Aggregates & landscaping · free tool
Topsoil Calculator
How much topsoil do you need? Enter your area and depth, pick your soil, and get the cubic yards, tons and bags — with overage built in.
Topsoil Calculator
How much topsoil you need — yards, tons & cost.
1 Your area
2 Your estimate
Order in bulk by the ton or yard.
Based on 0.5 cu ft bags (about 50 lb each). Bags suit small jobs; larger areas are cheaper in bulk.
Estimates only — density, moisture and compaction vary; confirm local tonnage before ordering. See how we calculate · Updated monthly
Method · how it works
How to calculate how much topsoil you need
Area times depth for the volume, then convert to tons with the soil's density. Here is exactly what the calculator does.
Find the volume
Multiply area × depth (in feet), then divide by 27 for cubic yards.
Convert to tons
Multiply by the density — loose topsoil is about 1.1 tons/yd³ (wet is heavier).
Add for settling
Add about 10% — fresh soil settles once it's spread and watered in.
Bags or bulk
Bags suit small beds; past about 2-3 yards, bulk delivery is far cheaper.
A 1,000 sq ft lawn, 3 in deep
250 ÷ 27 = 9.26 yd³
9.26 × 1.1 = 10.2 tons
loose topsoil, before overage
Sources: soil-density references (loose ~1.1 t/yd³) · horticultural depth guidance · square footage method
Verified against material-density data · Updated monthly
Estimates only. Soil weight varies a lot with type and moisture — confirm local tonnage before ordering, and buy the overage shown for settling.
Coverage · per 100 sq ft
How much topsoil by depth
Loose topsoil (1.1 tons/yd³) over 100 sq ft. Multiply for your area — 500 sq ft needs five times as much.
½ in
Topdress
0.17 tons
2 in
Lawn / seeding
0.68 tons
4 in
Garden bed
1.36 tons
6 in
Veg / deep bed
2.04 tons
One cubic yard of topsoil covers about 324 sq ft at 1 in, 162 sq ft at 2 in, or 54 sq ft at 6 in. Add ~10% for settling — the tool does this for you.
Depth by use
How deep should the topsoil go?
The right depth depends on what's growing. Too thin starves roots; too deep over an existing lawn smothers it. Common targets:
Topdress a lawn
½ in (max)
A thin skim to level bumps and feed the grass. Never bury blades — keep it under half an inch and rake it in.
New lawn / seeding
2-3 in
Enough for grass roots to establish. Spread 2-3 in over graded subsoil, then seed or lay sod on top.
Garden & flower beds
4-6 in
Annuals and perennials want 4-6 in of loose soil. Vegetables lean to the deeper end for root crops.
Raised beds
8-12 in
Fill to the frame height. 8-12 in gives roots room — often a blend of topsoil, compost and garden mix.
Rule of thumb: add ~10% to your order — fresh soil settles once it's watered in, and a bed that looked full sinks below the frame.
Pick the right material
Topsoil vs garden soil vs compost
They're sold side by side and often confused. Here's what each one is and where it belongs.
The bulk filler
Screened native soil — the cheap workhorse for filling, grading and building up beds. Nutrient-poor on its own.
The planting blend
Topsoil pre-mixed with compost and amendments. Ready to plant into — costs more, so use where roots live.
The amendment
Decomposed organic matter — feeds soil and improves structure. A booster, not a base; mix in, don't plant straight into it.
A common raised-bed mix: roughly 50-60% topsoil for volume, 30-40% compost for nutrients, and 10% aeration (perlite or coarse sand). Fill the base with topsoil, save the rich blend for the top 6 in where roots feed.
Ordering
Bags or bulk — and how much to order
The break-even is roughly 2-3 cubic yards. Below it, bags win on convenience; above it, bulk wins hard on price.
Under ~2 yd³
Bagged topsoil
Clean, easy to carry, no delivery to schedule. Best for small beds, planters and topping up.
Over ~2 yd³
Bulk delivery
Dumped on the drive by the cubic yard. Far cheaper per yard once you need more than a few bags.
Answers
Topsoil calculator FAQs
How much topsoil do I need for a lawn?
For seeding or leveling, spread 2-3 in. A 1,000 sq ft lawn at 3 in is about 9.3 yd³ (~10 tons). For topdressing an existing lawn, keep it under ½ in.
How much soil for a raised bed?
Fill to the frame height — usually 8-12 in. A 4 x 8 ft bed, 10 in deep, needs about 1 yd³. Many gardeners use a topsoil-and-compost blend.
How many tons is a yard of topsoil?
About 1.1 tons for dry, loose topsoil (~2,200 lb). Screened or damp soil runs heavier, and wet or compacted soil can hit 1.4-1.7 tons per yard.
What's the difference between topsoil and dirt?
"Dirt" is usually fill or subsoil — cheap, dense material for filling holes and grading. Topsoil is the screened upper layer where plants grow. Use fill for volume, topsoil where things grow.
How deep should topsoil be for grass?
Grass roots want at least 2-3 in of topsoil over graded subsoil to establish. For a brand-new lawn, 4 in is better if the base is poor.
Is topsoil the same as garden soil?
No. Garden soil is topsoil already blended with compost and amendments, ready to plant into. Plain topsoil is a bulk filler and usually needs enriching.
How many bags of topsoil in a cubic yard?
About 54 bags of 40-50 lb, since each holds roughly 0.5-0.75 cu ft and a yard is 27 cu ft. Past a couple of yards, bulk delivery is much cheaper.
Why add extra for settling?
Fresh soil is fluffy and compacts about 10% once watered and walked on. Order the overage the tool adds so beds don't sink below the frame.