Silt Sock Finder

Buyer’s Guide · Sediment Control & SWPPP

Silt Socks: Sediment Control That Installs Without Trenching

On a jobsite, runoff carries sediment toward inlets, perimeters, and waterways — and your SWPPP requires you to stop it. Silt socks are mesh-wrapped tubes of filter media that trap sediment while letting clean water pass.

A silt sock is a flexible tube of mesh packed with compost or filter media. Lay it across the path of runoff and it slows the water, drops out the sediment, and lets filtered water move through — conforming to the ground for full contact the whole way. Best of all, they go down fast: no trenching, just lay and stake. The same product handles four different jobs, and the sections below walk through how to pick the right one for your site.

One Product, Four Jobs

How a Silt Sock Works

As runoff reaches the sock, the filter media slows it just enough for suspended soil to settle out while water passes through the mesh. Because the tube is flexible, it presses into the ground contour and makes continuous contact — there’s no gap underneath the way a stiff barrier can leave.

Installation is simple: lay the sock along the contour and stake it in place. No trenching, no heavy equipment. Socks can be staked down, stacked for extra height, and in many cases lifted and reused as the site changes. That flexibility is a big part of why crews reach for them over a trenched-in barrier — you can protect an inlet, run a perimeter, or build a check dam with the same product and the same install method.

Silt Sock vs. Silt Fence

Silt fence has to be trenched in, and if water gets under it or overtops it, it undermines or blows out. A silt sock skips the trench entirely: it sits on the surface, follows the ground contour for better contact, and can be stacked to add height where flows are heavier. On the right site, that means faster setup, fewer failures, and less rework at inspection time.

Sizing: Diameter & Length

Filtrexx SiltSoxx come in diameters from 5″ to 18″ and lengths from 10′ to 200′, so there’s a fit for everything from a single inlet to a long site perimeter. The rule for diameter is straightforward: the higher the flow volume and the steeper the grade, the larger the sock.

Smaller diameters suit gentle slopes and light flow; step up to 12″–18″ for concentrated flow, steep ground, and channel check dams. Socks ship by the pallet and come with installation stakes, and minimum order quantities apply.

Not sure where to start? The 8″ × 200′ Filtrexx SiltSoxx is our most popular option — a versatile mid-size sock that covers the majority of perimeter and inlet jobs.

Compost or Pollutant-Treatment Media?

Standard compost-filled SiltSoxx are built to trap sediment. When the discharge carries more than soil, EnviroSoxx pollutant filter socks add water-quality treatment with two media blends. If your site has to address contaminants and not just sediment, choose a treatment blend rather than a plain compost sock.

No Trenching Required

Unlike silt fence, silt socks lay right on the surface and conform to the ground. Stake them in place, stack them where you need more height, and reposition or reuse them as the site evolves — a faster, more forgiving install that holds up at inspection.

Quick Selection Checklist

Silt Sock FAQ

We carry Filtrexx SiltSoxx in diameters from 5″ to 18″ plus EnviroSoxx pollutant filter socks — all made in the USA, third-party tested, and compliant with most state and federal agencies including the US Army Corps of Engineers, USDA, and NRCS. Every order ships free. Not sure which sock fits your site? Use the Silt Sock Finder above — answer a few quick questions about your application, flow, and grade, and we’ll point you to the right product.