Topsoil Calculator
New garden beds, lawn patches, and raised planters all start with the same question: how much topsoil? Order too little and the project stalls; order too much and you have a pile of dirt with nowhere to go.
Enter your bed dimensions and the depth of soil you want to add. Vegetable gardens and new lawns usually need 6 inches or more of quality topsoil, while topping existing beds takes 2–3 inches.
New garden bed: 6–12 in · Top dressing: 2–3 in
- Topsoil needed
- 1.85 cu yd
- Same in cubic feet
- 50 cu ft
- 40 lb bags (≈0.75 cu ft)
- 67 bags
- Bulk cost (est.)
- $22 – $102
- Bagged cost
- $201 – $402
Bulk topsoil is sold by the cubic yard; a 40 lb bag holds roughly 0.75 cubic feet. Screened loam costs more than unscreened fill dirt.
How This Calculator Works
Volume (yd³) = Length × Width × (Depth ÷ 12) ÷ 27- Convert the depth from inches to feet (6 in = 0.5 ft).
- Multiply length × width × depth in feet to get cubic feet.
- Divide by 27 to convert to cubic yards.
- For bags: divide cubic feet by 0.75 (a 40 lb bag of topsoil) and round up. One yard ≈ 36 bags.
Example: A 10 ft × 10 ft bed topped with 6 in of soil: 10 × 10 × 0.5 = 50 cu ft = 1.85 yd³ — about 67 forty-pound bags, or 2 yards delivered bulk.
Frequently Asked Questions
How deep should topsoil be for a garden?
Vegetable gardens perform best with 8–12 inches of loose, amended topsoil so roots can develop. For topping an existing lawn or bed, 2–3 inches is plenty — more can smother grass. Most grass roots live in the top 6 inches of soil.
How much does a yard of topsoil weigh?
A cubic yard of dry topsoil weighs roughly 2,000–2,400 lb (about a ton). Wet soil can weigh considerably more, which matters if you're hauling it in a pickup — a half-ton truck handles about one scoop safely.
How many 40 lb bags of topsoil are in a yard?
One cubic yard equals 27 cubic feet, and a 40 lb bag of topsoil is about 0.75 cubic feet, so it takes roughly 36 bags to equal one yard. Bagged soil typically costs several times more per yard than bulk delivery.
How much does topsoil cost in 2026?
Bulk topsoil runs about $12–$55 per cubic yard depending on quality and region — screened loam sits at the higher end, unscreened fill dirt at the lower. Forty-pound bags cost around $3–$6 each at big-box stores, and delivery fees add $50–$150.
What's the difference between topsoil, garden soil, and fill dirt?
Topsoil is the organic-rich upper layer, suitable for lawns and beds. Garden soil is topsoil blended with compost and amendments for planting. Fill dirt is subsoil with little organic matter — use it for grading and filling holes, not for planting.
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Last updated: 2026-10-26