Clean fill, mixed, contaminated
What counts as a clean dirt load?
Soil and the rock that came out with it, and nothing else. No concrete, no asphalt, no trash, no roots or sod, no green waste. Add construction material and it becomes a mixed load, which prices differently. Contaminated soil is a no everywhere.
The two categories
Clean fill prices one way. Mixed prices another.
Those are the only two buckets your load lands in at the gate, and the difference is what came along with the dirt.
Clean fill
Dirt that could go back in the ground as fill. It came out of a hole and nothing was added to it on the way to the truck.
- Native soil off a pad cut, trench, or footing dig
- Sandy or clay soil with the rock that came out with it
- Screened or unscreened fill with nothing added to it
- Spoil that has not been mixed with demolition debris
Mixed load
Dirt carrying construction material with it. Still accepted, still priced flat by truck size, just a different rate than clean fill.
- Clean dirt
- Mixed loads
- Dirt and rock
- Concrete
- Asphalt
Everything on this list is accepted at the yard. Concrete and asphalt tear-out has its own page if that is most of your load.
Judgment loads
What we stop and check.
Some loads are not a yes or a no on the phone. We look at them at the gate before they hit the pile, because a couple of minutes there beats a problem in the pile later.
Text a photo first
This is the shortcut, and it is the one thing we ask of drivers who are not sure. Text a photo of the load to (714) 493-7597 before you leave the job, with your truck or trailer size. You get a straight answer and a price on the same call.
A few roots in a load of soil is not the same thing as a truck of stumps and turf. Photos settle that in seconds. Nobody wants you making the drive to find out.
Checked before the pile
The universal no
Contaminated soil is not a pricing question.
Every yard and every landfill draws this line, ours included. Soil suspected of carrying fuel, oil, solvents, asbestos, or unknown industrial residue needs a lab and a permitted disposal path, and no facility takes it off a truck that just pulled up.
This is the reason the county built its process around testing in the first place. To bring soil into an Orange County landfill, the county requires lab testing by a California ELAP-certified laboratory and a Soil Acceptance Letter before the gate takes it, as published on the county soil disposal page, accessed August 2026. A private yard skips the paperwork for ordinary clean dirt and mixed loads. It does not skip the line on contamination, because nobody can.
If the parcel has industrial, fuel, or agricultural history and you do not know what is in the soil, that is a job for a lab and an environmental consultant before it is a job for a truck.
Common questions
Clean load questions.
- What counts as a clean dirt load?
- Soil and the rock that came out of the ground with it, and nothing else. No concrete, no asphalt, no trash, no roots or sod, no green waste, and no signs of contamination. Add concrete, asphalt, or broken rubble and it is no longer a clean load, it is a mixed load, which prices differently.
- What is the difference between clean fill and a mixed load?
- Clean fill is dirt that could be placed back in the ground as fill. A mixed load is dirt carrying construction material with it: broken concrete, asphalt, or rubble from a tear-out. Both are accepted at OC Dirt Dump and both are priced flat by truck or trailer size, but they price at different rates, so say which one you have when you call.
- What can I dump at OC Dirt Dump?
- Clean dirt, mixed loads, dirt and rock, concrete, and asphalt. Roots, sod, heavy green waste, trash, and anything that looks contaminated get stopped and checked at the gate before they go in the pile.
- Can I dump dirt with grass and roots in it?
- That one gets looked at. Sod, roots, and heavy green waste are judgment loads: a few roots in a load of soil is different from a truck of stumps and turf. Text a photo of the load before you leave the job and we will tell you straight instead of turning you around at the gate.
- Will anyone take contaminated soil off a truck that just pulled in?
- No. Soil suspected of carrying fuel, oil, solvents, asbestos, or unknown industrial residue is not a pricing question, it is a lab question, and it needs a permitted disposal path. That is why Orange County's own landfill process starts with testing by a certified laboratory rather than a look at the pile.
- How do I find out if my load passes before I drive over?
- Text a photo of the load to (714) 493-7597 before you leave the job, with your truck or trailer size. You get a yes or no and a price on the same call, which beats finding out after the drive.
Sources
- Orange County landfills (oclandfills.com), Soil disposal. The county's published soil disposal process, including testing by a California ELAP-certified laboratory before a load is accepted. Accessed August 2026.
Not sure what you have? Send a photo.
Text a photo of the load with your truck size and we tell you straight, then price it before you make the drive.
Call ahead for after-hours or weekend service. Business hours Monday to Friday, 6am to 6pm.