Topsoil Calculator
Enter the lawn, bed or raised bed size and the depth. You get cubic yards, weight, the number of bags and an optional cost. Add several beds at once.
How deep should topsoil be?
| Job | Depth |
|---|---|
| Top-dressing an existing lawn | ¼ – ½ inch per application |
| New lawn from seed or sod | 4 – 6 inches of good soil after firming |
| Flower beds | 6 – 8 inches |
| Vegetable garden | 8 – 12 inches |
| Raised bed | The full height of the bed |
Extension services recommend a new lawn start on 4–6 inches of good topsoil, firmed before seeding, so the roots can grow deep and the lawn needs less water. Over poor or compacted ground, loosen the existing soil first so the new layer blends in instead of sitting on top of a hard pan.
Raised beds
For raised beds, use the bed's inside length and width and its height as the depth; add each bed as its own area. A 4 × 8 ft bed that is 12 inches tall holds 32 cu ft, about 1.2 cubic yards. Beds are usually filled with a mix rather than straight topsoil (for example, topsoil blended with compost), and the soil sinks as it settles, so plan to top it up after the first season.
Screened topsoil, garden soil and potting mix
Screened topsoil has had rocks and debris sifted out and is what you want for lawns and beds. Unscreened is cheaper and fine for rough grading. Garden soil is topsoil with added organic matter for beds. Potting mix contains no soil at all and is meant for containers, not for filling beds or lawns.
Worked example
A 25 × 40 ft new lawn at 5 inches: 1,000 sq ft × 5 ÷ 12 = 416.7 cu ft = 15.4 cu yd. With 10% extra, order about 17 cubic yards, roughly 17–22 tons, or two loads on a 10-yard truck.
How much does one cubic yard cover?
A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so at 1 inch deep it covers 324 sq ft. Divide 324 by the depth in inches:
| Depth | 1 cu yd of topsoil covers |
|---|---|
| 1 in | 324 sq ft |
| 2 in | 162 sq ft |
| 3 in | 108 sq ft |
| 4 in | 81 sq ft |
| 6 in | 54 sq ft |
| 12 in | 27 sq ft |
Bags per cubic yard
| Bag size | Bags of topsoil in 1 cu yd |
|---|---|
| 0.75 cu ft | 36 |
| 1 cu ft | 27 |
| 1.5 cu ft | 18 |
| 2 cu ft | 13.5 |
Past about one cubic yard, bulk delivery is usually cheaper and much less carrying than bags; compare both with the optional price fields above.
Cubic yards to tons
Topsoil typically weighs 1.0–1.3 US tons per cubic yard, depending on the product and how wet it is. If your supplier sells by the ton, ask for their weight per yard and enter it in the calculator.
| Volume | Approx. weight (US tons) |
|---|---|
| 1 cu yd | 1.0 – 1.3 |
| 2 cu yd | 2.0 – 2.6 |
| 5 cu yd | 5.0 – 6.5 |
| 10 cu yd | 10.0 – 13.0 |
Common questions
How much topsoil do I need for 1,000 square feet?
At 1 inch: 3.1 cubic yards. At 4 inches: 12.3 cubic yards. At 6 inches: 18.5 cubic yards (before any extra for settling).
How many bags of topsoil are in a yard?
36 bags of 0.75 cu ft, 27 bags of 1 cu ft, or 13.5 bags of 2 cu ft.
How much does a yard of topsoil weigh?
Usually 1.0–1.3 US tons when fairly dry; wet topsoil is heavier. Ask your supplier for their weight if you order by the ton.
Should I buy topsoil by the yard or by the ton?
By the yard is easier to plan because the calculator works in volume. If the price is per ton, enter it with “per ton” and the calculator converts using the weight range or your supplier's figure.
How much topsoil to top-dress a lawn?
Keep each application to about ¼–½ inch so the grass can grow through it; that is roughly 0.8–1.5 cubic yards per 1,000 sq ft.
Sources
- Michigan State University Extension: Establishing a new lawn using seed
- Clemson Cooperative Extension HGIC: Lawn establishment
Other calculators
Last updated 2026-09-19.