Topsoil Calculator (Yards & Weight)
Enter the area you want to cover and how deep you want the topsoil, and this calculator returns the volume in cubic feet and cubic yards, an estimated weight in tons, and how many bags you'd need at your chosen bag size. Use it to size a bulk delivery by the yard or to decide how many 40-lb bags to load in the cart.
Area & depth
Bag size
40-lb bag of screened topsoil ≈ 0.75 ft³ (check the label)
Topsoil needed
3.70 yd³
100.00 ft³ · ≈ 4.07 tons at 1.1 tons/yd³
Est. weight
4.07 tons
Bags at 0.75 ft³
134
Volume, weight & bag detail
Cubic yards by depth
Compare scenarios
Run the same calculation with two or three input sets side by side. Differences are highlighted; every number comes from the same tested formula as the calculator above.
| Input | Scenario A | Scenario B |
|---|---|---|
| Area Sq Ft | ||
| Depth Inches | ||
| Bag Size Ft3 |
How it works
Volume is built from the area and the depth. Depth is entered in inches and converted to feet (depthInches ÷ 12), then volume in cubic feet is area × that depth. Cubic yards — the unit bulk suppliers price and deliver by — is the cubic-foot figure divided by 27, since a cubic yard is 3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft. A 300 ft² bed at 4 inches deep works out to 100 cubic feet, or about 3.70 cubic yards.
Weight in tons is the cubic-yard figure multiplied by an assumed density. This calculator uses roughly 1.1 US tons per cubic yard, a typical figure for dry, screened topsoil. Density is the single biggest source of uncertainty here: wet soil, unscreened soil, or soil with high clay or sand content can run noticeably heavier — often 1.3 to 1.5 tons per cubic yard — so treat the tonnage as a planning estimate, not a scale reading.
The bag count divides the required cubic feet by the volume one bag holds and rounds up, since you can't buy a fraction of a bag. A common 40-lb bag of screened topsoil holds about 0.75 cubic feet, but fill volume varies by brand and moisture, so the label is the authority. The chart compares cubic yards needed at several depths so you can see how quickly the order grows as you go deeper.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the weight only an estimate?+
Because topsoil density is not a fixed number. This tool assumes about 1.1 tons per cubic yard, which is reasonable for dry, screened topsoil, but the real weight depends heavily on moisture and composition. Wet soil can weigh far more than dry soil of the same volume, and unscreened soil with rocks, clay, or heavy organic content behaves differently again — real-world figures commonly range from roughly 1.1 to 1.5 tons per cubic yard. If you're checking a delivery against a truck's weight limit or a per-ton price, ask your supplier for the density of the specific product they're selling rather than relying on a generic figure.
Should I order by the cubic yard or by weight in tons?+
It depends on how your supplier sells. Bulk topsoil is most often priced and delivered by the cubic yard, which is a volume, so the cubic-yard figure is usually what you order against. Some suppliers price by the ton instead, which is a weight — and because weight swings with moisture, the same pile can cost differently wet versus dry. This calculator gives you both: use cubic yards for a volume-based order and the ton estimate as a rough cross-check, but confirm which unit your supplier uses and how they measure it before you commit.
How much should I actually buy, and are there delivery minimums?+
Buy a little more than the raw calculation, and check the supplier's minimum. Freshly spread topsoil settles and compacts, beds are rarely perfectly uniform, and you'll want extra to top up low spots, so many people add roughly 5–10% to the calculated volume. On the other end, bulk deliveries frequently carry an order minimum — often somewhere around a cubic yard or more, plus a delivery fee — so for very small jobs, bagged soil can work out cheaper and simpler than a bulk drop. This tool reports the exact volume; the buffer and the minimum are judgment calls to make with your supplier.