Topsoil Calculator
Topsoil for a new bed or to topdress a lawn, in cubic yards, bags and tons. It is roughly three times heavier than the same volume of mulch, which is worth knowing before it arrives.
Topsoil needed
3.24cubic yards
- Cubic yards
- 3.24
- Cubic feet
- 87.5
- Cubic metres
- 2.48
- Weight
- 3.68 short tons
- Tonnes
- 3.34
- 1 cu ft bags
- 88
- Includes a 5% waste allowance. The bare figure is 3.09 cubic yards.
- Bulk delivery is usually cheaper than bags past about three cubic yards.
- Densities are mid-range trade figures. Loose material settles and its weight changes with moisture, so treat the tonnage as an estimate.
About the topsoil calculator
The volume calculation is the same as any loose material — area times depth, divided by 27 for cubic yards. What sets topsoil apart is the weight. A cubic yard of bark mulch is 600 to 800 pounds; a cubic yard of topsoil is around 2,300, well over a ton.
That changes the practical question entirely. A yard of mulch is an afternoon with a wheelbarrow and a yard of topsoil is a hard day's work, and a small truck may hit its weight limit long before it is full.
Depth follows the job. A new planting bed wants four to six inches of good soil. Topdressing an existing lawn is one to two inches at most — any more and you smother the grass you are trying to help.
What it works out
- Cubic yards, bags and weight in tons
- Topsoil, compost or bark mulch
- Bag size as an input, since topsoil bags vary
The formula
Cubic yards = (Length × Width × Depth) ÷ 27
The volume calculation is the same as any other loose material: area times depth, divided by 27 to get cubic yards. What sets topsoil apart is the weight.
A cubic yard of bark mulch weighs somewhere around 600 to 800 pounds. A cubic yard of topsoil is closer to 2,300 — well over a ton. That changes the practical question entirely: a yard of mulch is an afternoon with a wheelbarrow, and a yard of topsoil is a hard day's work. It also matters for delivery, since a small truck may be at its weight limit well before it is full.
Depth depends on the job. A new planting bed wants four to six inches of good soil. Topdressing an existing lawn is one to two inches at most — any more and you smother the grass you are trying to help.
- Length and Width
- The area being filled or dressed.
- Depth
- Four to six inches for a new bed; one to two for topdressing a lawn.
- Material
- Changes the weight rather than the volume. Compost is lighter than topsoil, bark lighter still.
A worked example
A twenty-five by ten foot vegetable bed, filled four inches deep with topsoil.
That works out to 3.24 cubic yards.
- Cubic yards
- 3.24
- Cubic feet
- 87.5
- Cubic metres
- 2.48
- Weight
- 3.68 short tons
- Tonnes
- 3.34
- 1 cu ft bags
- 88
Questions
How much does a yard of topsoil weigh?
Around 2,300 pounds dry, and considerably more when wet — soil holds a lot of water. That is roughly three times the weight of the same volume of bark mulch, which surprises people who have only moved mulch before.
How much area does a yard of topsoil cover?
About 160 square feet at two inches deep, 108 at three inches, or 81 at four inches. Spread one inch thick it covers 324 square feet.
How deep should topsoil be for a new lawn?
Four to six inches of good soil gives grass roots room to establish. Less than four and the lawn struggles in dry spells because there is nothing holding moisture.
How many bags of topsoil are in a cubic yard?
It depends on the bag, which is why bag size is an input here. At one cubic foot a bag it is 27 bags to the yard; at 0.75 cubic feet it is 36. Topsoil bags are far less standardised than mulch bags.
Should I buy topsoil in bulk or bags?
Bulk past about two cubic yards, which is 50 to 70 bags. Below that the delivery charge usually outweighs the saving, and bags are much easier if you have no driveway to tip a load onto.
What is the difference between topsoil and compost?
Topsoil is mineral soil and is what you use to build up or level ground. Compost is decomposed organic matter, used to improve soil that is already there. Most planting beds want a mix rather than either on its own.