New lawn preparation
Estimate topsoil for a measured lawn area before grading, seeding, or laying sod.
Topsoil Calculator
Estimate the topsoil needed for a lawn, garden, or landscape area from its measured shape, soil depth, waste allowance, and bulk density.
Material Calculator
Advanced material settings
Current default density: 75 lb/ft³ · editable in Advanced settings.
Enter the project dimensions to see the material estimate
The default density is 75 lb/ft³. Screened, wet, and compacted soils can have very different weights.
What Is Topsoil Calculator?
A topsoil calculator converts a lawn, garden, or landscape area's dimensions and desired soil depth into cubic yards. It can also estimate weight for bulk orders and deliveries that are quoted by ton.
The default bulk density is 75 lb/ft³. Screened soil, blended garden soil, wet topsoil, and compacted fill can have different densities, so volume is generally the better starting point unless the supplier provides a product-specific weight.
How to Use Topsoil Calculator
1
Measure the Soil Area
Choose a rectangular or circular shape and enter its dimensions in feet.
2
Enter the Soil Depth
Enter the desired finished topsoil depth in inches.
3
Adjust the Allowance
Increase or decrease the allowance for settlement, uneven grade, and site handling conditions.
4
Review the Live Soil Estimate
The cubic yards, approximate weight, and optional material cost update automatically.
How the Topsoil Calculator Works
The calculator multiplies measured surface area by soil depth and adds the selected allowance for settlement, uneven ground, or handling loss.
It converts adjusted volume to cubic yards and uses the editable bulk density to provide a secondary tonnage estimate.
Topsoil volume = Area × Depth × (1 + Allowance %); weight = Volume × Bulk density
Example
A 20 ft by 10 ft garden filled 6 inches deep has 100 ft³ of raw volume. With 10% allowance, the estimate is 110 ft³ or 4.07 yd³ and about 4.13 tons at 75 lb/ft³.
Topsoil Calculator Features
- Calculates rectangular and circular soil areas
- Reports cubic feet, cubic yards, cubic meters, pounds, and tons
- Adds an adjustable waste and settlement allowance
- Uses an editable topsoil bulk density
- Estimates optional cost from a price per ton
Common Use Cases
Garden and planting beds
Calculate soil volume for new beds or for raising the finished grade in an existing garden.
Landscape delivery planning
Convert the volume estimate to approximate weight before discussing truck capacity and delivery access.
Limits and Important Notes
- Topsoil settles after spreading, and the amount of settlement varies with composition, moisture, and site preparation.
- Bulk density can vary widely between screened topsoil, compost blends, wet soil, and compacted fill.
- The tool does not evaluate soil quality, drainage, nutrients, pH, contamination, or suitability for a specific plant.
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