Landscape
Topsoil Calculator
Enter the area and depth. The settlement allowance accounts for screened soil consolidating after it is spread and watered.
Over-excavation, spillage and uneven subgrade. 5-10% for formed work, 10-15% on rough ground.
Loose aggregate loses volume when it is rolled. Order the loose volume, not the finished volume.
Yields are the figures printed on the bag. Speciality mixes differ — check yours.
Optional. Leave at zero to skip the cost estimate.
Material quantity estimate for planning and purchasing. Not structural engineering advice, not a bid, and not a code determination.
How deep?
Depth depends entirely on what is going to grow in it:
| Application | Depth |
|---|---|
| Topdressing an existing lawn | 0.25-0.5 in |
| New lawn from seed or sod | 4-6 in |
| Flower beds | 6-8 in |
| Vegetable beds | 8-12 in |
| Raised bed (full depth) | 10-12 in |
| Levelling low spots | As required |
Settlement is real
Screened topsoil arrives fluffed up from handling and screening, and it loses 10-20% of its volume once it has been spread, raked and watered in. If you order the finished depth you will come up short and end up with a low spot.
The settlement allowance on this page defaults to 15%. For a new lawn, where a dip will show for years, that is worth having.
Bags, bulk, and what topsoil weighs
Screened dry topsoil is around 2,050 lb per cubic yard (1.03 tons); wet, it climbs past 2,300 lb. That is why topsoil is sold by the yard rather than the ton — the weight moves with the weather.
Retail bags run 0.75 to 1.5 cubic feet, so a cubic yard takes 36 bags at 0.75 ft³, 27 at 1 ft³, or 18 at 1.5 ft³. At $3-4 a bag that is well over $100 per cubic yard against $20-45 delivered in bulk, so bulk is the clear answer for anything above about half a yard.
One note worth more than the arithmetic: cheap bulk "topsoil" varies enormously in quality, and unscreened fill sold as topsoil is a common problem. Ask what it is, ask whether it is screened, and look at it before it is tipped.
Common questions
How many bags of topsoil in a cubic yard?
36 bags at 0.75 cubic feet, 27 bags at 1 cubic foot, or 18 bags at 1.5 cubic feet.
How much topsoil for a new lawn?
Four to six inches over the whole area. For 1,000 square feet at 4 inches that is 333 cubic feet, or 12.3 cubic yards — add 15% for settlement and order about 14 yards.
How much does a yard of topsoil weigh?
Around 2,050 lb (about a ton) screened and dry, rising to 2,300 lb or more when wet. A half-ton pickup is at its limit with about half a cubic yard of wet soil.
Does topsoil settle?
Yes, 10-20% after spreading and watering. Order for the settled depth you want, not the loose depth you spread, or low spots will appear once the soil consolidates.