Selling Surplus Topsoil.

[patp]

Do people buy bulk topsoil from site. We have a large amount due to our build being a large bungalow. HWMBO insists that we should give it away to the local farmer who runs a business on the side clearing building sites. I think we should ask him to pay something for it.

[Kelvin]

He’s really doing you a favour even if it does have some value. I’d just accept it’s cleared at no cost to you and enjoy the space 

[Mr Punter]

You'll be lucky to get any money from a farmer!

[Andehh]

Try gumtree or facebook first, then consider it an investment I to a useful contact. 

 

Farmers are always useful people to know!! 

[Iceverge]

The main cost of topsoil comes from screening it and transport. 

 

I very much doubt the farmer is making much from this but you could always ask the question. Nothing ventured and all that.....

 

TBH I would be slow to accept topsoil. It could be full of Japanese knotweed for all I knew. 

 

 

[Miek]

Give it to the farmer, make a friend with someone with useful stuff, might come In  handy when you need a telehandler later in the build

[Onoff]

Slowly dispose of it by wearing Great Escape trousers!

[SteamyTea]

14 hours ago, Onoff said:

Slowly dispose of it by wearing Great Escape trousers!

Or dig a hole and put it in there.

[Bozza]

If you screen it you should be able to sell it on Facebook, etc, as has been suggested.

 

But whether this is worth it depends on how much you need the money and how much time / effort / cost involved for you to do so.    It might be overall easier for you just to give it away, only you will know.
 

1 tonne bags of screened topsoil can sell for £120 but as a comparison I’m getting loose topsoil delivered at £25 per tonne, screened to 30mm.     

 

 

 

 

[saveasteading]

Developers pay to get topsoil taken away. Transport and disposal.  Most is dumped on farms.

They then buy in screened topsoil at the end of the job.

There is no value in yours.

 

In fact there is a risk as it could contain chemicals or banned plants. You might know that it doesn't, but nobody else does.

Dumping knotweed can incur a jail sentence.

It is certainly full of weed seeds, if not roots.

 

2 sensible options.

Keep it on site for raising flower beds. Pile it high for 6 months and the weeds will rot away.

Let that farmer have it, on the basis that he presumably has procedures.

 

 

[patp]

Many thanks guys and gals. The farmer in question is a "diamond geezer" so we will let him have it. His land butts onto ours and he has known us and our plot for forty odd years so he knows he is getting good quality topsoil that has been heaped for three years now. Just didn't want someone to say, six months down the line, that we could have sold it for mega bucks

[Kelvin]

45 minutes ago, patp said:

Many thanks guys and gals. The farmer in question is a "diamond geezer" so we will let him have it. His land butts onto ours and he has known us and our plot for forty odd years so he knows he is getting good quality topsoil that has been heaped for three years now. Just didn't want someone to say, six months down the line, that we could have sold it for mega bucks

Just don’t tell them you gave it away. 😂 

[SteamyTea]

2 hours ago, patp said:

Just didn't want someone to say, six months down the line, that we could have sold it for mega bucks

I shall set a reminder now.

[SteamyTea]

11 hours ago, saveasteading said:

It is certainly full of weed seeds, if not roots.

I needed a bag of compost for my planters.  Local children's charity was having selling some off on the side of the A30, so stopped and bought a large bag.  I like to support local charity that uses child labour.

Was not till I had used half of it I noticed that it was in a bag that said 'Grass Seed'' on the side.