Spoil Removal Calculator
Work out how much dug-out soil you'll actually be hauling away, how many trucks it takes, and what disposal will likely cost — before the digger arrives.
Excavation Dimensions
Tell us the size of the hole you're digging.
Soil Swell & Haulage Rates
Add soil expansion and your local truck rates.
For planning only. Wet ground, buried rubble, and how tightly the load is packed will shift the final numbers. Always check access with the hauler first.
Your Estimate
What's coming out of the ground and what it'll cost to move.
How It Is Calculated
A common mistake is sizing skips and trucks by the volume of the hole. Once soil is dug, air gets between the clods and the pile grows — typically by 20% to 35%. Always plan haulage based on the loose volume, or you'll order one truck too few.
How Much Soil Actually Swells
Not every soil behaves the same once dug. Loose, clean sand expands by around 10–15%. Everyday garden topsoil swells 20–25%. Heavy, wet clay is the biggest offender at 30–40%. Picking the wrong swell percentage is one of the most common reasons a skip or truckload falls short.
Skips, Grab Lorries, or Dump Trucks?
An 8-wheel grab lorry typically carries 12–15 cu yd (roughly 16 tonnes). On tight residential streets, an 8-yard skip or a small single-axle truck may be the only thing that can actually reach the site. Always match the truck to the access — not the other way round.
Working Out Spoil Removal for a Paving Job
Every patio, driveway, or slab project starts by taking out what's already there — old turf, topsoil, rubble, or broken concrete. That dug material is called spoil, and once it leaves the ground it takes up noticeably more room than it did when it was packed in place. If you plan haulage using the hole's measurements alone, you'll under-order and end up with piles sitting on the drive.
1. Start With the Volume in the Ground
Measure the length, width, and average depth of the planned dig. Length × width gives you the footprint, and multiplying that by average depth gives the in-ground — or "bank" — volume. This is what the pit actually holds before anyone touches it.
2. Add the Swell Factor
Digging introduces air between soil particles, so the pile grows. A hole that holds 10 cubic yards in the ground commonly produces 12.5 to 13.5 cubic yards of loose material once it's in a heap. This is the single biggest reason people run out of skip space mid-project — they forgot the swell.
Spoil Removal Formulas (Step-by-Step)
If you'd rather run the numbers yourself, here's the math:
US Customary Formulas (Feet, Yards, Truckloads)
1. Footprint: Area (sq ft) = Length (ft) × Width (ft)
2. Bank Volume: Volume (cu yd) = [Area (sq ft) × Depth (ft)] ÷ 27
3. Loose Volume: Loose cu yd = Bank Volume × (1 + Swell % ÷ 100)
4. Truckloads: Round Up (Loose Volume ÷ Truck Capacity)
5. Total Cost: Trucks × Rate per Load (or Loose Volume × Rate per cu yd)
Metric Formulas (Meters, Cubic Meters)
1. Footprint: Area (m²) = Length (m) × Width (m)
2. Bank Volume: Volume (m³) = Area (m²) × Depth (m)
3. Loose Volume: Loose m³ = Bank Volume × (1 + Swell % ÷ 100)
4. Truckloads: Round Up (Loose Volume ÷ Truck Capacity)
5. Total Cost: Trucks × Rate per Load (or Loose Volume × Rate per m³)
3. Matching Trucks to Loose Volume
Dump trucks and grab wagons are rated by volume — most commonly 10 to 16 cubic yards. Always divide the loose volume by the truck's real carrying capacity and round up. Haulers won't stack loads above the sides, so a "close enough" estimate quickly turns into a second run.
4. Disposal Fees and Contamination
Clean soil, subsoil, and topsoil qualify as inert waste and usually attract the lowest gate fees at council or municipal sites. Mix in old tarmac, tree roots, plastic, or broken masonry and you've got mixed construction waste — which typically costs considerably more to tip. If your spoil is contaminated, ask for a transfer-station quote before you book any haulage.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly is "soil swell"?
It's the increase in volume that happens when solid ground is dug up. Air pockets form between clods, so 10 yards of soil in the earth becomes roughly 12.5 to 13.5 yards once piled in a heap or loaded onto a truck.
How much does ordinary soil expand once it's dug?
Loose sandy soil swells about 10–15%. Regular garden loam and topsoil usually grow 20–25%. Dense, wet clay can swell 30–40%, sometimes more on a very heavy site.
What size truck will I actually need?
A standard tandem-axle dump truck carries about 10–12 cubic yards. A larger tri-axle takes 14–16 cubic yards, subject to weight limits. Grab lorries on UK-style streets usually manage 12–15 cubic yards per run.
Does this calculator work in metric?
Yes. Switch the dropdown to Metric and enter length, width, and depth in meters. Bank volume and loose spoil will display in cubic meters (m³).
Do disposal rates include the landfill tipping fee?
Not always. Some haulers quote "haulage only" and bill the tipping fee separately. Ask before you book whether the rate covers gate fees, tolls, and any environmental levies.