Choose your project and the calculator sets a typical depth. Enter your area to get cubic yards, tons and bags of topsoil, fill dirt, garden soil or compost.
Extra for settling and cost
Weights are typical for dry, loose material. Your supplier's figure may differ slightly.
How much topsoil do you need?
The right depth depends on the job. These are the depths the calculator uses when you pick a project, and you can change them.
| Project | Typical depth | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| New lawn on bare ground | 4 in | 4 to 6 inches gives grass roots room to grow |
| Top-dressing an existing lawn | ½ in | Spread thinly so the grass can grow through |
| Flower or vegetable bed | 6 in | Mix it into the soil below rather than just laying it on top |
| Filling low spots | 2 in | See the note below about lawns |
For shallow dips in a lawn, spread no more than about half an inch at a time so the grass can grow through, then repeat after it recovers. Deeper holes can be filled in one go and reseeded.
Topsoil, fill dirt, garden soil or compost?
| Material | What it is | Weight per cubic yard | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fill dirt | Subsoil with little or no organic matter | about 1.30 tons | Raising ground levels, filling holes, backfilling |
| Screened topsoil | The top layer of soil, sieved to remove rocks and roots | about 1.10 tons | Lawns, leveling, the top layer over fill dirt |
| Garden soil blend | Topsoil mixed with compost or other organic matter | about 1.00 ton | Flower and vegetable beds |
| Compost | Broken-down organic matter | about 0.55 tons | Improving existing soil, mixing into beds |
For big fills, use fill dirt for the bulk and finish with 4 to 6 inches of topsoil on top, so grass and plants have something to grow in.
Worked example
A 20 ft × 10 ft area for a new lawn, 4 inches deep, in screened topsoil:
- 20 × 10 = 200 square feet
- 200 × 4 ÷ 12 = 66.7 cubic feet, or 2.47 cubic yards
- With 15 percent extra for settling: 2.84 cubic yards
- 2.84 × 1.10 = about 3.1 tons, or 103 bags of 0.75 cubic feet
How far does a cubic yard of topsoil go?
| Depth | 1 cubic yard covers |
|---|---|
| ½ in | 648 sq ft |
| 2 in | 162 sq ft |
| 4 in | 81 sq ft |
| 6 in | 54 sq ft |
Why add 15 percent?
Loose soil settles once it’s spread, walked on and watered, often by more than people expect. Fill dirt that will be compacted with a roller or plate compactor shrinks even more, so for compacted fill add 20 to 25 percent.
Bags or bulk?
Bagged topsoil usually comes in 0.75 cubic foot bags, so 36 bags make one cubic yard. Bags suit small jobs and top-ups. For a whole lawn or a large bed, bulk delivery by the cubic yard is usually far cheaper.
Frequently asked questions
How much topsoil do I need for a new lawn?
Plan on 4 to 6 inches. At 4 inches, one cubic yard covers about 81 square feet, so a 1,000 square foot lawn needs about 12.3 cubic yards before extra for settling.
How much does a cubic yard of topsoil weigh?
Dry screened topsoil weighs about 1.1 tons per cubic yard. Wet soil can weigh a good deal more, so a load delivered after rain may come in heavier.
What’s the difference between topsoil and fill dirt?
Topsoil contains organic matter that plants need. Fill dirt is mostly subsoil, heavier and firmer, and it’s used to change ground levels rather than to grow things in.
How many bags of topsoil make a cubic yard?
36 bags of 0.75 cubic feet, or 27 bags of 1 cubic foot.
Can I put topsoil over grass?
A thin layer of ¼ to ½ inch, known as top-dressing, is fine and the grass grows through it. Thicker layers smother the grass, so for those, plan to reseed or lay sod.
Results are estimates for planning. Weights are typical for dry, loose material. See How We Calculate for the formulas and values we use.