Topsoil calculator: how much topsoil you need
Enter the area and how deep you want the soil. You get cubic yards to order, the weight in tons, and the bag count if you are buying it bagged.
Depth
Allowance for settling and compaction
Loose topsoil settles once it is raked, rolled and watered. Add 10 to 20% if you need the finished grade at an exact height. Use 0% for a light top dressing.
About 2,000 lb dry. Wet or clay-heavy soil can reach 2,700.
1,000 sq ft at 3 in deep, plus 10% for settling
10.19 cubic yards
9.26 cu yd before the allowance · 275 cu ft to order
Bulk
Order 10.5 cubic yards (rounded up to the half yard).
About $263 to $525 at $25 to $50 per yard, before delivery.
Weight
10.19 tons (20,370 lb)
Useful when the yard quotes by the ton. A cubic yard of topsoil weighs about a ton, so check your truck payload before hauling it yourself.
Bagged
367 bags of 0.75 cu ft (the usual 40 lb bag), or 275 bags of 1 cu ft
Bags make sense under about 1 cubic yard. Past that, bulk is cheaper and far less carrying.
Cubic yards = sq ft × depth in inches ÷ 12 ÷ 27. Weight assumes 2,000 lb per cubic yard; it varies with moisture and soil type.
How the topsoil calculator works
Topsoil is ordered by the cubic yard, so the math converts area and depth into cubic yards. Multiply the area in square feet by the depth in inches and divide by 12: that is cubic feet. Divide by 27 for cubic yards. A quick check: one cubic yard covers 324 square feet at 1 inch, 108 at 3 inches, and 54 at 6 inches.
Loose soil from a truck settles once it is spread, raked, rolled and watered. If you need a finished grade at a specific height, for example to bring a low area level with a patio, add 10 to 20 percent. For a thin top dressing on a lawn, use 0 percent. The calculator shows the number before and after the allowance so you can see what it added.
Weight uses about 2,000 pounds per cubic yard, a typical figure for dry screened topsoil. Wet soil or soil with a lot of clay can weigh 2,500 pounds or more per yard. The value is editable. Bags assume the two common sizes: the 40 pound bag, which holds about 0.75 cubic feet, and the 1 cubic foot bag.
- Cubic yards = sq ft × depth (in) ÷ 12 ÷ 27.
- With allowance = cubic yards × (1 + allowance %).
- Tons = cubic yards × lb per cubic yard ÷ 2,000.
- Bags = cubic feet ÷ bag size, rounded up.
Worked example
A 1,000 square foot area needs 3 inches of topsoil before seeding. 1,000 × 3 ÷ 12 = 250 cubic feet, and 250 ÷ 27 = 9.26 cubic yards. With a 10 percent allowance for settling, that becomes 10.19 cubic yards, so order 10.5 yards.
At 2,000 pounds per yard, 10.19 yards weighs about 10.2 tons, which is a dump truck delivery, not a pickup load. In bags it would take 367 of the 40 pound (0.75 cubic foot) bags, which shows why bulk wins on any job this size. At $25 to $50 a yard, the bulk soil costs about $263 to $525 before delivery.
| Depth | Cubic yards per 100 sq ft | Cubic yards per 1,000 sq ft | Sq ft one yard covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 in | 0.31 | 3.09 | 324 |
| 2 in | 0.62 | 6.17 | 162 |
| 3 in | 0.93 | 9.26 | 108 |
| 4 in | 1.23 | 12.35 | 81 |
| 6 in | 1.85 | 18.52 | 54 |
How deep should topsoil be?
It depends on the job. A top dressing to level small dips in an existing lawn is 1/4 to 1/2 inch at a time, so the grass can grow through it. Preparing bare ground for new seed or sod usually means 2 to 4 inches of good topsoil worked into the top of what is there. A new lawn over poor fill benefits from 4 to 6 inches. Flower and vegetable beds want 8 to 12 inches of loose soil, and filling a raised bed has its own calculator.
- Lawn top dressing: 1/4 to 1/2 in.
- Before seed or sod: 2 to 4 in.
- New lawn over poor fill: 4 to 6 in.
- New planting beds: 8 to 12 in.
Buying topsoil
Screened topsoil from a landscape yard typically runs $25 to $50 per cubic yard in 2026, plus a delivery fee. Bags at a home center are convenient for small jobs, but per cubic yard they cost several times more. Ask whether the soil is screened (no rocks, roots or clods) and whether it is blended with compost, which some yards sell as garden soil. Have the truck dump it on a tarp close to where it will be used, since a pile of 10 yards is a lot of wheelbarrow trips.
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Redesign my yard freeFrequently asked questions
How many cubic yards of topsoil do I need for 1,000 square feet?⌄
At 1 inch deep, 3.09 cubic yards. At 2 inches, 6.17. At 3 inches, 9.26. At 4 inches, 12.35. Add 10 to 20 percent if the finished grade must be at an exact height, because loose soil settles.
How much does a cubic yard of topsoil weigh?⌄
About 2,000 pounds (1 ton) when dry. Wet or clay-heavy soil can reach 2,500 to 2,700 pounds. Check your vehicle's payload before hauling it yourself.
How many bags of topsoil are in a cubic yard?⌄
A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet: 36 bags of 0.75 cubic feet (the common 40 pound bag), or 27 bags of 1 cubic foot.
How much area does a yard of topsoil cover?⌄
324 square feet at 1 inch, 162 at 2 inches, 108 at 3 inches and 81 at 4 inches. Divide 324 by the depth in inches.
Should I add topsoil before laying sod or seed?⌄
If the existing soil is compacted subsoil or construction fill, yes: 2 to 4 inches of screened topsoil, raked level and lightly firmed, gives roots something to grow into. If your soil is already decent, loosen it and add compost instead.