Topsoil calculator — cubic yards, tons and depths
Soil settles, and most Midwest yards sell it by the ton, so a straight volume number can come up short twice. This one gives you yards and tons, with a settling allowance you set and depths tied to the job.
The short answer
One cubic yard of topsoil covers 81 square feet at 4 inches, 162 at 2 inches, or 54 at 6 inches. A yard weighs roughly 2,000 to 2,400 pounds screened and dry, so call it a little over a ton — and more than that after rain.
How the math works
- Cubic yards = area (sq ft) × depth (in) ÷ 12 ÷ 27
- Tons = cubic yards × pounds per yard ÷ 2,000
The volume line is not padded. That is deliberate — it is what Estima does on a real estimate, and a calculator that quietly adds 20% is a calculator you cannot check. If you want settling covered, the allowance box does it and shows its work as a separate line.
Yards or tons?
Volume is what you need; weight is what a lot of yards sell. Converting between them is where orders go wrong, because a cubic yard of topsoil does not have a fixed weight. Screened and dry it is at the lower end of that, around 2,000 to 2,200 pounds. Unscreened, with clay and stone in it, it is heavier. After a wet week it can be several hundred pounds a yard heavier again — same soil, same volume, more water.
So the tons line here is a conversion, not a fact about your soil. Ask your yard what they use and type it in. If you are ordering by the ton in April after rain, expect fewer yards on the truck than the arithmetic suggests.
Settling: why crews order long
Loose screened topsoil is full of air. Spread it, water it in, walk on it, and it consolidates — commonly in the region of 15 to 20 percent, more if it is being compacted deliberately under sod. Order the exact geometric volume and you will be a little short on the last strip.
This calculator will not decide that for you, because the right allowance depends on your soil, your source and whether you are compacting. Set it to 15 or 20 and the tool shows both numbers, the raw and the ordered, so you can see what you are adding.
Depth by job
| Job | Depth | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Topdressing an established lawn | ¼–½" | Thin and repeated. Any more smothers the grass you are trying to help. |
| Seed prep / overseeding | 2" | Enough for a seedbed over reasonable existing soil. |
| New lawn, seed or sod | 4" | The working default, and what Estima uses in its own Sod / Lawn Installation calculator. |
| New planting bed | 6" | Root room for perennials and shrubs. |
| Raised bed | Full depth | Measure the box. A soil–compost blend usually beats straight topsoil here. |
Ordering
Most yards have a delivery minimum, and under it you pay for the load regardless. Anything over a few yards is a truck, and a truck needs somewhere to dump that is not the middle of the driveway you are about to work off. Screened costs more than unscreened and is worth it anywhere you are seeding — unscreened means stones and clods, and you will pick them out by hand for the rest of the job.
If you need soil and compost, buying a blend delivered is usually easier than mixing two piles on site with a wheelbarrow.
A worked example
A 20 × 14 area — 280 square feet — getting 4 inches for a new lawn:
- Straight volume: 280 × (4 ÷ 12) ÷ 27 = 3.46 cubic yards
- At 2,200 lb a yard: 3.81 tons
- With a 20% settling allowance: 4.15 cubic yards, about 4.57 tons
Questions we get
How many square feet does a yard of topsoil cover?
81 square feet at 4 inches, 162 at 2 inches, 54 at 6 inches, 324 at 1 inch.
How much does a yard of topsoil weigh?
Roughly 2,000–2,400 pounds screened and dry. Wet or unscreened soil weighs more, sometimes considerably.
How many yards fit on a truck?
A tandem commonly carries in the region of 10–15 yards, but it is limited by weight as often as volume, and wet soil hits the weight limit first. Your yard knows their trucks.
Do I need to remove sod first?
If you are building a new lawn over old turf, yes — strip it or kill it. Burying live sod under four inches of soil gives you a decomposing layer that settles unevenly for a season.
Topsoil or garden soil?
Topsoil is the bulk material you build grade with. Garden or raised-bed blends carry compost and amendments and cost more; use them where roots live, not where you are filling volume.
This is the same quantity math Estima runs on every estimate
It just doesn't price it, save it, or turn it into a branded proposal your client can sign. That part's the CRM.