30 Trucks Of Dirt!

[RueFang]

Just got our foundation dirt delivered yesterday...thought I'd share what 30 truck loads of dirt look like. Cost 8400 baht. The land is just under 2 rai with lots of trees...tried not to cut down too many laying the dirt. The two big trees are rambutans with lots of fruit that definately didn't get the chop.

Hope the pics show..never posted them before

[SiamOrchids]

Assuming that they were 10 wheelers, each containing about 12 cubic yards, you got a very good deal.

Even if you're in the middle of nowhere.

Make sure you let it settle for a rainy season before you build.

We're about 3 weeks away from completing our home in Kanchanaburi. Almost 300 m2 on a rai.

It was an excellent experience. We have pictures of the entire process online, if you'd like to see them, PM me for the URL.

Good Luck

[chiang mai]

That's an excellent price - I paid 1,100 per truck load.

[SiamOrchids]

We paid about 850 per truck.

We raised 5 Rai about a metre, 1 Rai about 2 metres and we built a 600 foot 4 metre wide road.

Hundreds of truckloads and not one of them was full !!!

One time I got pissed and jumped on to the truck to check. The next day I inspected the quality of the soil. (We had ordered topsoil, not fill) When the seller realized that his game was up, he left the job, never to return. Never asked for his money either, but we paid him anyway. Didn't want to start off on the wrong foot in our town.

Look here for our photo gallery

[Crossy]

That's an excellent price - I paid 1,100 per truck load.

I think we paid about 1100 per truck (10-12m³ each) in Pathum Thani, trucks were pretty full (the Missus checked every one), there was also some 'dealing' going on when the boss was away Included levelling and compacting (drive the bulldozer back and forth a few times).

We ordered fill but got several loads of topsoil which had to be removed and put to one side as the 'dozer sank up to the top of the tracks, we'll use that for the garden once we finally get the house done.

[phutoie2]

280 baht per truck load, that a very good price!, must be cheap diesel in your area!! or was it friend of the family etc.

I paid 500 baht per truck load for 110 drops, but wanted the fill piled up at least one metre, the Pasak river is only 1 kilometre away and every few years it is prone to breaking its banks!.

[SiamOrchids]

I have been in the horticultural industry for over 35 years so I speak from experience:

DO NOT use soil from a sugar cane field. Nothing will grow in it and everything will be prone to fungus.

River bottom soil is good topsoil. Or rebuild the soil yourself.

[RueFang]

Wow, over 1000baht per truck!! I read on another forum of people in Isaan paying only 200 baht per truck and was thinking it was a bit pricey here!! Of course in $ value I couldn't believe I could lay the foundation dirt for 300 bucks though...what a complete bargain. There's a lot of dirt around here within a couple of kms so they don't have to go far. We were lucky that we didn't have to build it up much because the land is quite high, just had to level it out. One problem is there is a bl**dy huge coconut tree root in the middle (you can see in the 3rd picture) that they couldn't remove...not sure how we're going to get that out!

SiamOrchids - Great pics!! Do you have a commentary anywhere on the building process, would love to know more?

Thanks for the comments, good to know others have done this before

[chownah]

It is best to either indicate the size of the truck when telling the price or to quote prices for dirt by the cubic metre since dump trucks can vary in size..I've bought dirt in 2 cubic metre trucks and in 4 cubic metre trucks and in a post above a 12 cubic yard truck (probably cubic metres and not yards) was mentioned.

Chownah

Edited July 27, 2007 by chownah

[Crossy]

It is best to either indicate the size of the truck when telling the price or to quote prices for dirt by the cubic metre since dump trucks can vary in size..I've bought dirt in 2 cubic metre trucks and in 4 cubic metre trucks and in a post above a 12 cubic yard truck (probably cubic metres and not yards) was mentioned.

Chownah

Absolutely, I'd be really interested to know how big the 200Baht trucks were

[chownah]

I always try to buy dirt when there is already some earthwork activity in the area. This means that they don't have to haul the dirt so far. I typically pay 150 baht for a 2 cubic metre truck load and 250 baht for a 4 cubic metre truck load. The loads are mostly reasonably full but, of course it only benefits the truckers if the loads are not completely full so you need to keep an eye on this...also on the quality of the dirt coming. These prices will include a tractor to level and compact the dirt if I buy enough loads. If I buy fewer loads and don't need a tractor I can sometimes get a 10 or 15 baht discount on a load...sometimes not....if I buy fewer loads and still want the tractor then I would need to offer a cash amount extra to get the tractor but I've never done it this way.

Chownah

[garro]

I paid 230 a truck last year and got a few free ones as well.

[phutoie2]

One problem is there is a bl**dy huge coconut tree root in the middle (you can see in the 3rd picture) that they couldn't remove...not sure how we're going to get that out!

Likewise with Bamboo tree's, had some mighty roots to be dug out by hand overwise would have caused big problems later. Wife found two local lads to dig them out by hand. Hard work, would not want to do it myself. Gave them 500 baht & a couple of Archa's

[jayenram]

It is best to either indicate the size of the truck when telling the price or to quote prices for dirt by the cubic metre since dump trucks can vary in size..I've bought dirt in 2 cubic metre trucks and in 4 cubic metre trucks and in a post above a 12 cubic yard truck (probably cubic metres and not yards) was mentioned.

Chownah

Absolutely, I'd be really interested to know how big the 200Baht trucks were

Up here in the North East, a Bht 200.00 to 300.00 truck load is 4 cm (loose, compacting to 3.2 cm). The trucks are four wheelers. The six wheelers carry around 6 cm loose. We don't generally have eight and ten wheelers up here so I'm not sure of their capacity. A six wheeler with a four wheel trailer may carry 10 to 12 cm all up.

[robinandsueuk]

One problem is there is a bl**dy huge coconut tree root in the middle (you can see in the 3rd picture) that they couldn't remove...not sure how we're going to get that out!

Likewise with Bamboo tree's, had some mighty roots to be dug out by hand overwise would have caused big problems later. Wife found two local lads to dig them out by hand. Hard work, would not want to do it myself. Gave them 500 baht & a couple of Archa's

there must be someone with a JCB or similar digger/front end loader ? When digging out roots always use the smallest bucket available, 9 inch is perfect. A small bucket increases the pressure exerted on the root making it easier to break through.

[sukanyacondo]

Hi I am looking at a land purchase with many trees on it and the owners says we can sell them ( ie cut down) then build but after reading this it appears I will have to remove all roots??? Any info appreciated on this thanks.

These are not huge trees by any means a few eucalypts and some other spindly types no huge circumference trunks etc

[gregb]

That's an excellent price - I paid 1,100 per truck load.

I think we paid about 1100 per truck (10-12m³ each) in Pathum Thani, trucks were pretty full (the Missus checked every one), there was also some 'dealing' going on when the boss was away Included levelling and compacting (drive the bulldozer back and forth a few times).

We ordered fill but got several loads of topsoil which had to be removed and put to one side as the 'dozer sank up to the top of the tracks, we'll use that for the garden once we finally get the house done.

How long ago was this? I'm looking at filling a rai in Rangsit, and am being quoted 2200 baht per truck. Do you still have the contact info for the guy you used? Or was this several years ago?

Thanks for any info.

[Crossy]

That's an excellent price - I paid 1,100 per truck load.

I think we paid about 1100 per truck (10-12m³ each) in Pathum Thani, trucks were pretty full (the Missus checked every one), there was also some 'dealing' going on when the boss was away Included levelling and compacting (drive the bulldozer back and forth a few times).

We ordered fill but got several loads of topsoil which had to be removed and put to one side as the 'dozer sank up to the top of the tracks, we'll use that for the garden once we finally get the house done.

How long ago was this? I'm looking at filling a rai in Rangsit, and am being quoted 2200 baht per truck. Do you still have the contact info for the guy you used? Or was this several years ago?

Thanks for any info.

It was about 18 months ago, however IIRC there was some 'family contact' involvement, 2200 still seems a bit rich though. However there's a lot of building going on in the area so I suspect that good fill is at something of a premium, driving up the price.

I'll see if my Missus has the chaps contact details, we had some more filling done recently, but that was on a lump-sum (not per truck) basis.