Topsoil Calculator
Enter the size of a lawn or a bed and a depth and get topsoil in cubic yards, rounded up once to the supplier's step, with the working shown for an example. A lawn or a bed that is not a rectangle can be drawn with Draw a shape.
A ready-made setup of the Dirt and Fill Dirt Calculator.
Estimates for planning, not professional advice. Read the full notice.
The drawing did not open. Length and width are still here.
Bed: shape and size
Skip the drawingDrag a round corner to move it. The small hollow diamond on a side is its curve handle: drag it across the side to curve the side (it is not a corner). To add a corner (a new point), tap the side itself, then choose Add a point here. Tapping a corner or a side opens its actions. Drag empty space to move the view; pinch, or Ctrl and the mouse wheel, to zoom. The keys are listed under Keys.
Keys
- Tab
- next corner; each says how far it is from corner 1
- Arrow keys on a corner
- move it one square; ten with Shift; 1/16 in with Alt
- Delete or Backspace
- remove the corner; its two sides join in one straight side
- + on a corner
- add a corner halfway along the next side
- Arrow keys on the drawing
- move the view; farther with Shift
- + and - on the drawing
- zoom in and out
- 0 on the drawing
- show the whole shape
- Ctrl+Z (Cmd+Z on a Mac)
- undo, except inside a typed field (it keeps its own)
- Ctrl+Shift+Z or Ctrl+Y
- redo
- Escape while dragging
- put it back where it was
- Enter on a corner or side
- go to its actions
- Escape in the actions
- close them and go back to the drawing
The drawing did not load. Check your connection and try again.
- Area
- 300 ft²
- Perimeter
- 70 ft
- Cut-out edges
No area until the shape is fixed.
Estimate for planning, from what you entered and the product data shown. Check product labels and your supplier before you buy.
Shape: Rectangle Change
Sides
Corners
Cut-outs
Feet and inches, like 12' 6"
Example: a lawn patch
4 yd³ to order (3.7 yd³ exact)
- Topsoil in the patch 100 ft³
- Cubic yards at the supplier's step 4 yd³
Your project
Enter a size to see your total.
Each product is rounded up once for the whole project, so the total can be less than the items bought alone added together. A line counted from a cut layout (sheets, boards or tiles laid out piece by piece) is counted for each item and added.
Shopping list
| Item | Size | Buy |
|---|---|---|
| Topsoil by the cubic yard | 1 yd³ | 4 yd³ |
Save on this device
Saved projects
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Worked example: a lawn patch
Show the working
- Area 20 ft × 15 ft = 300 ft²
- Volume at the depth 300 ft² × 4 in = 100 ft³
- Add the waste allowance, once 100 ft³ + 0 % waste = 100 ft³
- Cubic yards: divide by the cubic feet in a yard 100 ft³ ÷ 27 ft³ in a yd³ = 3.7 yd³
- Round up once, to the supplier's step 3.7 yd³ = 4 yd³
Assumptions
The figures behind the example. Sourced figures link to their source below; a default is a starting value to check against your label or supplier.
| Assumption | Value | Details and changes |
|---|---|---|
| Topsoil depth (settled) | 4 in[1] | |
| Default Penn State Extension: a minimum of 4 to 6 in of topsoil, firmed or settled, for a lawn. | ||
| Topsoil weight (the source does not say loose or compacted) | 0.8 ton/yd³[2] | |
| Default New Mexico EMNRD's factor for top soil. | ||
| Landscape waste or overage | 0% | |
| Default No silent overage. Check your label or supplier. | ||
| Supplier's smallest ton step | 1 ton | |
| Default Suppliers sell by the ton in steps. Check your label or supplier. | ||
| Supplier's smallest yard step | 0.5 yd³ | |
| Default Suppliers sell bulk in steps. Check your label or supplier. | ||
| Dump truck load | 12 yd³[3] | |
| Default TxDOT: single-axle trucks normally carry 6 yd3, tandem-axle trucks usually 12 or 14. | ||
Feet and inches, like 12' 6"
Lawn and bed jobs
Topsoil for lawn and bed jobs in yards, tons and dump truck loads at two truck sizes
| Job (size × depth) | Cubic yards | Cubic yards at the supplier's step | Tons at the weight above | Tons at the supplier's step | Dump truck loads at 12 yd³ | Dump truck loads at 14 yd³ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patch 10 ft × 10 ft × 4 in | 1.23 yd³ | 1.5 yd³ | 0.99 tons | 1 ton | 1 | 1 |
| Bed 12 ft × 4 ft × 4 in | 0.59 yd³ | 1 yd³ | 0.47 tons | 1 ton | 1 | 1 |
| One acre × 4 in | 537.78 yd³ | 538 yd³ | 430.22 tons | 431 tons | 45 | 39 |
Each row is worked out on its own at the default depth and the weight in the assumptions (the source does not say loose or compacted). The two truck sizes are the default load and the larger TxDOT tandem-axle figure; ask your hauler for theirs.
Questions
How deep does topsoil go under a lawn?
Penn State Extension gives a range for a good-quality topsoil, measured firmed or settled, and the calculator starts from the low end of it. Enter your own depth in the depth field to see the amount change.
How many bags of topsoil do I need?
The bag count follows the volume: divide the cubic feet by the size printed on your bag and round up once, at the whole bag. The calculator gives cubic yards, so convert them to cubic feet before you divide by your bag label.
Should I order topsoil by the ton or by the yard?
Suppliers sell it either way. The calculator gives cubic yards; the jobs table shows tons at the New Mexico figure, which does not say whether it is loose or compacted. Ask your supplier which unit they sell and what their topsoil weighs.
How many truck loads of topsoil is that?
The jobs table divides the cubic yards by a dump truck load and rounds up once, at a default load and at a larger one from TxDOT. Enter the load your hauler gives you.
Sources (3)
-
Lawn Establishment (opens in new tab), Penn State Extension, web article, updated September 19, 2025.
Code or government.
“Typically, a minimum of 4 to 6 inches (firmed or settled depth) of a good-quality topsoil is needed to establish good-quality turf.”
Checked November 12, 2026. Figures and codes change; verify with the source. Back to where this is used (Source 1) -
Conversion Factors for Construction Materials and Common Minerals (opens in new tab), New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department, Mining and Minerals Division, undated one-page table, adapted from BLM H-3890-1 Handbook for Mineral Examiners.
Code or government.
“To convert cubic yards to short tons, multiply the commodity production cubic yardage by the conversion factors listed below. ... Base course 1.25 ... Fill Dirt 0.8 ... Gravel ¼" – 2" 1.42 ... Sand 1.45 ... Top Soil 0.8”
Checked November 12, 2026. Figures and codes change; verify with the source. Back to where this is used (Source 2) -
Seal Coat and Surface Treatment Manual, Section 5: Haul Trucks, Size (opens in new tab), Texas Department of Transportation, web manual page, undated.
Code or government.
“The single-axle trucks normally carry 6 cubic yards of aggregate. The bed capacity for tandem-axle trucks is usually 12 or 14 cubic yards.”
Checked November 12, 2026. Figures and codes change; verify with the source. Back to where this is used (Source 3)
These are summaries of what the sources say, not professional advice. Codes and product data change. Check with your building department and the product label about your own project.
Sources
- [1] Penn State Extension, Lawn Establishment. Checked November 12, 2026. https://extension.psu.edu/lawn-establishment
- [2] New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department, Mining and Minerals Division, Conversion Factors for Construction Materials and Common Minerals. Checked November 12, 2026. https://www.emnrd.nm.gov/mmd/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/ConvFctrs.pdf
- [3] Texas Department of Transportation, Seal Coat and Surface Treatment Manual, Section 5: Haul Trucks, Size. Checked November 12, 2026. https://www.txdot.gov/manuals/mnt/scm/equipment_inspection/haul_trucks-i1008556/size-i1008586.html