Topsoil calculator
Enter the area and depth to see how much topsoil, garden soil or fill dirt you need, in cubic yards, tons or bags. Soil settles after it's spread, so the result can include extra to make up for it.
Usually 1–1.4 tons per cubic yard loose; this uses 1.2.
Loose soil settles as it is watered and walked on, usually by 10 to 20%, and more for compost-rich mixes. Order extra so the bed or lawn ends up at the depth you measured.
Weight of topsoil
- US tons (2,000 lb)
- 5.11
- Pounds
- 10,222
- Metric tonnes (1,000 kg)
- 4.64
Uses 1.2 tons per cubic yard (about 1,420 kg/m³), a typical figure for loose, dry to damp material. Wet loads weigh more: ask your supplier for theirs.
Bags of topsoil
- 0.75 cu ft bags (most 40 lb bags)
- 154
- 1 cu ft bags
- 115
- 1.5 cu ft bags
- 77
- 2 cu ft bags
- 58
At 4 in deep, one 0.75 cu ft bag covers about 2.3 sq ft. Bag sizes are printed on the front: check yours.
Amounts
- Settled volume (what you measured)
- 3.7 cu yd
- Cubic yards
- 4.26
- Cubic feet
- 115
- Cubic meters
- 3.26
- Bulk order, to the next ½ yard
- 4.5 cu yd
- Area covered
- 300 sq ft
Many landscape yards load bulk material by the half or whole yard.
- Nothing is uploaded
- Free, no sign-up
- Works on phone and desktop
How to work out how much topsoil you need
- 1
Choose what you are buying: topsoil, garden soil or raised bed mix, fill dirt or compost. Each weighs differently.
- 2
Enter each area and its depth, or pick a preset: Top-dress ½″, Leveling 2″, New lawn 4–6″ or Raised bed 12″.
- 3
Set the settling allowance. 15% suits most jobs; go higher for compost-rich mixes and deep beds.
- 4
Read the cubic yards to order, the tons, and the number of bags in each size. Add prices to compare bags with a bulk load.
Features
Four kinds of soil
Topsoil, garden soil, fill dirt and compost each have their own typical weight, or enter your supplier’s figure.
Settling built in
Choose how much extra to order so beds and lawns end up at the depth you measured, not an inch below it.
Yards, tons and bags
Bulk cubic yards and tons, plus bags of 0.75, 1, 1.5 and 2 cubic feet for small jobs.
Bags or a bulk load
Enter a bag price and a bulk price per yard or ton to see which way of buying is cheaper.
Why soil settles, and how much extra to order
A loader bucket or a bag of soil is fluffy: the particles have been dug, screened and tipped, and there is a lot of air between them. Once you spread it, water it in and walk on it, that air is squeezed out and the level drops. Topsoil commonly loses 10 to 20% of its height this way; mixes with plenty of compost, which also breaks down over time, can lose more. If you order exactly the volume you measured, the bed or lawn ends up short.
The settling allowance adds that loss back. 15% is a sensible middle figure. Use 10% for thin top-ups and firm, sandy soil, and 20 to 25% for deep raised beds filled with a light, compost-rich mix. It's fine to mound a new bed slightly above its final height: after a few weeks of watering it will sink to level.
Topsoil for lawns
| Job | Usual depth | Per 1,000 sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| Top-dressing an existing lawn | ¼ to ½ in | 1.54 cu yd |
| Filling low spots and leveling | 1 to 2 in | 6.17 cu yd |
| New lawn from seed or sod | 4 to 6 in | 18.52 cu yd |
| Flower or vegetable bed in the ground | 6 to 8 in | 24.69 cu yd |
Volumes are before settling, at the deeper end of each range. Top-dressing a 5,000 sq ft lawn with ¼ inch of screened topsoil or compost takes 3.86 cubic yards. For a new lawn, loosen the ground underneath first so the new soil bonds with it rather than sitting on a hard layer, and grade it to slope gently away from the house.
Soil for raised beds
Raised beds are usually filled with a garden soil or raised bed mix rather than plain topsoil: a blend of topsoil and compost that stays loose and drains well. Here is what common sizes take, with 15% for settling:
| Bed | Volume | To buy |
|---|---|---|
| 4 × 4 ft, 12 in deep | 16 cu ft | 0.68 cu yd · 13 bags of 1.5 cu ft |
| 3 × 6 ft, 12 in deep | 18 cu ft | 0.77 cu yd · 14 bags of 1.5 cu ft |
| 4 × 8 ft, 12 in deep | 32 cu ft | 1.36 cu yd · 25 bags of 1.5 cu ft |
| 4 × 8 ft, 18 in deep | 48 cu ft | 2.04 cu yd · 37 bags of 1.5 cu ft |
| 4 × 12 ft, 12 in deep | 48 cu ft | 2.04 cu yd · 37 bags of 1.5 cu ft |
Filling more than one bed? Add each as its own area, or click Add another area to copy the last one. Note that a cubic yard of bulk mix fills only about 73% of a 4 × 8 ft bed at 12 inches once it settles, so most beds of that size need a yard and a half or more.
Topsoil, garden soil, fill dirt or compost?
- Topsoil: the general-purpose choice for lawns, leveling and in-ground beds.
- Garden soil or raised bed mix: topsoil blended with compost, lighter and richer, for raised beds and vegetable gardens.
- Fill dirt: subsoil for raising the grade, filling holes and backfilling walls. Raising a 20 × 15 ft low corner by 6 inches takes 5.56 cubic yards, about 7.2 tons.
- Compost: an amendment rather than a soil. Mix an inch or two into beds, or spread it thinly over a lawn.
| Material | Weight per cubic yard | In pounds |
|---|---|---|
| Topsoil | 1–1.4 tons | 2,000–2,800 lb |
| Garden soil or raised bed mix | 0.75–1 tons | 1,500–2,000 lb |
| Fill dirt | 1–1.5 tons | 2,000–3,000 lb |
| Compost | 0.4–0.7 tons | 800–1,400 lb |
Weights are typical loose, dry-to-damp figures; your supplier's number for their own soil is better. Soil is heavy: a single cubic yard of topsoil can outweigh what many pickups are rated to carry, so check your payload before hauling it, or have it delivered.
For a plain volume in any unit, use the cubic yard calculator. Finishing the bed? The mulch calculator works out bags for a 2 to 3 inch layer. Measure an odd-shaped lawn with the square footage calculator, or work out gravel for paths between beds with the gravel calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How much topsoil do I need for a new lawn?
Most new lawns get 4 to 6 inches of topsoil. For 1,000 sq ft that's 12.35 cubic yards at 4 inches or 18.52 at 6 inches, before settling. With 15% extra, order about 14.2 or 21.3 cubic yards.
How much soil do I need for a raised bed?
A 4 × 8 ft bed 12 inches deep holds 32 cubic feet, or 1.19 cubic yards. With 15% for settling, buy about 36.8 cubic feet: 25 bags of 1.5 cu ft or 19 bags of 2 cu ft. For several beds, bulk is usually cheaper.
How much does a yard of topsoil weigh?
Typically about 1 to 1.4 tons (2,000 to 2,800 lb) loose, depending on how damp and how sandy or clay-rich it is. Rain-soaked soil can weigh much more. The calculator uses 1.2 tons per yard.
How much does soil settle?
Freshly delivered soil is loose and full of air. Once it has been watered, rained on and walked on, it commonly settles by 10 to 20%, and compost-heavy mixes can settle more. That is why the calculator adds a settling allowance on top of the depth you measure.
What is the difference between fill dirt and topsoil?
Fill dirt is subsoil from below the surface: mostly clay, sand and rock with little organic matter. It packs down firmly, so it suits raising the grade, filling holes and backfilling. Topsoil is the dark upper layer that holds organic matter and nutrients, and it is what grass and plants grow in. Use fill for bulk, then finish with topsoil.
How many bags of topsoil make a cubic yard?
A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, which is 36 bags of 0.75 cu ft, 27 bags of 1 cu ft, 18 bags of 1.5 cu ft, 13.5 bags of 2 cu ft. Most 40 lb bags of topsoil hold about 0.75 cubic feet, so it takes about 36 of them.
Can I put topsoil over existing grass?
A thin layer, about ¼ to ½ inch, can be raked into an existing lawn to smooth small dips, and the grass grows up through it. Thicker layers smother the grass, so fill deeper hollows a little at a time, or lift the turf, fill underneath and put it back.
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