Topsoil calculator

Measure the bed, set the depth. The ticket gives you yards, bags and cost.

Topsoil is sold by the cubic yard loose, and a yard is more than most people picture: it is a heap about the size of a small car and it will not fit in a pickup. The calculator gives the yardage, the bag equivalent for small work, and what it weighs, because weight is what decides whether a truck can get to the bed.

Add an area

Depth

The finished depth of the topsoil, not the hole.

Settling allowance

Extra volume as a percentage of the measured total. This is an addition, not a percentage lost to shrinkage. Confirm it with your supplier.

Density

tons/yd³

Placeholder range: 1.0 to 1.3 US short tons/yd³. Confirm the product density and whether it is loose or compacted.

Price per cubic yard

Material price only. Delivery, minimum charges and tax are excluded. The default is a placeholder.

Bag price

Compare whole bags at your price. Delivery, collection and handling costs are excluded.

How the number is worked out

Area times depth gives cubic feet, divided by 27 gives cubic yards. The settling allowance is added to the total, because fresh soil drops as it takes rain and you would rather not order twice.

area (ft²) × depth (ft) ÷ 27 = cubic yards

How deep to go

Two inches to top-dress a lawn, four to six for new beds, eight to twelve where you are growing vegetables and want the roots to have somewhere to go. Deeper than a foot and you are landscaping rather than topsoiling, and the price starts to matter.

Bulk or bags

A half cubic yard needs fourteen whole one-cubic-foot bags. Compare actual bag and bulk prices, then add delivery or collection costs. Check the total weight against your vehicle's available payload; bag count alone does not determine either the cheaper option or what a vehicle can carry.

What one cubic yard covers

Depth	Coverage	Typical use
1 in	324 ft²	top-dressing a lawn
2 in	162 ft²	over-seeding
4 in	81 ft²	new beds
6 in	54 ft²	raised beds and vegetables

Questions

How much does a cubic yard of topsoil weigh?

Around 2,200 pounds dry and up to 2,600 wet. That matters for what your truck can carry and whether the delivery can reach the back garden.

How many bags in a cubic yard?

Twenty-seven one-cubic-foot bags, or thirty-six of the common ¾ cubic foot bags.

Should I add settling?

For a new bed or a lawn repair, yes — ten to twenty per cent. For levelling under turf you can leave it lower.

Is screened topsoil worth it?

For beds and seed, yes: unscreened soil brings stones and root wood that you will be picking out by hand for a season.

Other calculators

The same ticket, the same assumptions on screen, for whatever else the job needs.

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