Topsoil Calculator
Estimate topsoil volume, bags, weight, and cost for one or many garden beds — rectangular or circular. Imperial or metric.
Beds
Bed preview (to scale, top-down)
1 unit = 0.07 ftTypical: 5% for level beds, 10% for sloped ground, 15% if soil will settle a lot.
Tick "Include" to estimate bag count or bulk delivery cost.
Your estimate
About Topsoil Calculator
The Topsoil Calculator works out how much topsoil to buy for any garden bed, raised bed, lawn fill, or planter — in cubic feet, cubic yards, cubic metres, bags, or delivery yards. It also shows the approximate weight so you can plan transport (a single cubic yard is roughly a ton).
Add as many beds as you like and pick a shape for each (rectangular or circular). A small to-scale top-down preview keeps your garden layout visible while you type, and a waste slider lets you compensate for settling on sloped or loose ground.
How to Use Topsoil Calculator
- 1 Pick your unit. Imperial (feet + inches) or Metric (metres + centimetres) — width and length use the bigger unit, depth uses the smaller one.
- 2 Add each bed. For rectangular beds enter length and width; for round planters or circular beds enter the diameter. Click "Add another bed" for as many shapes as you need.
- 3 Set the depth. The soil layer's thickness. 4–6" is typical for lawn topdressing, 6–12" for vegetable beds, 12–24"+ for new garden borders.
- 4 Adjust waste / settling. 5% covers minor settling on level ground. Bump it up if the bed sits on a slope or the soil is very fluffy when delivered.
- 5 (Optional) Cost it. Tick "Include" and switch between Bags (pick bag size and price per bag) or Bulk delivery (price per cubic yard or per cubic metre). The estimate panel shows total cost.
- 6 Check weight. The weight column tells you whether the haul fits in your car (a half-yard pickup load ≈ 1,000 lbs / 450 kg) or whether you need delivery.
Frequently Asked Questions
How deep should the topsoil be? ▾
Depends on what you're planting:
- Lawn topdressing: 0.25–0.5" (6–12mm)
- New lawn over compacted soil: 2–4" (5–10cm)
- Annuals & shallow perennials: 6–8" (15–20cm)
- Vegetable beds: 10–12" (25–30cm)
- Shrubs & deep-rooted perennials: 18–24" (45–60cm)
- Trees: 24"+ (60cm+)
How much does a cubic yard of topsoil weigh? ▾
About 1 ton (2,000 lbs / 900 kg) when dry, up to 2,500–3,000 lbs (1,150–1,350 kg) when wet. A cubic metre is roughly 1,300 kg. The calculator uses ~90 lbs/ft³ (1,300 kg/m³) as a damp-soil average. Sandy topsoil weighs less, clay-rich topsoil more.
Bags or bulk delivery — which is cheaper? ▾
Bagged topsoil costs roughly 2–4× more per cubic yard than bulk delivered. Bulk is the cheaper choice above about ½ cubic yard (≈ 13 ft³, ≈ 14 standard 1 ft³ bags) — but make sure you can store it somewhere a tipper truck can dump it. Bags are easier for small jobs, tight access, or balcony planters.
What's the difference between topsoil, garden soil, and compost? ▾
Topsoil is the top 4–12" of natural soil — a mix of mineral particles plus some organic matter. Garden soil is topsoil amended with compost, peat, or fertiliser. Compost is fully decomposed organic matter (no mineral particles). For new beds, fill with topsoil and top-dress with compost. For poor existing soil, mix 50/50 topsoil and compost. This calculator works for any of them — just use the right depth.
How much should I add for settling? ▾
5% covers minor settling. Fresh delivered topsoil settles 10–20% over the first few weeks as it compacts and is watered. For raised beds you'll want to top them up the next season; for level lawn fill, 10–15% extra avoids low spots after a rainy month.
Can a pickup truck carry a cubic yard of soil? ▾
A standard half-ton pickup can carry about ½ cubic yard of damp topsoil (≈ 1,000 lbs / 450 kg) safely — the bed will be visibly full and the suspension noticeably loaded. A full cubic yard exceeds the rated payload of most consumer pickups and is unsafe to drive with. For more than ½ yard, get it delivered.
Is my data saved or sent anywhere? ▾
No. Everything runs in your browser. Your bed dimensions and prices never leave your device and nothing is stored on a server.