Holes, depressions, and sunken areas in a yard are not always caused by animals. If you see obvious digging, tracks, burrows, or disturbed soil, use our separate animal-digging guide. This page focuses on non-animal causes of holes and sinking spots.
1. Soil Settling
Fill soil around old construction, utility trenches, buried debris, or recently disturbed ground can settle over time and create depressions.
2. Decaying Tree Roots or Buried Stumps
Old roots and buried wood shrink and decompose, leaving voids that can collapse into holes years after a tree was removed.
3. Erosion and Drainage Problems
Water moving through or across soil can wash fine particles away and create low spots, channels, or cavities. Look for downspout discharge, concentrated runoff, broken drainage pipes, or water pooling near the hole.
4. Collapsed Buried Materials
Old construction debris, abandoned pipes, septic components, wells, or buried structures can fail and cause localized settling.
5. Sinkholes or Serious Ground Subsidence
A hole that grows quickly, is unusually deep, appears near a structure, or continues collapsing can indicate a more serious subsurface problem. Keep people and pets away and have the site evaluated by the appropriate local professional or authority rather than simply filling the opening.
What If an Animal Is Digging?
If there is loose excavated soil, tracks, burrow entrances, or repeated overnight digging, identify the animal before taking action. Different animals require different management.
Bottom Line
Before filling a yard hole, determine why it formed. Settling, decaying roots, drainage, buried materials, and animal activity all require different solutions.
