Topsoil Calculator: How Much Topsoil Do You Really Need?
Enter the length, width, and depth of any garden, lawn, or raised bed. The calculator returns cubic yards, cubic feet, cubic meters, bag counts, and dry, compacted, and wet weight in real time.
Results: Soil Needed
Bags of Soil Needed
Material Weight (dry, loose or packed)
2.01 t·4,017 lb·1,822 kg
Material Weight (compacted)
2.45 t·4,909 lb·2,227 kg
Material Weight (wet)
2.90 t·5,802 lb·2,632 kg
Density used: 2,410 lb/yd³ (1.43 t/m³).
The detailed guide below covers every question this calculator answers, in your language.
How to Use the Calculator
- 1 Measure the area with a tape measure. Measure the length and the width of the area with a tape measure and write both figures down in feet, or in metres if you are working in metric.
- 2 Decide the depth using the reference table. Decide how deep the soil layer needs to be using the recommended depth table below, which lists a depth range for every common project type.
- 3 Select the material if it is not standard topsoil. Select the material from the dropdown if you are not ordering standard topsoil, because fill dirt, compost, sandy loam and potting soil all weigh different amounts per cubic yard.
- 4 Read all of the outputs at once. Read every output at once: cubic yards, cubic feet, cubic metres, the two bag counts, and the dry, compacted and wet weight of the load.
Irregular areas are handled the same way: break the shape into rectangles, calculate each rectangle separately, and add the volumes together for the total order.
Project Dimensions
Length is the longest side of the area measured along the ground, and width is the shorter side measured across it. Depth is not a ground measurement at all: it is the thickness of the soil layer you intend to lay down, measured straight up from the surface you are covering. Length and width decide how much ground the load has to cover, and depth decides how much material each square foot of that ground swallows.
Odd-shaped areas rarely need clever geometry. Split an L-shaped bed into two rectangles, a curved border into a series of straight segments, and total the results. On sloped or uneven ground, measure the depth at the highest point and at the lowest point and enter the average of the two, because the thin end and the thick end cancel each other out across the run.
| Project type | Depth (in) | Depth (cm) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| New garden bed over existing soil | 6 | 15 | Standard minimum |
| Raised garden bed | 6–12 | 15–30 | Deeper for root crops |
| Lawn levelling and repair | 1–3 | 2.5–7.5 | Smooth low spots |
| Sod installation | 4–6 | 10–15 | Roots need room |
| Overseeding existing lawn | 0.5–1 | 1–2.5 | Light top dressing only |
| New construction fill | 6–8 | 15–20 | Over subsoil or compacted fill |
Raised beds are the one row in that table where depth is not the whole answer: most are filled with a blend rather than neat topsoil, commonly 40 percent topsoil, 40 percent compost and 20 percent sand, with root crops wanting the deeper end of the 6 to 12 inch range. The raised bed tool works that blend out for a given box size, and the sod prep estimator does the same for the base layer under new turf. Whatever the project, order 10 to 15 percent more than the calculator returns: soil settles once it is spread, watered and walked on, and a small surplus is far cheaper than a second delivery.
Understanding Soil Volume
Three units do all the work. Cubic feet suit small jobs and bag counts, because retail bags are sold in fractions of a cubic foot. Cubic yards are the unit bulk soil is delivered and priced in across the United States and Canada. Cubic metres are the equivalent elsewhere: suppliers in the UK, Ireland and Australia commonly sell loose material by the cubic metre and in bulk bags holding roughly one.
Working the chain by hand runs through inches. Multiply length, width and depth in inches for cubic inches, divide by 1,728 for cubic feet, then divide by 27 for cubic yards.
One cubic yard equals
3 × 3 × 3 ft = 36 × 36 × 36 in = 27 cu ft = 0.7646 m³ = 0.9144 × 0.9144 × 0.9144 m
Change Material
The material dropdown changes one number behind the scenes: bulk density, the weight of one cubic yard of that material. Volume never changes with material, because a 10 by 10 foot bed at 6 inches deep is 50 cubic feet whatever you fill it with. Weight changes a great deal, and weight is what a delivery is quoted and charged on, so selecting the wrong material can leave a ton of error in a small order.
Standard screened topsoil is the default at 2,410 lb/yd³, which is 1.21 tons per cubic yard, or roughly 0.8 cubic yards to the ton. Compost weighs less than half that, so a compost-heavy order looks far lighter on the ticket than its volume suggests.
| Material | Density (lb/yd³) | Density (t/yd³) | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Topsoil | 2,410 | 1.21 | Gardens, lawns, raised beds |
| Fill Dirt | 2,000 | 1.00 | Grading, retaining walls, hardscapes |
| Compost | 1,000 | 0.50 | Soil enrichment, amendment layer |
| Sandy Loam | 2,200 | 1.10 | Lawns, drainage improvement |
| Potting Soil | 800 | 0.40 | Containers, seed trays |
Topsoil Explained
Topsoil is the top 2 to 8 inches (5 to 20 cm) of the soil profile, the layer that holds almost all of the organic matter, plant nutrients and microbial life in the ground beneath your feet. Everything below it is subsoil: denser, paler, and far poorer at growing anything. Screened topsoil is that same layer after it has been sieved through a mesh to take out debris, pebbles and clumps, which is why it spreads evenly and rakes flat instead of fighting you.
Both spellings are in common use, so a search for a top soil calculator and a search for a topsoil calculator land on this same tool.
A handful of jobs account for most of the topsoil sold:
- Filling a raised bed, usually blended with compost rather than used neat.
- Top-dressing a lawn with a thin layer to feed it and smooth the surface.
- Levelling low areas and hollows that hold water or scalp under the mower.
- Spreading a base layer before sod so new roots have something to grow into.
- Building new garden beds over existing ground.
- Topping up a planter or large container, usually cut with potting soil so it drains.
- Making a flower bed, where 6 inches of screened soil suits annuals and most perennials.
What Topsoil Is Made Of
By volume, healthy topsoil is about 45 percent minerals, 5 percent organic matter, 25 percent water and 25 percent air. The mineral fraction is the sand, silt and clay that give soil its texture. The pore space that holds the water and air is what lets roots breathe, which is why compacted soil kills plants even when its mineral content is perfect.
Loam is the balanced mix of sand, silt and clay that most gardeners are aiming for and drains while still holding moisture; pure clay is dense and drains poorly, and pure sandy soil drains too fast and carries few nutrients.
Practical Applications
-
Raised Beds
4 × 8 × 1 ft ÷ 27A 4 by 8 foot bed filled 1 foot deep is 32 cu ft, which is 1.19 cubic yards.
-
Lawns
20 × 30 × (2 ÷ 12) ÷ 27A 20 by 30 foot lawn top-dressed at 2 inches is 100 cu ft, which is 3.7 cubic yards.
-
Gardens
10 × 5 × 1.5 ÷ 27A 10 by 5 foot bed dug and filled to 1.5 feet is 75 cu ft, which is 2.78 cubic yards.
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Fill Dirt
15 × 10 × 0.5 ÷ 27A 15 by 10 foot area brought up 6 inches is 75 cu ft, which is 2.78 cubic yards.
-
Compost
10 × 10 × (3 ÷ 12) ÷ 27A 10 by 10 foot bed given a 3 inch layer is 25 cu ft, which is 0.93 cubic yards.
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Soil Cost
cu yd × price per cu ydBulk runs $25–65 per cubic yard and bagged runs $5–8 per 0.75 cu ft bag, meeting at about 2 cubic yards.
How Much Topsoil Do You Need?
For a standard 10 × 10 ft garden bed at 6 inches deep, you need 1.85 cubic yards (50 cubic feet) of topsoil. For a 1,000 square foot lawn top-dressed at 2 inches, you need 6.17 cubic yards.
How Much is a Yard of Dirt?
A yard of dirt is a cubic yard: a cube measuring one yard on every edge, whatever unit you describe it in.
| Unit system | Dimensions |
|---|---|
| Yards | 1 yd × 1 yd × 1 yd |
| Feet | 3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft |
| Inches | 36 in × 36 in × 36 in |
| Meters | 0.9144 m × 0.9144 m × 0.9144 m |
| Centimeters | 91.44 cm × 91.44 cm × 91.44 cm |
How to Estimate Soil in Tons
Weight in tons = volume in cubic yards × density in tons per cubic yard. Density is the only material-specific number in that line, which is why changing the material dropdown changes the weight and leaves the volume alone.
Take an order of 3.5 cubic yards of topsoil. Dry: 3.5 × 1.21 = 4.24 tons. After heavy rain, at a wet factor of 1.6 tons per cubic yard: 3.5 × 1.6 = 5.6 tons, a difference of well over a ton on a modest order. See the full soil weight calculator.
| Condition | Tons | Pounds | Kilograms | When you see it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry, loose or packed | 1.0–1.3 | 2,000–2,600 | 907–1,179 | Covered stockpile, or a dry spell before delivery |
| Compacted | 1.3–1.5 | 2,600–3,000 | 1,179–1,361 | Bottom of a stockpile, or soil rolled and tamped in place |
| Wet | 1.5–1.7 | 3,000–3,400 | 1,361–1,542 | Uncovered stockpile after rain |
Bags of Soil Needed
The 0.75 cu ft bag is the retail standard in garden centres, and 36 of them make a cubic yard. The 40-pound bag is sold by weight rather than volume and holds roughly 0.5 to 0.75 cu ft depending on how wet and how dense the contents are, which is why the calculator derives that count from the dry weight rather than the volume. Both counts round up to the nearest whole bag, because half a bag is not a thing you can buy.
How to Calculate Soil Amendment
Amendment is about chemistry rather than volume. The pH scale runs from 1 to 14, 7 is neutral, and most garden plants want 6.0 to 7.0. Below that range, soil is acidic and lime raises it; above it, soil is alkaline and sulphur or an acidifying organic matter lowers it. Test before you treat, because amendments applied to soil that did not need them are the most common way to push a bed out of range.
Calculating Soil Amendment by Weight
Amendment products are labelled in pounds per 100 square feet, so the maths is area-based rather than volume-based: area ÷ 100 × rate. For a 350 square foot bed at 2 lb per 100 sq ft: 350 ÷ 100 = 3.5, and 3.5 × 2 = 7 lb of product.
Calculating Soil Amendment by Volume
Bulk amendments such as compost are ordered by volume instead: area × depth ÷ 27. For the same 350 square foot bed given a 3 inch layer: 350 × 0.25 = 87.5 cubic feet, which is 3.24 cubic yards. Open the compost & amendment calculator.
Buying, Cost & Accuracy
Getting the number wrong costs money in both directions. Over-ordering leaves a pile you have to move, store or pay to remove. Under-ordering is worse: a second delivery is charged as its own trip, typically $100 to $300 in delivery fees alone regardless of how little material is on the truck, which can easily exceed the value of the soil you were short.
Compaction is the quiet variable. Freshly spread soil loses 10 to 15 percent of its volume in the first month as rain, foot traffic and gravity settle it, so a bed filled exactly level on delivery day sits visibly low by the time it is planted.
Bulk and bagged material break even at about 2 cubic yards, which is 54 cubic feet or roughly 72 of the 0.75 cu ft retail bags. Below that, bags are easier to handle and there is no delivery fee to justify. Above it, bulk runs 30 to 50 percent cheaper per unit and the gap widens as the order grows.
- Measure twice. A single mis-read foot on a long bed changes the order by more than most people expect, and tape measures slip on soft ground.
- Account for compaction. Add 10 to 15 percent for settling on anything you intend to still be level next season.
- Check soil quality before you buy. Ask whether the topsoil is screened, where it was stripped from, and whether it has been tested. Cheap unscreened soil full of rock and root costs its saving back in labour.
- Buy in bulk past the breakeven point. Above it, bagged material is simply a more expensive way to buy the same thing.
- Add a drainage layer where the ground is heavy. A raised bed over clay or compacted ground wants coarse gravel or sand underneath so it does not hold water against the roots.
Key Soil Calculators
- Soil volume calculator turns length, width and depth into cubic feet, cubic yards and cubic metres.
- Soil cost calculator multiplies the volume by a bulk or bagged price to give a delivered budget.
- Raised bed soil calculator sizes a topsoil and compost blend for a boxed bed of any footprint.
- Fill dirt calculator estimates the cheap structural material used under and behind hardscapes.
- Garden soil calculator covers ordinary in-ground beds and borders at planting depth.
- Compost calculator measures an enrichment layer by volume before it is dug in or left to settle.
- Soil amendment calculator works in pounds per 100 square feet, the unit amendment products are labelled in.
- Lawn soil calculator handles the thin layers used for levelling, repair and top dressing.
- Soil weight calculator converts a volume into tons, pounds and kilograms for suppliers who sell by weight.
- Mulch calculator applies the same volume maths to bark, chip and shredded mulch depths.
See the about page for the density figures and sources behind every calculator on this site.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much topsoil do I need for 1,000 square feet?
For 1,000 square feet at a 6-inch depth, you need 18.5 cubic yards (500 cubic feet) of topsoil. At a 2-inch depth for lawn top dressing, you need 6.2 cubic yards (167 cubic feet).
How much does a yard of topsoil cover?
One cubic yard (27 cu ft) of topsoil covers 324 sq ft at 1-inch depth, 162 sq ft at 2-inch depth, 108 sq ft at 3-inch depth, 54 sq ft at 6-inch depth, and 27 sq ft at 12-inch depth.
How much topsoil do I need for overseeding?
Overseeding an existing lawn needs a 0.5 to 1-inch layer of topsoil or screened compost. For 1,000 sq ft at 0.5-inch depth, that’s 1.54 cubic yards (41.6 cu ft).
How many bags of topsoil make a yard?
36 bags of 0.75 cu ft topsoil equal 1 cubic yard. At 40 lb per bag, it takes approximately 54 bags to equal the weight of 1 cubic yard of dry topsoil.
How much does a cubic yard of topsoil weigh?
One cubic yard of dry, loose topsoil weighs 1.0 to 1.3 tons (2,000 to 2,600 lb). Wet or compacted topsoil weighs 1.5 to 1.7 tons (3,000 to 3,400 lb) for the same volume.
Is there a difference between soil and topsoil?
Topsoil is soil that has been screened to remove debris, pebbles, and large clumps. Unscreened soil contains rocks, roots, and clods.
Are soil and dirt the same thing?
No. Soil contains decomposed organic matter, living microorganisms, and nutrients that support plant growth. Dirt contains sand, clay, pebbles, and rocks but no nutrients or biological activity.
What is soil made of?
Soil is made of 4 main components: minerals (45%), organic matter (5%), water (25%), and air (25%).
What is the difference between topsoil and potting soil?
Topsoil is field soil that has been screened. Potting soil is a manufactured growing medium containing peat moss, perlite, bark, and fertilizer, and is lighter (800 lb/yd³ vs 2,410 lb/yd³) and designed for containers.
What is screened topsoil?
Screened topsoil is soil that has been passed through a mesh screen to remove rocks, roots, and debris larger than the mesh size, leaving an even, workable texture suited for gardens and lawns.
Is topsoil the same as garden soil or loam?
Loam is a specific soil texture, a balanced mix of roughly 40% sand, 40% silt, and 20% clay, and is considered the ideal texture for most garden soil. Topsoil is a depth-and-screening classification, not a texture classification, so screened topsoil can range from sandy to loamy to clay-heavy depending on its source.
Do you need to amend your soil?
Not necessarily. Amendment corrects soil pH only when it’s outside the target range for the plants being grown, typically 6.0 to 7.0. Test the soil first to find the current pH before amending.
Can I mix compost with topsoil?
Yes. Mixing compost into topsoil is standard practice for new beds. A common ratio is 60% topsoil to 40% compost by volume.
Do you buy soil by the yard or ton?
This depends on the supplier. Some sell by the cubic yard (volume), others by the ton (weight). Use the calculator’s weight output to convert a cubic yard figure to tons for suppliers who quote by weight.
How is topsoil sold outside the US?
Suppliers in the UK, Ireland, and Australia commonly sell topsoil in bulk bags (also called jumbo bags), which hold about 1 cubic meter (1.31 cubic yards) of loose material, alongside standard cubic meter bulk delivery. Use the metric toggle above to size an order in cubic meters directly.
Similar Landscaping Calculators
- Raised Bed Soil Calculator Size a soil-and-compost blend for any raised bed footprint and depth. Open tool →
- Lawn Dressing Calculator Work out a thin top-dressing layer for levelling and overseeding. Open tool →
- Fill Dirt Calculator Estimate structural fill for grading, hardscapes and retaining walls. Open tool →
- Soil Weight Converter Switch between cubic yards, tons, pounds and kilograms by material. Open tool →
- Sod Prep Calculator Plan the base layer a new turf install needs before the sod arrives. Open tool →
- Compost & Amendment Calculator Measure compost by volume or amendment by weight per 100 sq ft. Open tool →
- Mulch Calculator Cover beds and borders with the right mulch depth, bagged or bulk. Open tool →