Topsoil Calculator
For a new lawn, a garden bed or a raised planter, this tool turns area and fill depth into cubic yards, cubic feet, tons and the number of bags to buy. It also compares bagged versus bulk pricing — the point where most people discover a bulk delivery costs half as much per yard.
Topsoil required
| Cubic feet | |
| Cubic metres | |
| 0.75 ft³ bags (rounded up) | |
| 1.5 ft³ bags (rounded up) | |
| Bulk cost | — |
Rounding: bag counts round up to whole bags; the bulk cost uses the unrounded cubic-yard figure. Weight assumes 90 lb/ft³ screened soil.
The quiet variable in soil orders: settlement
Topsoil is the only construction material on this site that is alive. Screening and loading fluff it full of air; biology, watering and gravity then spend weeks taking that air back out. Order the exact geometric volume and the finished grade ends up low — not because the supplier shorted you, but because loose yards and settled yards are different units wearing the same name.
Weight tells the other half of the story. Moisture swings a load of soil more than any aggregate: the same yard that weighs 2,300 lb dry can pass 3,000 lb after a wet week in the stockpile. That is mostly a logistics problem — trailer ratings, wheelbarrow trips, whether the delivery truck can cross your lawn without leaving ruts — and it is why this estimator reports tons alongside yards instead of treating weight as an afterthought.
How to use the topsoil calculator
- Choose units. Imperial takes the depth in inches, metric in centimetres — matching how soil depth is actually discussed at the garden centre and on plans.
- Measure the bed or lawn. Length by width of the area receiving soil. Irregular gardens break cleanly into rectangles; total the volumes afterwards.
- Set the depth for the purpose. Overseeding an existing lawn takes ½–1 in, new turf wants 4–6 in of rootzone, vegetable beds are happiest at 8–12 in.
- Allow for settling. Fresh screened topsoil is fluffed from handling and settles noticeably after watering — the 5% default covers light settlement; deep fills settle more.
- Enter your bulk price. Bulk topsoil is priced per cubic yard delivered. The tool also converts to bag counts so you can compare the pallet price against the truckload.
- Read yards, tons and bags together. Yards for ordering bulk, tons for checking what your trailer can legally carry, bags for small jobs.
Key formulas
- Volume: V (ft³) = length × width × (depth ÷ 12)
- Ordering volume: V × (1 + settling%)
- Yards / weight: yd³ = ft³ ÷ 27; tons = ft³ × 90 ÷ 2,000
- Bags: ⌈ft³ ÷ 0.75⌉ small bags, ⌈ft³ ÷ 1.5⌉ large bags
Worked example
Levelling a 25 ft × 20 ft lawn with 4 in of soil and 5% settling allowance: V = 500 × 0.3333 = 166.67 ft³; with allowance 175.00 ft³ = 6.48 yd³. Weight = 175 × 90 ÷ 2,000 = 7.88 tons. Bags: 175 ÷ 0.75 → 234 small, or 175 ÷ 1.5 → 117 large. Bulk at $35/yd³ = 6.4815 × 35 = $226.85 — comfortably cheaper than either pallet.
Depth guide by project
| Project | Depth | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Lawn top-dressing | ½–1 in | Per application, grass must show through |
| New seed or sod | 4–6 in | True rootzone over loosened subsoil |
| Flower beds | 6–8 in | Blend compost into the top third |
| Vegetable / raised beds | 8–12 in | Root crops use the full depth |
Things to keep in mind
- Ask for screened soil. Unscreened loads carry stones, roots and clay lumps that cost hours later; screening is worth the small premium.
- Protect the delivery spot. A tipped yard of soil on tarps is an afternoon's shovelling; the same yard on open lawn is also a re-seeding job.
- Grade away from the house. Any soil added near foundations should keep the surface falling away from the wall — levelling toward a foundation invites water in.
- Deep fills go in lifts. Beds deeper than about 8 in settle more evenly when filled and lightly watered in stages.
- Bulk quality varies by yard, literally. Look at the supplier's stockpile before ordering blind; "topsoil" has no enforced standard.
Frequently asked questions
How many bags of topsoil equal a cubic yard?
A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so it takes 36 of the common 0.75 ft³ bags or 18 of the large 1.5 ft³ ones. That arithmetic is why bulk delivery wins so quickly: past roughly half a yard, a delivered loose load usually costs less than the equivalent pallet of bags — and involves far less plastic and lifting.
How much does a yard of topsoil weigh?
Screened topsoil at moderate moisture runs near 90 lb per cubic foot, putting a cubic yard around 2,430 lb — call it 1.2 tons. Saturated soil after heavy rain can climb well past that, which matters when a pickup rated for half a ton is asked to carry "just one scoop". Check the vehicle rating against the tons line, not the yardage.
What depth of topsoil does new grass need?
Seed and sod both want a genuine rootzone: 4 in is the practical minimum over decent subsoil, and 6 in gives turf real drought resilience. Scattering an inch of soil over compacted clay produces grass that greens up in spring and browns first in summer. If the budget forces a choice, reduce the area, not the depth.
Topsoil, garden soil, or compost — which should I order?
Topsoil is the mineral base — the structure. Compost is the amendment — the biology and nutrients — and garden-soil blends are pre-mixed combinations of the two. For raised beds a common recipe is roughly two-thirds topsoil to one-third compost; for levelling a lawn, plain screened topsoil is the right order and compost goes on later as a thin top-dressing.
Why did my soil level drop after a few weeks?
Settlement. Delivered soil is loose from screening and loading, holding air that watering and rain gradually squeeze out; a 10 in loose fill can quietly become 9 in of firm soil. That is what the settling-allowance field represents. For raised beds, over-fill slightly and top up after the first month rather than compacting hard, which undoes the tilth you paid for.
Can I spread topsoil over an existing lawn to level it?
Yes — the practice is top-dressing, and the limit is about ½ in per application so the existing grass can grow through. Fill deeper hollows in stages a few weeks apart. Burying live turf under several inches in one pass kills it and leaves a spongy layer of decomposing thatch under the new surface.
Last updated: 24 July 2026