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Topsoil Calculator
Topsoil settles. The yard you spread at 6 inches is 5 inches by the time it rains twice — so this calculator figures the settled volume you need, the loose volume to actually order, and the weight, because a yard of topsoil is over a ton and your trailer has opinions about that.
Your results
Shopping list — buy this much
Weights assume average moisture. Rain-soaked topsoil can run 20% heavier — if you're hauling it yourself, check your vehicle's payload before the yard loads you, not after.
How it works
Order volume = finished volume × (1 + settling %)
Tons = order volume × density (topsoil ≈ 1.20 tons/cu yd)
Why two volumes? Soil is sold loose and used compacted. Screened topsoil fluffs up during loading, then watering and gravity take roughly 10–15% back. Raised-bed blends settle less; raw fill dirt settles most — it's placed to be compacted. The settling allowance is an input, not a fudge: set it to 0 only for topdressing, where the layer is thin enough that settling is invisible.
Topsoil vs fill dirt vs garden soil
Topsoil is the screened top layer of earth — what grass and beds grow in. Fill dirt is subsoil: no organic matter, compacts hard, and exists to raise grade or fill holes, with topsoil over it for anything you want to grow. Garden soil / raised-bed mix is topsoil pre-blended with compost — the priciest per yard and the right call for vegetable beds. Same volume math, different densities, all three in the material selector. (Dedicated soil and fill-dirt pages with depth-by-use guides are on our build list.)
Worked example
A 10×10 ft garden area getting 6 in of topsoil: finished volume 50 cu ft = 1.85 cu yd; with a 10% settling allowance, order 2.04 cu yd — about 2.44 tons, roughly $81 in bulk at $40/yd. In 1 cu ft bags the same job is 55 bags, which is exactly the point where you stop buying bags.
Frequently asked questions
How much topsoil do I need for a raised bed?
A standard 4x8 ft bed filled 12 in deep takes 32 cu ft — 1.19 cu yd finished, about 1.3 yards ordered with settling. Most gardeners fill raised beds with a blend (roughly 60% topsoil, 30% compost, 10% aeration material) rather than straight topsoil, which can compact in a box.
How many bags of topsoil are in a cubic yard?
27 bags of 1 cu ft, or 18 bags of 1.5 cu ft. The common 40 lb bag is about 0.75 cu ft, so roughly 36 of them per yard. Past a quarter-yard (7 one-cu-ft bags), bulk delivery or a bulk bag from the landscape yard usually beats retail bags on price.
How much does a cubic yard of topsoil weigh?
About 1.1–1.3 tons (2,200–2,600 lb) at average moisture — screened topsoil around 1.2 tons. Wet topsoil can approach 1.5 tons. A half-ton pickup can legally carry about half a yard; plan trips or delivery accordingly.
How deep should topsoil be for a new lawn?
4–6 inches of topsoil over loosened subgrade is the standard for seeding or sod. Less than 3 in and roots hit the poor soil before they establish; more than 6 is rarely worth the money. Topdressing an existing lawn is a different job — a quarter to half an inch of compost or fine topsoil, worked in.
Topsoil or fill dirt for filling a hole?
Fill dirt for the bulk of the hole — it compacts and won't keep sinking the way organic soil does — then cap with 4–6 in of topsoil if anything will grow there. Fill is also cheaper per yard. This calculator's material selector has fill dirt's density (1.35 tons/yd) built in.
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About the author
Harrison Alley is a web publisher and data enthusiast based in Dallas, Texas. He built Urbarama’s remodeling calculators and maintains them.
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