Topsoil Calculator

1. Measure your garden bed's length and width in feet. 2. Decide how deep you want the topsoil — 2–3 inches to top-dress a lawn, 6–8 inches for new flower beds, and 8–12 inches for raised beds and vegetables. 3. Enter length, width, and depth above to instantly see how many cubic yards of topsoil you need. 4. Open More options to switch to metric units, choose a circle or direct-area shape, pick a bag size, add a settling allowance, or enter a price per yard for a delivered-cost estimate.

Topsoil is sold two ways: in bags at the garden center and in bulk by the cubic yard from a landscape yard. To buy the right amount you only need three numbers — the length, width, and depth of the area you are filling. This tool multiplies them into a volume, then converts that volume into cubic yards, cubic feet, cubic meters, a weight estimate, and a bag count so you can compare bagged versus bulk pricing. A single cubic yard covers about 100 square feet at 3 inches deep, or roughly 54 square feet at the 6-inch depth most new beds want. Because soil settles and never lands perfectly level, it is smart to order a little extra — the optional settling allowance under More options adds 10–20% so you are not one wheelbarrow short.

Every topsoil estimate comes down to one rule: volume = area × depth.

- Cubic feet = length (ft) × width (ft) × depth (ft)
- Cubic yards = cubic feet ÷ 27
- Bags = cubic feet ÷ bag volume, rounded up

Depth is usually given in inches, so divide inches by 12 to get feet. Example: a bed 10 ft × 10 ft filled 6 inches deep is 100 × 0.5 = 50 cubic feet, or 50 ÷ 27 = 1.85 cubic yards. Weight uses a density of about 2,000 lbs per cubic yard for dry screened topsoil (wet soil weighs more), which you can override under More options.

How much topsoil for a 10x20 bed? A 10 ft × 20 ft bed at 6 inches deep is 200 × 0.5 = 100 cubic feet = 3.7 cubic yards (about 134 bags at 0.75 ft³ each, so bulk delivery is far cheaper). Top-dressing a lawn: the same 10 × 20 area at just 0.5 inch needs only 200 × 0.042 = 8.3 cubic feet ≈ 0.31 cubic yards. Raised bed: a 4 ft × 8 ft raised bed filled 10 inches deep is 32 × 0.83 = 26.7 cubic feet ≈ 1 cubic yard.

- Bulk beats bags past ~1 cubic yard. Bagged topsoil runs 2–4× the price per yard once you need more than about 36 bags.
- Order 10–15% extra for settling, uneven ground, and spillage — use the settling field under More options.
- Match soil to the job: screened topsoil for new beds, compost-blended mix for vegetables, cheaper fill dirt for leveling low spots.
- Know your access: a cubic yard is about 27 cubic feet and weighs roughly a ton — make sure a truck can dump where you need it.
- Use the bag toggle to price the exact bag size your store stocks (0.75, 1, 1.5, or 2 ft³).