Outdoor & Landscape · Calculator
Topsoil Calculator
Use this topsoil calculator to find how many cubic yards, tons or bags of soil you need for a new lawn, raised beds or leveling. It adds a settling allowance by default so you do not come up short after the first rain.
Your soil project
- Area 1LengthftinWidthftin
Squares and rectangles.
300 sq ft
Moist topsoil as delivered weighs about 1.1 to 1.3 tons per yard. Dry is closer to 1.0, soaked can pass 1.4.
Loose soil settles 15 to 20% after watering and rain. Use 20% or more for deep raised beds.
How to calculate topsoil
Find the area in square feet, multiply by the depth in inches, and divide by 324 to get cubic yards. Then add a settling allowance. Bulk topsoil is fluffed up from loading and screening, and it loses 15 to 20 percent of its volume as you rake, roll and water it.
For uneven ground, measure the depth you need in several spots and use the average. If one end needs 6 inches and the other needs 2, enter 4 inches. For a raised bed, the depth is the inside height of the frame.
The weight matters for two reasons: some suppliers sell soil by the ton, and a yard of it is heavier than most pickups should carry.
How deep should topsoil be?
These depths are for settled soil. The calculator adds the settling allowance on top.
| Project | Depth | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Top-dressing a lawn | 1/4 to 1/2 in | More than 1/2 in smothers the grass |
| Filling low spots in a lawn | 1 to 2 in per pass | Let grass grow through, then repeat |
| New lawn (seed or sod) | 4 to 6 in | Till into the top few inches of subsoil |
| Flower or shrub bed | 6 to 8 in | Blend in compost for better structure |
| Vegetable garden | 8 to 12 in | Deeper soil means deeper roots and less watering |
| Raised bed | Full bed height | Use a garden soil or raised bed blend, not plain topsoil |
Topsoil vs garden soil vs fill dirt
Ordering the wrong soil is the most expensive mistake on this list. Fill dirt is cheap for a reason, and premium bed mix is wasted under a lawn.
| Soil | What it is | Use it for | Avoid for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fill dirt | Subsoil, clay and sand with little organic matter | Filling holes, raising grade, backfill | Anything you want to grow in |
| Topsoil (screened) | Upper soil layer, screened of rocks and roots | New lawns, final grading, leveling | Raised beds on its own (packs down) |
| Garden soil / blend | Topsoil mixed with compost | Flower and vegetable beds | Deep fill (too costly) |
| Raised bed mix | Compost with bark fines, coir or peat | Raised beds and large planters | In-ground lawns |
For a big grade change, the usual approach is fill dirt for the bulk of the height and the top 4 to 6 inches in screened topsoil. Run the calculator once for each layer.
Settling, weight and delivery
Settling is the reason people come up short. A raised bed filled to the brim in spring can sit 2 inches low by summer. Use 15 percent for lawns and grading and 20 percent or more for deep beds, or plan to top up later.
Bags make sense for a single planter or a few low spots. A cubic yard is 36 bags of 0.75 cubic feet, so a new lawn in bags means hundreds of trips from the car. Bulk delivery is the way to go past a yard or two.
Check your payload before you haul it
Tips before the soil truck shows up
- Ask for a sample or a test. Good topsoil is dark, crumbly and free of rocks, roots and trash. Many yards will share a soil test on request.
- Bury cables and pipes first. Irrigation lines and landscape lighting cable go in before the final layer of soil, not after the lawn is down.
- Finish the surface the same week. Bare soil crusts and erodes. Lay sod (see the sod calculator), seed, or cover beds with mulch from the mulch calculator right away.
- Plan paths at the same time. The gravel calculator uses the same area inputs, and the cubic yard calculator handles any other box of material.
Measure the area, pick the right soil for the job, and let the topsoil calculator add the settling allowance so the finished grade lands where you want it.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a yard of topsoil weigh?
A cubic yard of topsoil weighs about 1 ton dry and 1.1 to 1.3 tons moist, which is how most bulk soil arrives. Soaked soil can pass 1.4 tons. The calculator uses 1.2 tons per yard by default, and you can change it.
How much area does a yard of topsoil cover?
One cubic yard of topsoil covers 324 square feet at 1 inch deep, 81 square feet at 4 inches and 54 square feet at 6 inches, before settling. Divide 324 by your depth in inches.
How much topsoil do I need for a new lawn?
Plan on 4 to 6 inches of topsoil for a new lawn from seed or sod. For 1,000 square feet at 4 inches, that is 12.3 cubic yards, or about 14.2 yards with a 15 percent settling allowance.
How many bags of topsoil are in a yard?
A cubic yard holds 27 cubic feet, so it equals 36 bags of 0.75 cubic feet or 27 bags of 1 cubic foot. Past a yard or so, bulk delivery is almost always cheaper.
How much extra topsoil should I order for settling?
Order 15 to 20 percent more than the measured volume. Loose, freshly delivered soil settles as it is raked, rolled and watered, and deep raised beds can drop even more in the first season.
Gear for this job
Our research-backed picksMore free tools
Calculators give estimates. Check local building codes and manufacturer specs before you build or buy.