🏗️ Construction
Topsoil Calculator
Use this free topsoil calculator to get fast, accurate results.
📝 Your Assumptions
This topsoil calculator tells you exactly how much dirt you need for any project, from filling a raised bed to leveling a lawn. Enter your length, width, and depth in feet and inches, and it instantly returns the volume in cubic yards plus the number of bags or truckloads to order. It prevents over-ordering, under-ordering, and the extra delivery fees that come with both.
How to Use This Calculator
Measure your area, plug in three numbers, and get a material order you can hand to your supplier.
1
Measure the length in feet
Use a tape measure or wheel to find the longest side of the area you're filling. For a 12-foot by 24-foot garden bed, enter 12 in the Length field. If your measurement is in inches, divide by 12 first—144 inches is 12 feet.
2
Measure the width in feet
Measure perpendicular to the length at the widest point. A typical raised bed is 4 feet wide, so you'd enter 4. For an irregular shape, break it into rectangles, calculate each separately, and add the volumes together.
3
Enter the depth in inches
Topsoil depth is almost always specified in inches, not feet. Enter 6 for a 6-inch raised bed fill, 1 for a thin 1-inch lawn topdressing, or 12 for a full foot of new garden soil. The calculator converts inches to feet automatically.
4
Read the volume result
The calculator multiplies length × width × (depth ÷ 12) to get cubic feet, then divides by 27 to convert to cubic yards. A 12 ft × 24 ft bed at 6 inches deep equals 144 cubic feet, or 5.33 cubic yards.
5
Order the right number of bags
The Materials Needed output converts cubic yards into 40-pound bags (about 0.75 cubic feet each) or bulk truckloads. For 5.33 cubic yards, you'd need roughly 192 bags of 40-pound topsoil—usually cheaper to order 6 cubic yards in bulk.
What Your Results Mean
Your output gives you two numbers that determine what you buy and how much you pay.
Volume in cubic yards
This is the standard unit for bulk topsoil, mulch, and gravel in the US. A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet—a cube 3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft. Suppliers price by the cubic yard, so 5.33 cubic yards means you order 6 yards to be safe.
Materials Needed (bags)
Bagged topsoil is sold in 40-pound bags holding about 0.75 cubic feet. For a 4 ft × 8 ft raised bed at 12 inches deep, you need 32 cubic feet, or about 43 bags. At $4 per bag, that's $172 versus roughly $90 for bulk.
Depth matters more than area
Doubling depth doubles volume. A 10 ft × 10 ft area at 3 inches needs 0.93 cubic yards, but at 6 inches it needs 1.85 cubic yards. Always measure depth at the deepest point if the ground is uneven.
Compaction and settling
Topsoil settles 10–20% after watering and rain. If you need a finished depth of 6 inches, order for 7 inches. For 5.33 cubic yards, that means ordering 6.2 cubic yards—round up to 7.
Bulk vs. bagged
Bulk topsoil costs $20–$40 per cubic yard plus a $50–$100 delivery fee. Bagged topsoil costs $3–$5 per 0.75 cubic foot, which is $108–$180 per cubic yard. Bulk wins above about 1 cubic yard.
Weight and delivery limits
Topsoil weighs 1.2–1.4 tons per cubic yard when dry. A standard pickup truck hauls 1–2 cubic yards safely. For 5.33 cubic yards, you need a dump truck delivery or 4–5 pickup trips.
Key Terms
Cubic yard
A volume equal to 27 cubic feet, or a cube 3 feet on each side. Bulk topsoil, mulch, and gravel are all sold by the cubic yard in the US.
Topsoil
The top 2–8 inches of native soil, rich in organic matter and nutrients. It's used for lawns, gardens, and filling raised beds, unlike fill dirt which is subsoil with little organic content.
Fill dirt
Subsoil or excavated earth used for structural filling and leveling, not planting. It's cheaper than topsoil—$10–$20 per cubic yard—but contains few nutrients and drains poorly.
Raised bed
A framed planting area built above ground level, typically 6–12 inches deep. A 4 ft × 8 ft bed at 10 inches deep needs 1.23 cubic yards of topsoil.
Compaction
The process where soil particles pack together and reduce volume, usually from foot traffic or water. Topsoil can lose 10–20% of its volume after settling, so order 10–20% extra.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
A 10 ft × 10 ft area at 6 inches deep needs 50 cubic feet, which is 1.85 cubic yards. The math: 10 × 10 × 0.5 = 50 cubic feet, then 50 ÷ 27 = 1.85 cubic yards. In bags, that's about 67 bags of 40-pound topsoil (0.75 cubic feet each). Bulk is far cheaper here—1.85 cubic yards at $30 per yard is $55.50, while 67 bags at $4 each is $268. Because topsoil settles 10–20%, order 2.25 cubic yards (or 80 bags) to guarantee a full 6-inch finished depth. If you're also adding a gravel base or drainage layer, use the gravel calculator to size that separately, since gravel goes under the topsoil and compacts differently.
One cubic yard equals 27 cubic feet, and a standard 40-pound bag of topsoil holds about 0.75 cubic feet. That means 36 bags make one cubic yard (27 ÷ 0.75 = 36). In practice, buy 38–40 bags per yard to account for settling and spillage. For a 4 ft × 8 ft raised bed at 12 inches deep, you need 32 cubic feet, or about 43 bags—roughly 1.2 cubic yards. At $4 per bag, that's $172. The same 1.2 cubic yards in bulk costs $36–$48 plus a $50–$100 delivery fee, so bulk wins above about 1 cubic yard unless you're already paying for delivery on another material. If you're comparing topsoil to a concrete or gravel project, the concrete calculator and gravel calculator use the same cubic-yard math.
For a new lawn from seed, spread 4–6 inches of topsoil over the existing subsoil, then till the top 2–3 inches together. For overseeding an existing lawn, 1/4 to 1/2 inch is enough—just enough to cover the seed. For sod, 4 inches of topsoil is the minimum, and 6 inches is better for root establishment. A 1,000-square-foot lawn at 4 inches deep needs 333 cubic feet, or 12.35 cubic yards. At $30 per cubic yard, that's $370 plus delivery. If you only need 1/2 inch for overseeding, the same 1,000 square feet needs just 1.54 cubic yards—about $46 in bulk. Measure your actual depth with a ruler in several spots, because lawns are rarely perfectly level. If you're also building a patio or walkway nearby, the concrete calculator can size that pour.
Topsoil is the nutrient-rich top 2–8 inches of native soil, used for lawns, gardens, and raised beds. It costs $20–$40 per cubic yard in bulk. Fill dirt is subsoil or excavated earth with little organic matter, used for structural filling, leveling, and backfilling—it costs $10–$20 per cubic yard but won't grow plants well. Potting soil is a sterile blend of peat moss, perlite, and compost, sold in bags for containers, costing $5–$10 per cubic foot (or $135–$270 per cubic yard). For a 4 ft × 8 ft raised bed at 12 inches, topsoil is the right choice at about $40–$50 in bulk. For filling a 20 ft × 20 ft depression 6 inches deep, use fill dirt: 7.4 cubic yards at $15 per yard is $111, versus $222 for topsoil. Never use fill dirt in raised beds—it compacts and starves roots. For drainage layers under any of these, check the gravel calculator.
Topsoil weighs 1.2–1.4 tons per cubic yard when dry, so 5 cubic yards weighs 6–7 tons (12,000–14,000 pounds). Wet topsoil can weigh 1.5–1.7 tons per cubic yard, pushing 5 yards to 7.5–8.5 tons. That weight matters for two reasons: delivery trucks and your driveway. A standard tandem-axle dump truck carries 10–15 cubic yards legally, so 5 yards is a partial load and you'll still pay a full delivery fee of $50–$100. A 1/2-ton pickup truck hauls 1–1.5 cubic yards safely (about 1.5 tons), so 5 yards requires 4–5 trips. If you're spreading it by wheelbarrow, a standard 6-cubic-foot wheelbarrow holds about 0.22 cubic yards, so 5 yards is roughly 23 loads. For comparison, gravel weighs about 1.4 tons per cubic yard—use the gravel calculator for those projects.
Yes—add 10–20% extra. Topsoil settles as water drains through it and as foot traffic compacts it. Fresh bulk topsoil can lose 15% of its volume in the first few months. If you need a finished depth of 6 inches over 200 square feet, the base calculation is 100 cubic feet (3.7 cubic yards). Add 15% and you need 4.26 cubic yards, so order 4.5 yards. In bags, 3.7 cubic yards is 133 bags; with 15% extra, buy 153 bags. The cost difference is small: 0.5 extra cubic yards at $30 is $15, far less than a second delivery fee of $50–$100 for a shortfall. Over-ordering by 20% is safer than under-ordering, and leftover topsoil stores well in a tarped pile for garden beds or lawn patches. If you're combining topsoil with a hardscape base, the concrete calculator and roof pitch calculator handle those separate material estimates.
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