New lawns 3-6 inches, garden beds 6-12 inches, leveling 1-2 inches. General lawns and grading.
Typical bulk price for screened topsoil: $30/yard
Area
200 sq ft
Depth
4"
1 yd³ covers
81 sq ft
Cost / sq ft
$0.37
One cubic yard of topsoil (about 36 bags at 0.75 cu ft) covers:
324 sq ft
at 1"
162 sq ft
at 2"
108 sq ft
at 3"
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You just calculated: Topsoil — 2.47 yd³ (89 bags), ~$74 bulk
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Quick answer: how much topsoil you need
To find how much topsoil you need, multiply length by width by depth in feet, then divide by 27 to get cubic yards. One cubic yard of topsoil holds about 36 bags at 0.75 cubic feet each and covers 108 sq ft at 3 inches deep, 162 sq ft at 2 inches, or 324 sq ft at 1 inch. A cubic yard weighs about 1.1 to 1.3 tons. Spread 3-6 inches for a new lawn, 6-12 inches for garden beds, and 1-2 inches for leveling. Bulk price runs about $30 per cubic yard for screened topsoil, $15 for fill dirt, and $45 for a compost blend. Order 5-10 percent extra for settling.
Topsoil is sold by the cubic yard or by the bag, so the first step is figuring out your volume. Multiply the area (length times width in feet) by the depth in feet, then divide by 27 to convert cubic feet to cubic yards.
A cubic yard of topsoil covers about 108 square feet at 3 inches deep and holds roughly 36 bags at 0.75 cubic feet each. It weighs about 1.1 to 1.3 tons. Always order 5 to 10 percent extra to account for settling and uneven ground.
| Depth | Coverage per Cubic Yard | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| 1 inch | 324 sq ft | Top-dress / refresh |
| 2 inches | 162 sq ft | Leveling low spots |
| 3 inches | 108 sq ft | Overseeding base |
| 4 inches | 81 sq ft | New lawn install |
| 6 inches | 54 sq ft | Garden beds |
| Soil Type | Cost / Cubic Yard (material) | Best Use |
|---|---|---|
| Fill Dirt | $12 - $20 | Bulk filling and leveling |
| Screened Topsoil | $25 - $40 | General lawns and grading |
| Garden Soil Blend | $35 - $50 | Raised beds and gardens |
| Compost Blend | $40 - $55 | Amending planting beds |
Prices are material only. Delivery and installed spreading typically add $2 to $5 per square foot. Bulk delivery is cheaper than bagged topsoil above about one cubic yard.
To find how much topsoil you need, multiply the length by the width by the depth in feet, then divide by 27 to get cubic yards. For example, a 20 by 10 ft area at 4 inches deep is 200 sq ft x 0.33 ft = 66.7 cubic feet, which is about 2.5 cubic yards. Use the calculator above to do the math automatically for any area and depth.
A cubic yard of topsoil holds about 36 bags at the standard 0.75 cubic feet per bag, because a cubic yard is 27 cubic feet and 27 divided by 0.75 equals 36. If you buy larger 1.5 cubic foot bags, a cubic yard is about 18 bags. Bulk delivery is cheaper than bags above about one cubic yard.
A cubic yard of topsoil weighs about 1.1 to 1.3 tons, or roughly 2,200 to 2,600 pounds, depending on moisture and organic content. This calculator uses 1.2 tons per cubic yard as a typical figure. Wet or clay-heavy soil weighs more, and screened or compost blends weigh a little less.
For a new lawn, spread 3 to 6 inches of topsoil so grass roots have room to establish. Garden and raised beds need 6 to 12 inches, while simple leveling or top-dressing needs only 1 to 2 inches. Going deeper wastes material; too shallow and roots hit the poor subsoil below.
Bulk topsoil costs roughly $12 to $55 per cubic yard depending on type. Screened topsoil runs about $30 per cubic yard, fill dirt is cheapest near $15, and a compost or garden blend runs about $45. Delivery and installed spreading typically add $2 to $5 per square foot on top of the material.
One cubic yard of topsoil covers about 108 square feet at 3 inches deep, 162 square feet at 2 inches, or 324 square feet at 1 inch. Coverage is simply 324 divided by the depth in inches, because a cubic yard contains 324 square-foot-inches of material.
Bulk topsoil delivered by the cubic yard is cheaper than bags once you need more than about one cubic yard, which is roughly 36 bags at 0.75 cubic feet each. For small top-dressing jobs under a cubic yard, bags are more convenient and avoid a delivery fee. Order 5 to 10 percent extra either way to cover settling.
