Do you want to have a really nice lawn? If so then the excavator idea is the one to go with. A landscaper with a tractor and box blade with ripper tines could dig that up in 15 minutes. He might have a minimum charge, but it would be done fast. If you had a crew of volunteers to help you drag the junk out and sift for dangerous stuff, it would be all over in a morning with the soil put back and leveled.

I really hesitate to suggest a rototiller because those can be dangerous if you hit something like a carpet. The tiller might dig in and run away from you skittering over the carpet. Some of us here have a real problem with using a rototiller to prepare a lawn anyway, but the idea should be discussed in this instance.

Thanks, I'm a first time homeowner, so I don't think I have the "wanting a really nice lawn" craze yet, though me taking the time to post on here seems to indicate the contrary, doesn't it? Guess I'll get back to you on that one! Still, with a 5 month old daughter I'd rather remove any dangerous items (as you mentioned) that could make their way to the surface when she's old enough to run around and play in the dirt.

Looks like this will be my spring project, and I'm sure I'll be back on here then to find out how to bring the grass back to greatness (not that it was ever there in the first place!).

You mentioned having some volunteers to drag out the junk, so would it make sense to get it all out and have the soil put back by the excavator or just have them do the digging and level it myself after the "sifting" is done?

You are lucky that it is just remodeling waste. We live on what in the 1920's and 30's was an old farm. One of the farm lanes ran along our collective rear lot lines. In places along that lane, junk collected. Every thing from old barb wire, engine parts, stove pipes, intertubes, etc. There are multiple mounds of who knows what. Each of the piles is covered with decades of leaves and other material that now supports poision ivy and other things you find on the floor of a woods. While it is not exactly on my lot, it is with in 20' of the line and the house behind me is about 200 feet further away from the line.

I have cleaned up some, but am rather intimidated digging into these decades old junk piles for fear of what I would find. In the early part of the 1900's this area was very active with bootlegged whiskey. I would hate to find one of there competitors;-)

The crew of volunteers is so you can get your money's worth out of the tractor. If you have to pay for an entire morning, for instance, no sense letting him go after 15 minutes. Plus the clods pulled out will be a big challenge to get back into that hole. Depending on what comes out of the hole, you might need more dirt to fill it back up. You don't want a pond there when you're finished. The soil should mound up after he leaves. It will settle back to level in the next 3 years.

I agree with David..... Prob not bad to remove it then back fill. You can rent guys or a back hoe (small excavator) and or a dumpster to get rid of the stuff unless you have other options. Personally I'd remove it if possible. Over time it will either remain or sink, both of which will cause you issue.