Topsoil Calculator
Enter the length, width, and fill depth for each area. Cubic yards, bags, and weight update as you type. Add a price per cubic yard to estimate delivery cost.
| Length (ft) | Width (ft) | Depth (in) | Cu ft |
|---|
Bags assume a 40-lb bag is about 0.75 cubic feet. Weight assumes 2,000 lb per cubic yard; screened topsoil runs closer to 1.0–1.1 ton per cubic yard depending on moisture, so treat the weight total as a planning figure. Price is optional.
How much topsoil do you need?
Multiply each area's length by its width by its fill depth to get volume, then convert to cubic yards, the unit topsoil is sold in.
Cubic yards divide that total by 27, since a cubic yard measures 3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft.
Add up every area in your project before converting to yards. Suppliers sell topsoil by the cubic yard, and most deliveries have a minimum order, so the running total across your whole yard matters more than any one bed.
For material other than topsoil, the cubic yard calculator converts any length, width, and depth into cubic yards directly.
Coverage per cubic yard
One cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so it covers less ground as the fill gets deeper.
| Depth | Coverage per cubic yard |
|---|---|
| 1 in | 324 sq ft |
| 2 in | 162 sq ft |
| 3 in | 108 sq ft |
| 4 in | 81 sq ft |
Bags per cubic yard
A 40-lb bag of topsoil holds about 0.75 cubic feet. A cubic yard, at 27 cubic feet, is 36 of those bags.
| Cubic yards | Cubic feet | 40-lb bags | Approx. weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/4 | 6.75 | 9 | 500 lb |
| 1/2 | 13.5 | 18 | 1,000 lb |
| 1 | 27 | 36 | 2,000 lb |
| 2 | 54 | 72 | 4,000 lb |
How deep should topsoil be?
Depth depends on the job. Topdressing or overseeding an existing lawn needs only ¼ to ½ inch of screened topsoil, spread thin enough that grass blades still show through. Starting a lawn from bare soil calls for 4 to 6 inches tilled into the existing ground before seed or sod goes down. Laying new sod instead of seed starts from that same prepped base; the sod calculator figures the roll count once the ground is ready. Raised beds and planters need the most: 6 to 12 inches of a soil mix, depending on the bed's height and what's growing in it.
Above roughly 1 cubic yard, about 36 bags, bulk delivery almost always costs less per cubic foot than bagged topsoil, since the bag price covers packaging and retail handling that bulk delivery skips. Below that amount, a pickup load or a few dozen bags from a hardware store is often more practical than arranging a bulk delivery minimum. Covering the same ground in mulch instead follows the same length-times-width-times-depth math; the mulch calculator runs those numbers for mulch depths and bag sizes.
Frequently asked questions
How many bags of topsoil are in a cubic yard?
A cubic yard holds 27 cubic feet. A 40-lb bag of topsoil is about 0.75 cubic feet, so 27 ÷ 0.75 = 36 bags per cubic yard.
How much does a cubic yard of topsoil weigh?
Roughly 2,000 lb (1 ton) is the standard estimate used for topsoil delivery. Screened topsoil runs closer to 2,000-2,200 lb per cubic yard (1.0 to 1.1 tons) depending on moisture and how tightly it's packed, so treat 2,000 lb as a planning figure, not a scale reading.
What's the difference between topsoil, garden soil, and compost?
Topsoil is the native upper layer of earth, screened to remove rocks and debris but otherwise close to raw dirt. Garden soil is topsoil blended with compost and other amendments, sold ready to plant into. Compost is fully broken-down organic matter with no mineral soil in it, used to enrich existing soil rather than fill space by itself.
How deep should topsoil be for grass?
Overseeding or topdressing an established lawn needs ¼ to ½ inch of screened topsoil. Starting a new lawn from bare dirt needs 4 to 6 inches worked into the existing soil before seed or sod goes down.
Should I buy topsoil in bags or bulk?
Bags make sense under about 1 cubic yard, roughly 36 bags, since bulk suppliers often have delivery minimums. Above that, bulk delivery is usually the cheaper option per cubic foot.