Topsoil Calculator

Figure out exactly how much topsoil to order for a lawn, garden bed, or raised planter. Pick a shape, enter dimensions and depth, and you'll get cubic feet, cubic yards, 40-lb bag count, and an estimated cost — with a waste factor included so you don't fall short.

How Much Topsoil Do You Need?

Topsoil volume is just area × depth, then divided by 27 to convert cubic feet to cubic yards. A 200 sq ft garden bed at 4 inches deep needs (200 × 4/12) ÷ 27 ≈ 2.5 cubic yards — about a small pickup load. Add 10% waste for settling and uneven sub-grade.

Bulk vs. Bagged

A 40-pound bag of topsoil holds roughly 0.75 cubic feet — so it takes about 36 bags to equal one cubic yard. Bulk delivery typically beats bagged on price once you cross 1 cubic yard, and most landscape suppliers offer screened topsoil for $30–$50 per yard delivered.

How This Calculator Works

Topsoil is a volume material, so the calculator converts your area and depth into cubic feet and cubic yards. Area is length × width for a rectangle or π × radius² for a circle (entered as diameter). Depth is entered in inches and divided by 12 to get feet, then area × depth gives cubic feet, with a waste factor added for settling and uneven grade.

The same result comes from the field shortcut: cubic yards = square feet × depth-in-inches ÷ 324. Cubic feet divided by 27 gives cubic yards, the unit bulk soil is delivered in. The tool also counts bags using the common 0.75-cubic-foot bag size, so it can price bulk against bagged: bulk cost is cubic yards times your bulk price per yard, while bagged cost is the bag count times your price per bag.

A Worked Example

Leveling a 40 ft by 25 ft area with 4 inches of topsoil and 5% waste. Area: 40 × 25 = 1,000 sq ft. Depth 4 in ÷ 12 = 0.333 ft. Volume: 1,000 × 0.333 = 333 cu ft, padded 5% to 350 cu ft, which is 12.96 cubic yards. In 0.75-cu-ft bags that is 467 bags — clearly impractical, which is the point. At a 2026 bulk price near $32/yd delivered, the bulk soil is about $415, a fraction of buying nearly 500 bags.

Estimator's tip: Order screened topsoil for anything you are seeding or sodding — unscreened “fill” dirt is cheaper per yard but full of rocks and clods that eat your time on the rake. Remember settling: soil placed loose will compact 10 to 20% after a few rains, so build a bed slightly proud of final grade. Anything over a yard or two, take the bulk delivery; bagged soil at this volume is a money pit.

What Affects Your Topsoil Volume

• Depth — 2 inches for overseeding versus 4 to 6 inches to build a bed changes volume sharply.
• Settling and compaction, which is why a waste factor is included.
• Soil moisture and type; wet, heavy loam differs from screened, dry topsoil per yard.
• Bulk versus bagged — bulk is far cheaper past a yard or two but needs a dumping spot.
• Grade and low spots you are filling, which can hide far more volume than a flat estimate suggests.
• Whether you are amending with compost, which adds separate volume to order.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much topsoil do I need?

Multiply square footage by depth in inches and divide by 324 for cubic yards. A 500-square-foot area at 4 inches deep needs about 6.2 cubic yards, far more economically bought in bulk than in bags.

How many bags of topsoil in a cubic yard?

A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, which is about 36 of the common 0.75-cubic-foot bags. That is why anything over a yard or two is almost always cheaper to buy as bulk delivery.

How deep should topsoil be?

Two inches works for top-dressing and overseeding a lawn; new garden beds and sod prep want 4 to 6 inches of quality topsoil so roots have room to establish.

Is bulk topsoil cheaper than bagged?

Yes, well past a yard or two. Bulk soil costs a fraction per cubic yard of bagged product and saves enormous hauling, as long as you have somewhere to dump the pile and a way to move it.