Yes. Depending on the amount, condition, and origin of the soil, you may be able to bring it in for screening or arrange mobile screening at your property.
This can be useful after a landscaping project, excavation, lawn regrading, or site cleanup. Instead of automatically paying to remove the soil and buying replacement material, screening may let you reuse what is already available.
Before transporting anything, contact Kell’s Garden City to confirm the soil is suitable, whether testing or documentation is needed, and which service option fits your project.
What Soil Screening Does
During professional soil screening, soil passes through a mesh that separates finer material from larger objects. The finished material has a more consistent texture and is easier to spread, grade, or blend for landscaping work.
Screening commonly separates:
1. Rocks and stones larger than the screen opening
2. Roots, sticks, weeds, and other plant debris
3. Large soil clumps and pieces of clay
4. Some non-soil debris that can be removed safely by size sorting
What Soil Screening Does Not Do
Screening is a physical sorting process. It does not test the soil or remove dissolved chemicals, road salt, fuel, heavy metals, pesticides, or other chemical contaminants.
Soil from a former industrial area, fuel storage area, roadside, demolition site, or another location with a possible contamination history may require assessment or laboratory testing before it can be accepted or reused. Do not mix questionable soil with clean soil to make it appear suitable.
Ontario’s rules for bringing excess soil to a reuse site explain that soil quality, quantity, consent, transportation, and documentation can affect whether excess soil may be reused. Requirements depend on the project and soil source, so larger or higher-risk projects may need advice from a qualified person.
Two Ways to Process Your Soil
The right option usually depends on volume, access, hauling costs, and the condition of the material.
Bring Suitable Soil to the Yard
For a smaller load, bringing soil to the yard may be the simplest approach. Kell’s can assess the project details, screen suitable material, and discuss whether you want the finished soil returned as screened soil or blended for a specific use.
Confirm the current drop-off location, operating hours, accepted materials, minimum quantity, and turnaround time before loading your vehicle or trailer.
Arrange Mobile Screening on Your Property
For farms, large lots, construction sites, and landscape projects, moving a screener to the soil may be more practical than hauling multiple truckloads away. Mobile screening keeps the work near the source and can reduce handling, transportation, and replacement-material costs.
The site needs enough space for the equipment, loading machinery, separated debris, and finished soil. Kell’s can confirm access and setup requirements during project planning.
Who Uses Soil Screening Services?
Homeowners
A pile left from a garden-bed excavation, lawn repair, or regrading project may contain reusable soil. Once screened, suitable material can be used for rough grading, lawn preparation, or as a base for an amended garden mix.
Landscapers and Contractors
Screening can help recover usable material from a job site and reduce the need to pay for both disposal and replacement soil. It can also create more consistent material for grading and landscape installation.
Farmers and Large Property Owners
Mobile equipment can process larger stockpiles where the soil already sits. This may support field improvement, property maintenance, and soil reuse when the material is suitable and all applicable requirements are met.
Why Screen Existing Soil Instead of Buying New?
Screening is not always the right choice, but it can offer several practical advantages:
5. Reuse suitable material already available on the property
6. Reduce hauling, disposal, and replacement-material costs
7. Create a more consistent texture for spreading and grading
8. Separate reusable soil from rocks, roots, and other oversized material
9. Blend the screened soil only when the intended use requires amendments
Screened soil is not automatically better than purchased soil. The right material depends on how it will be used, its texture, organic matter, drainage characteristics, nutrient levels, and possible contamination. For planting projects, soil testing may help determine whether amendments are needed.
Can Screened Soil Be Blended After Processing?
Yes. Screening improves consistency, but it does not automatically create a planting mix. The finished soil can be amended or blended when the project needs different properties.
Kell’s offers custom options such as Triple Mix and Top Dressing, while its screened topsoil is intended for grading, seeding, sodding, garden beds, and general landscaping. The appropriate blend depends on the project:
10. Garden beds may benefit from added compost or organic matter.
11. Lawn top dressing needs a fine, spreadable material compatible with the existing soil.
12. Rough grading may need screened mineral soil without a rich planting blend.
Ask what will be added, why it is needed, and whether the blend suits the intended depth and planting use.
How to Prepare Soil for Screening
A little preparation can make the service safer and more efficient.
13. Keep soil separate from concrete, asphalt, garbage, treated wood, metal, and demolition debris.
14. Avoid mixing clean soil with material that may be contaminated or salt-impacted.
15. Let wet or frozen soil dry or thaw when possible, since saturated and frozen clumps may not screen well.
16. Estimate the volume and take clear photos of the pile and surrounding access.
17. For mobile screening, clear vehicles and obstacles from the equipment route and work area.
Preparation does not need to be perfect. Send photos and describe the soil source when requesting a quote so the team can flag potential issues before the scheduled work.
How to Send Your Soil for Screening
18. Describe the project, where the soil came from, and how it was previously used.
19. Estimate the quantity using measurements, photos, or the site’s landscape material calculator.
20. Confirm whether yard drop-off or mobile screening is the better option.
21. Ask about acceptance requirements, testing, site access, pricing, and timing.
22. Choose whether the screened material will remain plain or be blended for its intended use.
23. Schedule the service and prepare the soil pile or loading area.
If you need help estimating material volume, use the Kell’s landscaping calculator as a starting point, then confirm the estimate with the team.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is There a Minimum Amount of Soil?
Minimums and pricing may depend on the service type, soil condition, and current schedule. Contact Kell’s with an estimated volume before arranging transportation.
How Long Does Soil Screening Take?
Timing depends on volume, moisture, debris, equipment access, transportation, and whether blending is requested. A small load may be simpler to schedule than a mobile job involving a large stockpile.
Will I Get the Same Soil Back?
For a dedicated screening job, the intention is to process the material supplied for that project. Confirm handling, storage, and blending arrangements when booking, especially if keeping the material separate is important.
Can Wet or Frozen Soil Be Screened?
Very wet or frozen soil can bind into clumps and pass through a screen poorly. The team may recommend waiting for drier, thawed conditions or adjusting the work plan.
Does Screening Make Soil Safe for a Garden?
Not by itself. Screening improves physical consistency but does not prove that soil is free from chemical contaminants or suitable for food production. The soil’s history and intended use determine whether testing or professional assessment is appropriate.
Talk to Kell’s About Your Soil Project
The best next step is to explain where the soil came from, how much you have, and how you want to reuse it. Kell’s can help determine whether the material appears suitable for screening, whether mobile processing makes sense, and whether a custom blend is worth considering.
Request a soil-processing quote before moving the material so you can confirm acceptance, logistics, and the right service for your property or job site.