re: How much to fill in an acre with dirt?

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It's not considered wetlands at this time

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Are you sure? Do you have a JD?

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So I don't see the difference in digging a pond from above ground, to make a very shallow pond a little deeper?

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Dredging (digging) isn't regulated, but filling is. There is a difference.

When you are talking about filling 2 acres of a hole by hauling it in, you are talking about a lot of material. Let's assume the hole is only 2 feet deep, and you are going to fill an additional 2 feet. 4 feet of fill needed. With a conservative compaction factor of lets say 25%, you'll need to haul in 5 feet. Over 2 acres that is 435,600 cubic feet, or 16,133 cu yds, or 1,152 14-yard trucks. Dirt prices will differ depending on where you are, but lets say you get it at $100/load (for mathematical purposes), that's over $100k in dirt to the site. Now you'd have to dewater, add in several lifts, and hire an operator to do the dirt work over a few months process. Let's say you have him on-site working for 2-3 months, that's another $20-30k.

Let's also pretend those 2 acres are wetland. Aside from the permitting cost (you can file your own permit application, no need for a consultant for something simple like this), you'll have to purchase compensatory mitigation credits for unavoidable impacts to wetlands. The value differs across watersheds, but it's likely $20-75k per acre. Tack on another $50-100k, plus 6-18 months permitting time to your estimate.

So to answer your original question, if you haul it in you could easily be $200k "in the hole" (pun intended) 18 months down the road before you put a for sale sign on the lot. If you push the dirt up from on-site, you'll save a bunch on the dirt, but waiting for it to de-water, equipment rental, and still the possibility of USACE permits being required could keep your cost high.