# Clean Fill

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-fill/738392>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [November 24, 2015, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-fill/738392 "2015-11-24T01:00:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\
**Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-fill/738392/1 "2015-11-24T01:00:40Z")

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In addition to the list given in the article "[Why do you see signs saying, “clean fill wanted”?](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1469/why-do-you-see-signs-saying-clean-fill-wanted):

> [@](#):
>
> [Clean fill is] free from contaminants, including corrosive, combustible, noxious, zootoxic, reactive, or radioactive materials.

Organic material is also rejected … no compost or branches or leaves or anything else that will decompose in the soil and create a void.

Some places accept chunks of concrete, others don’t … sometimes is depends on how much it’s broken up. Any fill has to be compacted and tested for compactness before a building’s foundation can be set on it. This tends to be expensive, so for just a couple of feet down, typically the builders will just dig out the fill until they reach “undisturbed” earth and set the foundation on that. Houses themselves aren’t god-awful heavy, but we’re subject to four foot or better snow loads and the two can and will break a foundation if there’s nothing under it to support the weight.

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**Author:** ![eastcheap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8491ac/32.png) [@eastcheap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eastcheap)\
**Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-fill/738392/2 "2015-11-26T19:02:10Z")

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> [@watchwolf49](#):
>
> Organic material is also rejected … no compost or branches or leaves or anything else that will decompose in the soil and create a void.

It depends on what you want the earth for. Many rural landowners are actually looking to improve drainage or embark on other landscaping projects, so a little organic material isn’t necessarily a deal-killer. No stumps, obviously. Stones, lumps of concrete, etc. are _extremely_ unwelcome.