Topsoil Calculator
Filling In Depth, Not Just Area
Topsoil projects — leveling a low spot, building up a new bed, prepping a lawn for sod — are described in square feet but priced and delivered in cubic yards. The depth you fill to matters as much as the footprint: a new lawn bed typically wants 4–6 inches of quality topsoil beneath it, while a minor grading fix might only need an inch or two. This calculator converts your footprint and target depth directly into an order quantity, in both bulk cubic yards and bagged units.
The Formula
Volume (cu yd) = Volume (cu ft) ÷ 27
Bags Needed = ceiling(Volume (cu ft) ÷ Bag Size)
Depth in inches is divided by 12 to express it in feet, matching the square-foot area measurement, and the resulting cubic-foot volume converts to cubic yards for bulk pricing or to a bag count for smaller purchases.
Where This Matters
- New lawn prep — laying sod or seeding a lawn generally calls for several inches of quality topsoil as a growing medium, especially over compacted or poor-quality existing soil.
- Grading and leveling — filling low spots or correcting drainage slopes often needs only an inch or two over a large area, which this calculator handles the same way as a deep fill.
- Raised beds and planters — smaller volumes are often more economical to buy bagged rather than arranging a bulk delivery, which is why the bag-count output matters for small projects.
| Area | 4 in depth | 6 in depth | 8 in depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 sq ft | 1.23 cu yd | 1.85 cu yd | 2.47 cu yd |
| 200 sq ft | 2.47 cu yd | 3.70 cu yd | 4.94 cu yd |
| 500 sq ft | 6.17 cu yd | 9.26 cu yd | 12.35 cu yd |
| 1,000 sq ft | 12.35 cu yd | 18.52 cu yd | 24.69 cu yd |
Bulk topsoil, sold by the cubic yard, is almost always more economical than bagged topsoil once a project passes roughly 1–2 cubic yards.
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter the area to be filled in square feet.
- Enter the target depth in inches (defaults to 6 in, typical for new lawn or bed prep).
- Enter the bag size in cubic feet if buying bagged soil (defaults to 0.75 cu ft, a common bag size).
- Select Calculate for the total volume in cubic yards and the number of bags needed.
Related Calculations
Laying sod on top of the new soil? Continue with the Sod Calculator, or see the Lawn Fertilizer Calculator once the lawn is established.