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Slope Cut-and-Fill Earthwork Balance Calculator

Check whether a site's cut material (adjusted for shrinkage) covers its fill requirement, or whether you need to import or haul off material.

Computed in your browser — nothing you enter is uploaded. Figures are presented for United States against IRC 2024, and every formula is cited under regulatory standards below.

Last verified 2026-08-26 · v1.0.0

Market
Imperial · sales tax

Net earthwork balance

130.8 yd³

Check your inputs

SURPLUS: approximately 100 m³ of cut material will be left over after filling — plan for haul-off or on-site stockpiling.

Cut volume as compacted fill
1177.16 yd³

With the figures above, the net earthwork balance comes to 100 m³. Behind that figure, cut volume as compacted fill is the biggest single quantity at 900 m³; start there if the total looks wrong. Note that cut volume (bank measure) and required fill volume (compacted) sit at the edge of the range this calculator was checked against, so treat the output as indicative rather than settled. The method behind this is well established, though site conditions and material batches will move it somewhat. This is calculated for United States and cites IRC 2024. Building in another market? Change the selector above so the units and code reference follow.

Estimated cost — your price

This site holds no price list for this material — local prices vary too much to publish honestly. Enter your supplier's price and the result is costed with it.

Preliminary estimate, not certified engineering. This tool produces an indicative quantity calculation for planning purposes only — it is not a certified structural analysis, a guaranteed material takeoff, or a substitute for building department approval. Always verify measurements on-site and have a licensed contractor or structural engineer review any load-bearing, code-sensitive, or safety-critical work before purchasing materials or starting construction. Spotted an arithmetic or standards error? Report it to contact@craftquantities.com with your inputs — confirmed fixes become pinned regression tests.

[Schema Verified] Computed in alignment with American Concrete Institute (ACI 318-19) formulas and International Residential Code (IRC 2024) spatial boundaries.

Regulatory standards & verification citations

  • Standard earthwork balance: cut volume (bank/in-situ measure) converts to a smaller compacted fill volume via a shrinkage factor; comparing that to the required fill volume gives a net surplus (haul off-site) or deficit (import fill)

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Frequently asked questions

Why does cut soil 'shrink' when used as fill?
Undisturbed (bank) soil has a natural structure with void spaces; once excavated and recompacted at a controlled density, the same mass of soil typically occupies less volume than it did in its original undisturbed state.
What's the difference between shrinkage and swell?
Swell describes loose (hauled/stockpiled) soil, which takes up MORE volume than its bank state due to loosening; shrinkage describes the same soil once recompacted, which ends up in LESS volume than its bank state — see the Soil Swell & Shrinkage Haul Volume Calculator for the loose-volume side of this.
What should I do about a deficit?
Source imported fill material, adjust the grading design to reduce fill requirements, or import from a nearby cut site — compare against haul-off costs for other project phases too.