Whether you're planting a large construction project such as a basement or just a group of trees, there is always soil involved in these projects. The so-called excavation occurs in all garden projects when earth is removed from the ground and not returned. This must not be disposed of with household waste, but must be taken to the landfill site either by a service provider for a fee or by yourself.

excavation

What is excavation?

Excavated earth is understood to mean all amounts of earth that take place during excavation on one's own property. This results in large amounts of soil that are no longer needed if they are not to be used again. The excavation can occur during all work in the garden and the following examples are among the typical projects.

  • underground spaces such as basements
  • pools
  • created streams or watercourses
  • small mounds as implemented in Asian garden concepts
  • large groups of trees

Many of these projects involve a large amount of excavation. The amount of earth is compacted in the ground and is stuck, so to speak, and cannot spread. Once the soil has been exposed, it is no longer compacted and will increase in volume. A whopping 25 to 30 percent more volume can be expected here, which in an area of ten square meters will provide plenty of excavated earth that will ultimately have to be disposed of. Depending on the area and depth of the excavated area, the costs vary, but the soil conditions and possible contamination by plant residues or chemical agents must also be taken into account.

excavation

floor

The floor in detail

It's a good idea to understand the different layers of soil before undertaking any gardening project that requires excavation. The soil therefore consists of several layers, two of which are important for horticulture.

  • topsoil
  • deeper layers of earth

While topsoil, also known as topsoil or topsoil, requires special disposal or recycling, all remaining soil is easily disposed of. This is the deeper layers of the earth that have no fertile use, like the following.

  • gravel
  • clay soil
  • limestone soil
  • sandy soil
  • clay
  • slate
Excavation with small stones

These layers lie beneath the top soil, which is the top soil horizon and accordingly falls into a different category. The types of soil mentioned above are the classic types of soil in Germany that occur during excavation and are difficult to use once the construction project has been completed. They even count as building rubble as soon as they are contaminated or cannot be used for the construction project in any other way. However, this does not make them immediately waste, but can be recycled. However, the demand here is not as great as for topsoil, so disposal is usually associated with higher costs.

topsoil

The topsoil, on the other hand, is an important commodity compared to the regular soil and must therefore be treated specially. The soil falls under paragraph § 202 BauGB and for this reason may not be mixed with other soils, especially rubble, wasted or destroyed. The topsoil is the first layer of soil and measures between 20 to 30 centimeters in Central Europe and can reach up to one meter deep in other regions of the world. This form of excavation must be obtained by the gardener or builder as it has the following components.

  • Minerals: silt, clay, fine sand
  • nutrients, especially nitrogen
  • organic matter such as humus
  • Soil organisms: aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, earthworms, mites and other organisms
  • Stones smaller than ten centimeters

All of these qualities make topsoil important for the thriving of plants that would struggle to survive without this composition. Because of this, you are bound to preserve this layer of soil and not mix it with the other layers of soil, otherwise they will be contaminated and no longer usable effectively. A big advantage of accumulating topsoil is the high demand. Topsoil does not necessarily have to be disposed of, that would be a shame. As soon as the soil is not contaminated, you can simply hand it in for free and then you don't even have to worry about transporting it away.

Excavation in the garden

The following options are available to you:

  • Land exchanges can be found in almost every major city and municipality
  • swap sites on the Internet
  • Classifieds

With this form of soil, however, you must be careful not to contaminate it. That means you need to protect the topsoil from contaminants that could degrade soil quality and degrade it to the point where it is unusable.

The following materials must not get into the soil:

  • root system
  • plant remains
  • big stones
  • plastic
  • asphalt
  • gravel
  • plaster
  • metal
  • residual waste
  • wood
  • brick

It is also important that the soil has not been contaminated by chemical agents, as this means that it is no longer classified as topsoil and must be disposed of. These agents are everything that does not occur in nature and can be toxic to microorganisms and plants, such as oils, petrol, even washing-up liquid. You should therefore pay particular attention to storing the floor correctly so that it does not become contaminated and thus cause you more costs. Also be aware that if stored improperly, organic soil will easily begin to rot.

Tip: Depending on the quality of the topsoil, you can even sell it, but the supply is quite large, as many hobby gardeners offer their remaining soil. However, it never hurts to offer the floor on the Internet, as this can save you a lot of costs.

costs

The cost of disposing of excavated earth varies greatly depending on the amount and type of soil. First of all, you need to calculate how much excavation will be required in order to accurately calculate the cost. In the private sector, this often results in smaller amounts of excavated earth, which is very advantageous. The most important value when disposing of excavated earth is the cubic meters that result from the width, height and length of the excavated hole. For example, if you want to create a small pond with the values 1 x 1 x 3 m³, you will get a value of 3 m³, which corresponds to a small container.

You will then have to pay the following costs:

  • Container: rental, transport and removal
  • Fill containers if you don't do it yourself
  • Disposal costs at the landfill

Containers for small quantities are found in sizes from one to 15 cubic meters and can easily be filled by yourself. They hardly take up any space on the property or on the street and are therefore not in the way. The average value for a ten cubic meter container is in the range of 180 to 250 euros, with the transport of the container included in the price. The cost for a company to fill the container depends on the size of the container and the amount of excavation. On average, this cost item amounts to an additional 200 to 250 euros.

sample calculation

If you have around ten cubic meters of excavated earth, you pay:

Self-filling container: 180 - 250 euros

+ Container filled by companies: 320 - 400 euros

+ Disposal at the landfill: 20 - 50 euros

= Total cost: 520 - 700 euros

Added to this are the storage costs at the landfill, which in Germany amount to three to five euros per tonne. On average, a cubic meter of soil weighs between 900 and 1,000 kilograms, depending on whether the excavated soil is wet. Dry soil therefore weighs about ten percent less, take this into account. For ten cubic meters you pay an amount of about 30 to 50 euros. This increases the total price to 550 to 750 euros.

Large amounts of excavated earth

A container is no longer sufficient for quantities in the range of 100 cubic meters, which occur primarily when building a house or garden, for example for a pool. Trucks are mainly used for this, which can transport between 100 and 300 cubic meters. Here you have completely different dimensions in terms of costs and these quantities can hardly be disposed of free of charge. The truck is filled by you yourself. For the truck itself, companies charge an average of 800 to 1,000 euros, depending on how long you need it.

Other costs are:

  • Transport to the landfill: 180 to 250 euros
  • Storage at the landfill: 300 to 500 euros

This means that you get an amount of 1,280 to 1,750 euros if you have larger quantities. One advantage here, however, is the cost savings in relation to the container. Since everything runs purely via the truck, the costs are reduced accordingly.

excavated amounts of earth

Free variants

Of course, you can also dispose of the excavated earth free of charge so as not to pay extra. This is especially worthwhile for private purposes, if there is no real house construction or the like. Perhaps you dug a three cubic meter pit to create a garden pond and now you need to dispose of the soil. As mentioned above, you must of course make sure that the first layer represents the valuable topsoil and you should not mix it up. You can dispose of excess soil for free with the following endeavors, including the above ways related to mother soil.

  • soil exchanges
  • Classifieds
  • distribute on the property
  • integrate into the garden

Since these variants are primarily options for private individuals, you must bear in mind that smaller amounts of excavated earth get to the man faster. Ten cubic meters is quite a lot, but it is often easier to buy than over 300 cubic meters, which is typical for large construction projects.

soil exchanges

The topsoil exchanges are places where you can not only deliver your topsoil directly, but also all other excavated earth. These usually do not offer pick-up. It is therefore worthwhile bringing small amounts of soil to these exchanges and having them processed. Depending on demand, sometimes you don't even have to pay anything, which is notably the case with Mother Earth. The only costs that arise here are the transport costs, which differ depending on the amount of excavation. This variant is usually the fastest method, since the exchanges use the material again immediately.

Notice: Depending on the service, you may also have to pay to take the floor, which is still cheaper than the waste companies.

Classifieds

Other forms of exchanges are mainly classified ads on the Internet and even services like eBay are ideal for offering excavated earth. Here you can place an ad for free and hope that someone responds to your ad. You can decide for yourself whether you want the excavated earth to be delivered or just picked up. This makes it particularly easy, especially if you also only have small amounts of excavation ready. In the private sphere, the classified ads have proven to be extremely useful, since the buyers themselves hardly have to pay for the mother earth. This makes them a perfect exchange platform for gardeners.

Distribute on the property

Of course you can also distribute the remaining excavated earth on your property, as long as it is definitely topsoil. Here, for example, lawns in spring that have not yet been sown are ideal. Since even large amounts of soil only increase the soil by a few centimeters if it is well distributed, this method is a good way to use superfluous material effectively instead of disposing of it. Once you have thoroughly distributed the soil, you can use a vibratory plate to compact the soil and make it usable. Vibratory plates cost about 30 euros per day, which is quite sufficient for a small garden.

Tip: You can also use this solution to level out unevenness in the ground with the help of excavation. To do this, simply put more soil in holes and systematically fill up your property.

planted roof area

garden

Integrate into the garden

One way to put topsoil to good use and use it for free is to implement gardening projects that require soil. Many gardeners use the excavated earth for mounds that either frame the property or can be used as a section of the garden. Since topsoil in particular is nutrient-rich material, it can then be planted, which will make for an attractive aspect. You can plant herbs, shrubs, bushes, trees and even hedges in these mounds of earth and thus avoid disposal.

Tip: If you like having wildlife near your yard, you will benefit from these earthen ramparts as well. Depending on the size and volume, different animal species can nest here, above all birds, which you can observe all year round.

Category: