Topsoil Calculator

There's a moment in every landscaping project where you're standing in the garden center, staring at bags of topsoil, doing bad math in your head. "Is 20 bags enough? Should I grab 25 just in case?" Then you either run short and make a second trip, or you've got a pile of leftover bags sitting in your garage until next spring.

This calculator eliminates that moment entirely.

Enter your project area and how deep you want the topsoil, and you'll get the exact volume you need—in cubic feet, cubic yards, and the number of bags for common sizes. Whether you're prepping a new lawn, filling raised beds, or doing a light topdressing before overseeding, you'll know exactly what to buy before you leave the house.

One trip. Right amount. Done.

1. Enter your area in square feet – Measure the length and width of your space and multiply. A 10×20 foot garden bed = 200 square feet. Not sure? Walk it off—one big step is roughly 3 feet.
2. Enter your desired thickness in inches – How deep do you want the topsoil layer? Common depths range from half an inch (overseeding) to 6 inches (new lawn).
3. Read your results – You'll see:

• Total cubic feet needed
• Total cubic yards (what bulk suppliers quote)
• Bag counts for 1.5, 2, and 3 cubic foot sizes

The math happens instantly. No pencil required.

The right depth depends on what you're trying to accomplish. Too thin and you're wasting your time. Too thick and you're wasting money.

If your existing soil is garbage—heavy clay, compacted hardpan, or more rocks than dirt—go with the higher end of these ranges. You're not just adding topsoil; you're creating the only decent growing medium your plants will have.

The calculator multiplies your area by your depth:
Volume (cubic feet) = Area (sq ft) × Depth (inches) ÷ 12

Example:

• Area: 100 square feet
• Depth: 4 inches
• Volume: 100 × 4 ÷ 12 = 33.3 cubic feet

To get cubic yards (bulk delivery units), divide by 27:

• 33.3 ÷ 27 = 1.23 cubic yards

For bag counts, divide by bag size and round up:

• 33.3 ÷ 3 = 12 bags (3 cu ft size)

The calculator handles all of this, including the rounding, so you don't end up one bag short.

This isn't just about quantity—it's about your back, your budget, and your Saturday.

• Small projects – Under 1.5 cubic yards
• Precise amounts – No leftover pile to deal with
• Right now – Walk in, buy, leave. No scheduling.
• Tight access – If there's no way to get a truck near your project
• You value your back – 40-pound bags are easier than shoveling a mountain

Typical cost: $4-7 per bag (roughly $50-80 per cubic yard after you factor in bag size)

• Bigger projects – 2+ cubic yards
• Significant savings – Often 50-70% cheaper per cubic yard
• Less waste – No pile of plastic bags for the trash
• One delivery – Everything shows up at once

Typical cost: $25-50 per cubic yard (plus delivery fee, usually $50-100)

Roughly 1.5 to 2 cubic yards. Below that, bags usually win on convenience. Above that, you're paying a real premium for the privilege of carrying 40-pound bags from your car to your backyard.

The honest truth about bulk: It gets dumped wherever the truck can reach—usually your driveway. Then it's on you to wheelbarrow it to where it needs to go. If that sounds like a workout you didn't sign up for, bags might be worth the extra cost.

Here's what the numbers look like for projects people actually do:

1,000 sq ft at 4 inches deep

• Volume: 333 cu ft = 12.3 cubic yards
• Bags: 222 bags (1.5 cu ft) or 111 bags (3 cu ft)
• Verdict: Bulk, no question. That's an absurd number of bags to carry.

4×8 feet, 12 inches deep

• Area: 32 sq ft
• Volume: 32 cu ft = 1.2 cubic yards
• Bags: 11 bags (3 cu ft) or 16 bags (2 cu ft)
• Verdict: Bags are fine. Easy hardware store trip—you might fit them all in one load.

500 sq ft at 0.5 inches

• Volume: 21 cu ft = 0.78 cubic yards
• Bags: 7 bags (3 cu ft)
• Verdict: Bags. Seven bags is nothing. Grab them on your way home from work.

10×10 foot area at 3 inches average

• Volume: 25 cu ft = 0.93 cubic yards
• Bags: 9 bags (3 cu ft)
• Verdict: Bags, unless you're doing this plus other projects—then combine into a bulk order.

10×20 feet at 6 inches deep

• Area: 200 sq ft
• Volume: 100 cu ft = 3.7 cubic yards
• Bags: 67 bags (1.5 cu ft) or 34 bags (3 cu ft)
• Verdict: Bulk delivery. Loading 34+ bags into your car and then hauling them to the garden isn't worth the savings you're not getting.

Fresh topsoil compacts after you spread it and water it. If you order exactly what the calculator says, you'll probably end up slightly low once everything settles in. Order a little extra—leftover topsoil never goes to waste. Spread it in thin spots, top off a planter, or save it for patching bare spots next year.

A cubic yard of topsoil weighs 2,000 to 2,500 pounds—that's over a ton. Most half-ton pickups can safely carry about half a cubic yard. Load a full yard and you'll feel it in the suspension, the braking, and possibly your repair bill. When in doubt, make two trips or just pay for delivery.

Bulk delivery means a truck backs up and dumps your pile. That pile goes wherever the truck can reach—usually your driveway. Make sure you've got a clear spot that's:

• Accessible from the street
• As close as possible to where you'll actually use it
• Not blocking anything you need to access that day

Moving a topsoil pile across your entire property by wheelbarrow is a special kind of misery.

Topsoil quality varies wildly. Good topsoil is dark brown to black, crumbly, and smells like earth. Bad topsoil is whatever they scraped off a construction site—full of clay clumps, rocks, debris, and sometimes enough weed seeds to start a nature preserve.

Red flags:

• Grayish or yellowish color (subsoil, not topsoil)
• Heavy clay chunks that won't break apart
• Visible trash, roots, or construction debris
• Sour or sewage-like smell
• Price that's dramatically lower than competitors

If you're buying bulk, ask to see a sample before ordering. Any reputable supplier will let you look at (and feel) what you're buying.

This calculator gives you solid estimates based on your measurements. Actual needs may vary slightly due to:

• Uneven ground – Dips and bumps use more material than flat surfaces
• Compaction – Fresh topsoil settles 10-15% over time
• Measurement rounding – Rough measurements compound into real differences

Measure carefully and order a bit extra. Having leftover topsoil is a much better problem than running short mid-project.