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Sitework & Earthworkaka: imported fillaka: off-site materialaka: borrow material

Import Material

In Plain English

Fill dirt or aggregate purchased from an outside source and trucked in to a project site.

Definition

Fill soil, aggregate, or other material brought from off-site sources to supplement insufficient on-site material or replace unsuitable native soils. Imported material must be tested and approved by the geotechnical engineer before use and documented with weight tickets for quantity verification. Import costs include material purchase, hauling, and placement and compaction labor.

Why It Matters in Bidding

Import material is one of the highest-risk line items in an earthwork bid because quantities depend on a cut-and-fill balance that may shift once grading begins. Estimators who misjudge import volume, haul distance, or compaction effort can blow the dirt budget quickly, and weight-ticket documentation is essential for justifying change orders and getting paid for actual quantities placed.

Example

After the cut-and-fill analysis shows a shortfall, the site estimator prices 8,000 cubic yards of imported structural fill, including pit purchase, round-trip trucking, and placement and compaction labor.

Related Terms

Fill MaterialBorrow PitCut and FillCompaction

Frequently Asked Questions

They run a cut-and-fill takeoff comparing existing grades to proposed grades, apply shrink and swell factors to account for compaction, and account for unsuitable native soil that must be exported. Any net fill deficit becomes the import quantity, typically padded for over-excavation and waste.
The three main drivers are material purchase price at the pit or quarry, hauling cost which scales with round-trip distance and truck cycle time, and placement plus compaction labor. Testing and geotechnical approval fees and any traffic-control requirements for hauling can add measurable cost.
Pre-bid grades are estimates; actual subsurface conditions, unsuitable soils, or design grade changes can increase the fill needed. Weight tickets and survey verification document the real placed quantity, letting the contractor recover costs above the bid allowance through a documented change order.

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