Shelby County
Fill dirt delivery in Helena, AL
Revised October 2026
Raise a low spot, build a pad, fill a hole or bring a lot to grade. Delivered to Old Town Helena, Hillsboro, Riverwoods and the rest of Helena.
Most fill orders in Helena are about water and grade: a low spot that stays soft, a pad that needs building up, a slope that needs holding. Red clay fill is what gets delivered most around here, because it packs hard and sheds water. If the job is a pad or backfill, ask for clay. If you will be spreading it by hand around Old Town Helena, screened fill is easier to work.
Fill dirt jobs in Helena
Helena sits on rolling hills at the southern tail of the Appalachians where Buck Creek meets the Cahaba River. Old Town and the land along Highway 261 are on Buck Creek and Cahaba floodplain that goes under water in big storms, while the subdivisions on either side climb clay and shale hills. The area was part of the Cahaba coalfield, so old mine workings and spoil are likely under some ground west of town. Red clay with chert dominates, and new subdivisions on cleared slopes erode quickly.
What it is for
- Raising a low spot that holds water
- Building up a pad for a shed, pool or driveway
- Backfilling a trench, a stump hole or an old pool
- Filling behind a retaining wall or a new foundation
Fill dirt is not for growing anything. Grass and plants need topsoil on top of it, usually four to six inches.
Getting the truck in
Many neighborhoods are HOA subdivisions with narrow streets, and Old Town has tight streets with limited turnaround; some outlying lots are on gravel county roads.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between fill dirt and topsoil?
Fill dirt is subsoil: clay, sand and rock with almost no organic matter. It is for structure, raising grade and filling holes. Topsoil is the dark upper layer with organic matter that grass and plants grow in. If you are building something, you want fill. If you are growing something, you want topsoil on top of it.
How many yards of fill dirt are in a dump truck?
A single-axle dump truck carries about 8 cubic yards. A tandem, the most common delivery truck around Birmingham, carries 10 to 14 yards. A tri-axle carries 14 to 18 yards. Dirt is heavy, so a truck often carries fewer yards of wet clay than of dry fill.
Can a dump truck reach my spot in Helena?
Many neighborhoods are HOA subdivisions with narrow streets, and Old Town has tight streets with limited turnaround; some outlying lots are on gravel county roads. Say what the access is like on the quote form and the price will allow for the right size truck.
What does fill dirt cost delivered to Helena?
Typical fill dirt prices for Helena are in Table 1 above: $150 to $350 a truckload. The delivered price depends on how far the yard or quarry is from your address, so ask for a quote with your zip.
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