Avoid Being Duped by Your Contractor: Question the Origin of Fill Materials

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is warning homeowners to be cautious when contractors offer free materials to use for leveling and grading residential properties. 

“A deal too good to be true probably is,” Regional Director Peter A. Scully said.

The ‘clean fill’ offered by contractors often ends up being solid waste, which burdens properties with contaminated material. Once contaminated soil is graded on a property, the removal process grows more difficult.

The Department offers the following tips when undergoing a leveling or grading project: 

• Be skeptical and ask tough questions
• Notify the DEC in Stony Brook and the local town clerk in writing at least a month before starting any grade adjustment projects
• Know where the materials are coming from
• Make sure your contractor has a government license
• Make sure the materials are free of regulated wastes like asbestos, drywall, plaster, roofing materials, wood, metal, tiles, paint chips, ash, slag, coal, particle board pieces, carpet, petroleum-contaminated soil and other materials

For more information, contact the Department of Environmental Conservation’s Office of Materials Management at (631) 444-0375.