Topsoil Calculator
Topsoil is sold by the cubic yard or ton in bulk and by the bag at the store. Measure your bed, pick a depth, and this works out how much you need.
Cubic yards
1.85cu yd
- Tons (approx)
- 2.22 tons
- Cubic feet
- 50 cu ft
- Bags (0.75 cu ft)
- 67 bags
How it’s calculated
Volume = area × depth. Area is length × width; multiply by the depth in feet (inches ÷ 12) for cubic feet, then divide by 27 for cubic yards. Tons ≈ cubic yards × 1.2 (topsoil is roughly 1.1–1.3 tons per cubic yard, heavier when wet). Bags = cubic feet ÷ the bag's size, rounded up.
Worked example
A 10 ft × 10 ft bed, 6 inches deep: 100 sq ft × (6 ÷ 12) = 50 cubic feet ÷ 27 ≈ 1.85 cubic yards (~2.2 tons). In 0.75-cu-ft bags: 50 ÷ 0.75 = 67 bags.
FAQs
- How deep should topsoil be?
- It depends on the job. For a new or amended planting bed, work in 4–6 inches. To topdress a lawn, spread only ¼–½ inch per pass — never more than about an inch, or you'll smother the grass. To fill a raised bed, use 10–12 inches (usually a topsoil/compost blend rather than pure topsoil).
- How much does a cubic yard of topsoil weigh?
- Roughly 1.1–1.3 tons (2,200–2,600 lb) dry, and more when wet or high in clay; this calculator uses about 1.2 tons per cubic yard. Bagged topsoil is screened and drier, so it weighs less per cubic foot than bulk — the bag count and the bulk tonnage won't multiply out to the same weight, and that's expected. Confirm density with your supplier.
- Should I buy bags or bulk?
- For more than about a cubic yard (≈36 of the 0.75-cu-ft bags), bulk delivery is usually cheaper and easier; below that, bags are simpler. The bag count here rounds up to whole bags.
Sources
- Coverage geometry: 1 cu yd = 27 cu ft. Topsoil density ≈1.1–1.3 tons/cu yd (moisture- and composition-dependent; ~1.2 used). Bag volume varies by product (~0.75 cu ft common) — verify.