How much does a cubic yard of topsoil weigh?

A cubic yard of dry topsoil weighs about 2,000–2,200 pounds (1.0–1.1 tons). Wet or clay-heavy topsoil can reach 2,700–3,000 pounds. Moisture is the biggest variable — water alone can add 30% to the weight.

How many bags of topsoil are in a cubic yard?

A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so it takes about 36 standard 40-pound bags (0.75 cubic feet each) or 27 one-cubic-foot bags to equal one yard. Above roughly 10 bags, bulk delivery is almost always cheaper.

How much topsoil do I need for a new lawn?

Seed lawns need 4–6 inches of topsoil; sod needs 3–5 inches. For a 1,000-square-foot lawn at 5 inches, that is about 15.4 cubic yards.

What is the difference between topsoil, garden soil, and fill dirt?

Topsoil is screened natural soil for grading and lawns. Garden soil is topsoil blended with compost and amendments for planting beds. Fill dirt is subsoil with little organic matter — cheaper, used to raise grade or fill holes, but plants grow poorly in it.

Does topsoil settle after spreading?

Yes. Loose delivered topsoil settles about 15–20% after watering and rain. If a final grade matters, order 15–20% extra or lightly compact as you spread.

Topsoil Calculator – Cubic Yards, Tons & Bags

Use this topsoil calculator to find how many cubic yards, tons, or bags of soil you need. Pick your project and the calculator sets the right depth automatically — from a 1-inch lawn top dressing to an 18-inch raised bed — then converts the volume into yards, weight, and 40-lb bag counts.

What are you filling?

Length (ft)

Width (ft)

Depth (in)

How to calculate topsoil by hand

cubic yards = length (ft) × width (ft) × depth (ft) ÷ 27

Worked example: a 30 ft × 20 ft area seeded at 5 inches. Depth is 5 ÷ 12 = 0.417 ft. Volume: 30 × 20 × 0.417 = 250 cubic feet ÷ 27 ≈ 9.26 cubic yards. At about 1.1 tons per yard, that is roughly 10 tons — plan for a full dump-truck delivery rather than bags.

How deep should topsoil be?

Project	Recommended depth	Yards per 1,000 sq ft
Top dressing existing lawn	1"	3.1
New sod lawn	3–5"	9.3–15.4
New lawn from seed	4–6"	12.3–18.5
Vegetable garden bed	8–12"	24.7–37.0
Raised planting bed	12–18"	37.0–55.6

Grass roots need at least 4 inches of quality soil to establish a drought-resistant lawn; 6 inches is better where summers are hot. For deep beds, many gardeners save money by filling the bottom half with cheaper fill dirt or compostable material and reserving screened topsoil or garden soil for the top 6–8 inches.

Topsoil vs garden soil vs fill dirt

	Topsoil	Garden soil	Fill dirt
What it is	Screened natural surface soil	Topsoil + compost blend	Subsoil, little organic matter
Best for	Lawns, grading, top dressing	Planting beds, raised beds	Raising grade, filling holes
Relative cost	$$	$$$	$

FAQ

How much does a yard of topsoil weigh?

About 2,000–2,200 lbs dry (1.0–1.1 tons); wet or clay-heavy soil can hit 3,000 lbs.

How many bags in a yard?

~36 bags at 40 lb (0.75 cu ft) or 27 bags at 1 cu ft. Past ~10 bags, bulk wins on price.

How much for a new lawn?

4–6" for seed, 3–5" for sod. A 1,000 sq ft lawn at 5" needs ~15.4 yards.

Topsoil vs garden soil vs fill dirt?

Topsoil = screened natural soil; garden soil = topsoil + compost for planting; fill dirt = cheap subsoil for raising grade only.

Does topsoil settle?

Yes, 15–20% after watering. Order extra if final grade matters.

Related tools: mulch calculator, gravel calculator, or browse all landscape material calculators.