions people ask
How much is a truckload of fill dirt near me?
In the Birmingham area, $150 to $350 for a tandem load delivered, less at the yard if you haul it yourself. The number is mostly distance.
Is it cheaper to pick it up?
If you have a trailer and a truck rated to pull two tons, yes, a yard will load a yard or two for $15 to $40. Past three or four yards the delivery fee is cheaper than your own time and axle.
Why did the quote change when I gave the address?
Because the yard priced the trucking. A quote without an address is a guess.