Topsoil Calculator
Estimate how much topsoil you need for lawns, raised beds and grading — in cubic yards, cubic meters, and bags — from your area and depth.
Result
| Volume | |
| Bags to buy |
Units & conversions used
Imperial inputs are square feet (area) and inches (depth); results are shown in cubic feet, cubic yards (1 yd³ = 27 ft³), cubic meters (1 ft³ = 0.02832 m³) and bags of the size you selected. Metric inputs are converted first: 1 m² = 10.7639 ft², 1 cm = 0.3937 in.
Formula & source
V(yd³) = V(ft³) ÷ 27
bags = V(ft³) ÷ bag size(ft³), rounded up
Source: basic geometry — the volume of a flat layer. A useful check: one cubic yard covers about 162 ft² at 2 inches deep (162 × 2 ÷ 12 = 27 ft³). Bag count assumes the bag's labelled volume and rounds up, since partial bags cannot be bought.
Worked example (you can verify by hand)
Input: 100 ft² area × 2 in deep, 1 ft³ bags.
- Volume: 100 × 2 ÷ 12 = 16.67 ft³
- Cubic yards: 16.67 ÷ 27 = 0.62 yd³
- Bags: 16.67 ÷ 1 = 16.67 → round up to 17 bags
Expected output: 16.67 ft³ = 0.62 yd³ (0.47 m³), 17 bags.
Limitations — what this cannot do
- Topsoil settles and compacts after placement — commonly by 10–20%. If the finished grade matters, order proportionally more; this calculator gives the loose placed volume at your stated depth.
- It estimates volume only: it does not judge soil quality, pH or amendments. Bagged "topsoil" varies widely in composition; screened bulk topsoil is more consistent for large areas.
- Assumes a level area of uniform depth. Grade changes (filling a slope or a hollow) need the area broken into sections with an average depth for each.
FAQ
How much does bagged topsoil cost?
Bagged topsoil commonly runs in the $2–$6 range per bag at US home centers (2025–2026), depending on bag size and whether it is plain screened soil or an amended garden mix. Bulk screened topsoil is usually priced by the cubic yard plus delivery; once you need more than about 14 bags (≈0.5 yd³ in 1 ft³ bags), bulk is usually the cheaper route.
How much area does one cubic yard of topsoil cover?
One cubic yard (27 ft³) covers about 324 ft² at 1 inch deep, about 162 ft² at 2 inches, and about 81 ft² at 4 inches. Check: 162 × (2 ÷ 12) = 27 ft³.
How deep should topsoil be under new sod or seed?
4–6 inches of topsoil over loosened subgrade is the common recommendation for establishing a new lawn; 1–2 inches is enough to top-dress and level an existing lawn. Raised garden beds usually get 6–12 inches. Sod itself adds roughly another half inch of soil on the roll — see our sod calculator for the turf quantity.
What is the difference between topsoil and garden soil?
Topsoil is screened surface soil — mostly mineral soil for grading, filling and laying under turf. Garden soil (and potting mix) is topsoil or peat blended with compost and amendments for planting beds, and costs more per bag. For raising grade or under sod, plain topsoil is the right buy; for planting beds, use the amended product.