Topsoil Calculator — Yards, Tons and Bags
Depth is everything with soil — two inches for leveling a lawn, twelve for a raised bed. Pick the job and the calculator sets a sensible depth for you.
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We'll email the quantities above, what you typed in, and a link that reopens this calculator already filled in — so you can adjust it on your phone in the aisle.
How to work it out
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Measure the area
Length × width for each bed or section of lawn. Curved beds are close enough on an average width.
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Set the depth by the job
Two inches to level dips in an existing lawn. Four to six for a new lawn from seed or turf. Eight to twelve for planting beds, and the full height for a raised bed.
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Order by volume, not weight
Soil weight swings hugely with moisture — the same yard can be 2,000 lb dry or 2,700 lb after rain. Cubic yards describe the space you are filling and do not change with the weather.
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Allow for settling
Fresh soil settles 10 to 20% in the first few weeks, more if it contains compost. Fill a raised bed proud of the top and expect it to drop.
Topsoil by area and depth
| Area | 2 in. | 4 in. | 6 in. | 12 in. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 sq ft | 0.62 cu yd | 1.23 cu yd | 1.85 cu yd | 3.70 cu yd |
| 200 sq ft | 1.23 cu yd | 2.47 cu yd | 3.70 cu yd | 7.41 cu yd |
| 300 sq ft | 1.85 cu yd | 3.70 cu yd | 5.56 cu yd | 11.11 cu yd |
| 500 sq ft | 3.09 cu yd | 6.17 cu yd | 9.26 cu yd | 18.52 cu yd |
| 800 sq ft | 4.94 cu yd | 9.88 cu yd | 14.81 cu yd | 29.63 cu yd |
| 1000 sq ft | 6.17 cu yd | 12.35 cu yd | 18.52 cu yd | 37.04 cu yd |
| 1500 sq ft | 9.26 cu yd | 18.52 cu yd | 27.78 cu yd | 55.56 cu yd |
| 2000 sq ft | 12.35 cu yd | 24.69 cu yd | 37.04 cu yd | 74.07 cu yd |
One cubic yard covers about 160 sq ft at 2 in., 80 sq ft at 4 in., or 27 sq ft at 12 in.
Depth by job
| Job | Depth | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Leveling an existing lawn | 0.5–2 in. | Thin layers only. Burying grass kills it. |
| New lawn from seed or turf | 4–6 in. | Over broken-up subsoil, not compacted clay. |
| Flower bed | 8–12 in. | Mix into the existing soil rather than layering on top. |
| Vegetable bed | 12 in. | Deeper for root crops like carrots and parsnips. |
| Raised bed | Full height | A blend of topsoil and compost, not pure topsoil. |
Never spread more than an inch of soil over an established lawn at a time — grass has to grow through it.
How much topsoil for a raised bed?
A 4 × 8 ft bed 12 in. deep is 32 cubic feet, or 1.19 cubic yards — about 43 bags of the standard 0.75 cu ft size.
Do not fill it with pure topsoil. A common mix is roughly 60% topsoil, 30% compost and 10% coarse material such as perlite or sharp sand. Straight topsoil in a raised bed compacts into a dense block that drains badly and roots struggle in.
Topsoil, garden soil and fill dirt are different things
- Topsoil — the fertile upper layer, screened to remove stones. For lawns and beds.
- Garden or raised-bed soil — topsoil already blended with compost. Costs more, saves mixing.
- Fill dirt — subsoil with no organic matter. For leveling ground and filling holes, not for growing. Cheap, heavy, and nothing will thrive in it.
Buying fill dirt for a vegetable bed because it was cheaper is a mistake that takes a season to discover.
Do not smother an existing lawn
Top-dressing works in thin layers. Half an inch at a time, raked in so the grass blades still show through, repeated over a few weeks if the dip is deep.
Two inches of soil dumped on living grass kills it, and you end up re-seeding the patch you were trying to level.
Bags or bulk?
Same crossover as mulch — around two cubic yards, or roughly 72 bags. Below that, bags are manageable and there is no delivery charge. Above it, bulk is dramatically cheaper.
Bulk soil is heavy. A cubic yard is over a ton, and moving nine yards by wheelbarrow is genuinely hard work. Have somewhere for it to be tipped close to where it is going.
Raised bed mixes by volume
Pure topsoil in a raised bed compacts into a dense block. A good mix, by volume, is roughly:
- 60% topsoil — the body and the mineral content
- 30% compost — nutrients and structure
- 10% coarse material — perlite, sharp sand or fine bark, for drainage
For a 4 × 8 ft bed 12 in. deep, that is 32 cubic feet total: about 19 cu ft of topsoil, 10 of compost and 3 of grit.
For a deep bed, fill the bottom third with coarse woody material — branches, twigs, cardboard — and only the top two thirds with the mix. It breaks down slowly, feeds the bed and saves you a third of the soil cost.
Leveling a lawn without killing it
Dips in a lawn are fixed by top-dressing, not by dumping soil in the hollow.
Spread no more than half an inch at a time and rake it so the grass blades still poke through. Water it in, wait two or three weeks for the grass to grow up through, then repeat. A one-inch dip takes two passes; a three-inch dip takes a season.
Use a sandy loam mix rather than heavy topsoil — it works down between the grass blades instead of sitting on top of them and smothering the lawn you are trying to save.
How this is worked out
No black box — here is the arithmetic the calculator runs, so you can check it against your own numbers.
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area = length × width, summed over every sectionSeveral beds can be ordered together. -
volume = area × depth ÷ 12Depth in inches to cubic feet. -
cubic yards = volume ÷ 27How bulk soil is sold. -
tons = cubic yards × densityAbout 1.1 for screened topsoil, 1.3 for fill dirt. -
bags = volume ÷ 0.75The common bagged size is 0.75 cu ft.
Common questions
How many bags of topsoil in a cubic yard?
About 36 bags of the 0.75 cu ft size, or 27 bags of 1 cu ft. A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet.
How much does a yard of topsoil weigh?
Roughly 2,000 to 2,400 lb dry, and up to 2,700 lb when wet. That is why ordering by volume is more reliable than ordering by weight.
How deep should topsoil be for a new lawn?
Four to six inches over loosened subsoil. Less than four and the grass roots hit hard ground and struggle through the first dry spell.
Can I put topsoil over grass?
Only in thin layers — half an inch at a time, raked so the blades still show. Anything thicker smothers the grass and you end up reseeding.
What should I fill a raised bed with?
Not pure topsoil. Roughly 60% topsoil, 30% compost and 10% coarse material such as perlite. Straight topsoil compacts into a dense block that drains badly.
Is fill dirt the same as topsoil?
No. Fill dirt is subsoil with no organic matter — fine for leveling ground, useless for growing anything. Topsoil is the fertile upper layer. They are priced differently for good reason.
How much does topsoil settle?
Ten to twenty per cent over the first few weeks, more with a high compost content. Fill raised beds proud of the top and expect the level to drop.
How much topsoil for a 4x8 raised bed?
Twelve inches deep is 32 cubic feet — about 1.2 cubic yards, or 43 bags of 0.75 cu ft. Mix in compost rather than using topsoil alone.
Where these figures come from
Every figure below is traceable. How we check the numbers explains how they are verified, and the coverage reference collects them all in one place.
- University extension soil guidance — depths for lawn establishment and bed preparation
- Supplier bulk density tables — tons per cubic yard for topsoil, blends and fill
- USDA soil texture guidance — the difference between topsoil and subsoil fill
Think a number here is wrong? Tell us — we check every report, correct the page, and date the change. Last checked September 11, 2026.