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Topsoil calculator: cubic yards, bags and tons
Area × depth in feet ÷ 27 is cubic yards: 1,000 sq ft of new lawn at 4 inches needs 12.3 cubic yards before settling, about 13.6 with 10% added. Add rows for odd-shaped beds, pick a depth preset, and the calculator converts to bags and tons.
Areas to fill
1,000 sq ft
Depth and delivery
Cubic yards
13.58
1,000 sq ft at 4"
1 cu ft bags
367
Tons (approx.)
14.94
Wet soil weighs more
Cubic feet
366.7
Quantities are half a bid. Send these to the free estimate builder to add labor, burden and markup, then hand the customer a proposal.
Every field takes arithmetic — type 24+18+12 and it adds. Nothing is sent anywhere; the math runs in your browser.
How topsoil is calculated
Cubic yards = sq ft × (depth in ÷ 12) ÷ 27 × (1 + settling). Loose soil settles after it is spread, raked and watered, so order a little over the finished depth — 10% is a reasonable default, more for fluffy unscreened loads or deep raised beds.
Worked example: two 4 × 12 ft raised beds filled 12 inches deep are 96 sq ft × 1 ft = 96 cubic feet, 3.56 cubic yards, about 3.9 with settling.
How deep should topsoil be?
Typical ranges. Existing soil quality and what you are growing decide the real number.
| Job | Typical depth | Cu yd per 1,000 sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| Topdressing / overseeding | ¼–½" | 0.8–1.5 |
| New lawn, seed or sod | 4–6" | 12.3–18.5 |
| Flower beds | 6–8" | 18.5–24.7 |
| Vegetable garden | 8–12" | 24.7–37 |
| Raised beds | Full bed depth | Bed volume ÷ 27 |
How far a delivery goes
Square feet covered by a bulk delivery, before settling. One cubic yard is 27 cubic feet.
| Delivery | 2" deep | 4" deep | 6" deep |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cubic yard | 162 sq ft | 81 sq ft | 54 sq ft |
| 3 cubic yards | 486 sq ft | 243 sq ft | 162 sq ft |
| 5 cubic yards | 810 sq ft | 405 sq ft | 270 sq ft |
| 10 cubic yards | 1,620 sq ft | 810 sq ft | 540 sq ft |
Over gravel or a compacted base, grass needs at least 4 inches of topsoil to root, and 6 is safer in hot or dry climates.
Bulk or bagged?
| Bag size | Bags per cubic yard |
|---|---|
| 0.75 cu ft (≈40 lb) | 36 |
| 1 cu ft | 27 |
| 1.5 cu ft | 18 |
| 2 cu ft | 13.5 |
Multiply your bag price by the count above and compare it with the delivered bulk price plus the delivery fee. Bags usually win only below about half a yard or where a truck cannot get close.
Topsoil, fill dirt or garden mix?
Fill dirt is subsoil with little organic matter — for raising grade and backfilling, not for growing. Topsoil is the organic upper layer, screened or not. Garden or raised-bed mix is topsoil blended with compost and sometimes sand, priced higher. A common approach is fill to rough grade, then the top 4–6 inches in screened topsoil. For fill, mulch or mixed materials use the cubic yard calculator; for stone, the gravel calculator.
Pricing the job
Material is rarely the biggest number on a lawn or bed install — hauling, spreading, grading and seeding are. BuiltSum’s landscaping estimating software prices those per unit; send this quantity to the free estimate builder and add the labor.
Frequently asked questions
How much topsoil do I need for a new lawn?
Most seed and sod jobs call for 4–6 inches of topsoil. At 4 inches, 1,000 sq ft needs 12.3 cubic yards, about 13.6 with a 10% settling allowance; at 6 inches it is 18.5 before settling.
How many bags of topsoil are in a cubic yard?
A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet: 36 bags of 0.75 cu ft, 27 one-cubic-foot bags, 18 of 1.5 cu ft, or 13.5 two-cubic-foot bags. Past a yard or so, bulk delivery is almost always cheaper.
How much area does a cubic yard of topsoil cover?
324 sq ft at 1 inch, 162 at 2 inches, 81 at 4 inches, and 54 at 6 inches. For topdressing at half an inch, one yard covers about 650 sq ft.
How much does a cubic yard of topsoil weigh?
Roughly a ton dry, and noticeably more when wet — typically 2,000–2,700 lb depending on moisture and how much sand or clay it carries. That matters for a pickup: most half-ton trucks should not carry a full yard.
Should I buy screened or unscreened topsoil?
Screened for lawns, beds and anything you will rake smooth — the rocks, roots and clods are gone. Unscreened is cheaper and fine for rough grading or filling low spots that will be covered with a screened layer later.
Quantities are half the bid.
BuiltSum prices them from trade assemblies, sends the proposal, and bills the job monthly — unlimited projects from $49/mo.
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