Building materials
Topsoil Calculator
Work out how many cubic yards of topsoil to order for a lawn, garden bed, or grading job, plus the weight, bag count, and cost.
Maintained by Austin Witherow · Updated
Topsoil to order
2.72 yd³
- Approximate weight
- 2.93 tons
- Bags at the selected size
- 74 bags
- Bulk cost at your price
- $108.64
- Area covered
- 200 sq ft
- Volume with extra
- 73.33 ft³
Formula
Area (sq ft) = Length × Width, or π × (Diameter ÷ 2)² for a circleVolume (cu ft) = Area × (Depth in inches ÷ 12) × (1 + Extra ÷ 100)Cubic yards = Volume ÷ 27Tons = Volume × Density (lb/cu ft) ÷ 2,000Bags = Volume ÷ Bag size (cu ft), rounded upCost = Cubic yards × Price per cubic yard
Key caveat
Weights are estimates. Soil weight changes with moisture (Engineering ToolBox lists loose dirt at 76 lb/ft³ dry and 78 moist), so use your supplier's weight if they give one.
What this calculator is for
Enter the size of the area and the depth you want to spread, and this calculator returns the topsoil to order in cubic yards with the extra you choose, the approximate weight, how many bags that would take at your bag size, and the bulk cost at your price. Having volume, weight, and bags together lets you match however your supplier quotes.
It works for new lawns, garden beds, round tree rings, topdressing, and filling low spots. Choose Circle for round areas, and split any other shape into rectangles and add the results.
How it works
Area is length times width in square feet, or π times the radius squared for a circle.
Volume is area times depth. Depth is entered in inches, so it is divided by 12 to get feet, which gives cubic feet.
The extra percentage you choose is added on top of the measured volume.
Cubic feet are divided by 27 to get cubic yards.
Weight is the volume times the soil type's density in pounds per cubic foot, divided by 2,000 to get US tons. It matters for hauling, not for how much to order.
Bags are the volume with extra divided by the bag size, rounded up to whole bags.
Quick calculator insights
Weight per cubic yard
Bulk density × 27 ÷ 2,000 gives US tons per cubic yard.
- Loam
- 1.08 tons
- 80 lb per cubic foot
- Dirt, loose dry
- 1.03 tons
- 76 lb per cubic foot
- Dirt, loose moist
- 1.05 tons
- 78 lb per cubic foot
How far one cubic yard goes
One cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. Spread evenly, it covers this much area at each depth (before any extra).
| Depth | Area covered by 1 cubic yard |
|---|---|
| 1 inch | 324 sq ft |
| 2 inches | 162 sq ft |
| 3 inches | 108 sq ft |
| 4 inches | 81 sq ft |
| 6 inches | 54 sq ft |
| 12 inches | 27 sq ft |
How to use this calculator
- 01Measure the length and width of the area in feet. For irregular beds, split them into rectangles and run each one.
- 02Enter the depth you plan to spread in inches.
- 03Set the extra percentage to your supplier's or crew's allowance.
- 04Pick the bag size if you are buying bagged soil, and enter your supplier's bulk price per cubic yard.
- 05Order the cubic yards shown, or the bag count if you are buying bags.
Inputs explained
- Length and width
- The size of the area in feet. Use the outside edges of the bed or lawn area.
- Depth
- How thick the finished layer should be, in inches. Thin topdressing can be a fraction of an inch.
- Soil type
- Sets the density used for the weight. It does not change the cubic yards to order.
- Extra to order
- A percentage added to the measured volume.
- Bag size
- The volume printed on the bags you plan to buy, in cubic feet.
- Bulk price per cubic yard
- Your supplier's price for loose topsoil. Delivery is not included.
Outputs explained
- Topsoil to order
- Cubic yards including the extra. This is the number to give a bulk supplier.
- Approximate weight
- US tons at the selected density. Useful for checking whether a trailer or truck can carry it.
- Bags at the selected size
- Whole bags needed to match the same volume.
- Bulk cost at your price
- Cubic yards times your price per cubic yard, before delivery and tax.
Worked examples
Garden bed, 20 ft × 10 ft at 4 inches
- Area = 20 × 10 = 200 sq ft.
- Volume = 200 × (4 ÷ 12) = 66.67 cu ft, plus 10% = 73.33 cu ft.
- Cubic yards = 73.33 ÷ 27 = 2.72 yd³.
- Weight at 80 lb/cu ft = 73.33 × 80 ÷ 2,000 = 2.93 tons.
- In 1 cu ft bags: 73.33 ÷ 1 = 74 bags. At $40 per cubic yard, bulk soil costs about $108.64.
Topdressing a 1,000 sq ft lawn at 1/2 inch
- Volume = 1,000 × (0.5 ÷ 12) = 41.67 cu ft, plus 10% = 45.83 cu ft.
- Cubic yards = 45.83 ÷ 27 = 1.70 yd³.
- In 1 cu ft bags that is 46 bags.
Raised bed, 4 ft × 8 ft at 12 inches
- Volume = 32 × (12 ÷ 12) = 32 cu ft, plus 10% = 35.2 cu ft.
- Cubic yards = 35.2 ÷ 27 = 1.30 yd³ per bed.
- Three identical beds need about 3.91 yd³.
When to use it
- Ordering soil for a new lawn or a reseeding project.
- Filling raised beds or building up a planting area.
- Topdressing an existing lawn with a thin layer.
- Filling low spots and regrading around a patio or foundation.
Tips
- Ask your supplier what increments they sell bulk soil in, and round up to the next one.
- If you are hauling it yourself, check your trailer's payload against the weight, not the volume.
- If you fill the bottom of a deep bed with fill dirt, run the topsoil layer on its own with its own depth.
Limitations
- Weights are estimates. Soil weight changes with moisture (Engineering ToolBox lists loose dirt at 76 lb/ft³ dry and 78 moist), so use your supplier's weight if they give one.
- The calculator assumes a flat rectangle or circle at an even depth. Slopes and irregular shapes need to be split into pieces.
- Bulk cost covers the soil only. Delivery, spreading, and tax are not included.
Methodology & assumptions
- Volume uses exact unit relationships: 12 inches per foot and 27 cubic feet per cubic yard.
- Default densities come from Engineering ToolBox's Dirt and Mud table (loam and loose dirt), converted with 2,000 lb per US ton.
- Bag counts round up to whole bags so you never come up short.
Sources
Last reviewed 2026-10-03
- Engineering ToolBox: Dirt and Mud - Densities
Loam 80, dirt loose dry 76, and dirt loose moist 78 lb/ft³ (the soil type options).
FAQs
How much does a cubic yard of topsoil cover?+
About 81 square feet at 4 inches deep, 108 square feet at 3 inches, or 162 square feet at 2 inches. The table on this page lists other depths.
How much does a cubic yard of topsoil weigh?+
Loam at 80 lb per cubic foot is about 1.08 US tons per cubic yard. Weight changes with moisture and how loosely the soil is loaded, so treat this as a starting point.
How many bags of topsoil equal a cubic yard?+
A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so it takes 27 one-cubic-foot bags or 36 bags of 0.75 cubic feet.
How deep should topsoil be for a new lawn?+
Use the depth your seed, sod, or landscape plan calls for and enter it here. The calculator does not recommend a depth because the right one depends on your soil and what you are planting.
Related calculators
This calculator gives planning estimates. Confirm measurements on site and check volumes, weights, and prices with your supplier before ordering.