How deep for a new lawn?
Four to six inches of screened topsoil. Less than three dries out in summer. An established lawn only takes a quarter to half an inch of top-dressing at a time.
Topsoil calculator
Lawns, beds and raised beds — in cubic yards, tons and bags.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a yard of topsoil weigh?
About 2,200 lb (1.1 tons) dry and screened. Wet topsoil runs 3,000–3,400 lb, which is why suppliers weigh loads after rain.
How many bags of topsoil in a cubic yard?
18 of the 1.5-cubic-foot bags, or 13.5 of the 2-cubic-foot bags.
How much topsoil for a 30 × 20 ft lawn?
600 square feet at 4 inches is 200 cubic feet — 7.4 cubic yards, about 8.1 tons dry.
Can I put topsoil over an existing lawn?
Only as a thin top-dressing. Burying turf under several inches kills it and settles unevenly.
Filling a raised bed
Use the full inside depth, not a planting depth. A 4 × 8 ft bed 12 in deep takes 32 cubic feet, or 1.19 cubic yards.
What this calculator assumes
- Screened topsoil at about 81 lb per cubic foot — roughly 1.1 tons per cubic yard dry, inside the published 1–1.3 ton range. Wet soil reaches 1.5–1.7 tons.
- Compost is lighter, near 1,200 lb per cubic yard.
- Soil settles after watering; the default adds 5%. Use 10% to fill a raised bed to the rim.