Landscaping
Topsoil Calculator
Work out topsoil volume from area and depth, with compaction accounted for.
Result
Topsoil settles noticeably after watering and compaction, often by 10–20%. Order for the finished depth you want rather than the loose depth.
Get a Free Business AuditWhat moves the number
- Finished depth required, which depends on what is being grown.
- Compaction, since soil delivered loose settles noticeably once laid and watered.
- Whether existing grade needs building up or only dressing.
Where this one goes wrong
Ordering to the finished depth without allowing for settlement. Screened topsoil delivered loose compacts once it is spread and watered, and a job ordered exactly to the calculation finishes low.
Questions
About this calculator
How much does topsoil settle?
Enough to matter on any depth worth calculating. Loose delivered soil compacts under its own weight and with watering, so an allowance above the finished depth is normal.
How deep does topsoil need to be?
It depends on what is going into it. Turf needs less than a planting bed, and a bed for deep-rooted planting needs more again.
Is screened soil worth the premium?
For anything being planted or turfed, usually. Unscreened soil brings stones, roots and weed seed, and the labour to deal with those on site costs more than the screening.
The formula
cubic yards = length × width × (depth ÷ 12) ÷ 27
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How to use this calculator
- Length (ft) (ft). Enter your own figure; the page starts at 50 ft.
- Width (ft) (ft). Enter your own figure; the page starts at 30 ft.
- Depth (inches) (in). Enter your own figure; the page starts at 4 in.
- Waste / compaction allowance (%). Enter your own figure; the page starts at 10%.
- Cost per cubic yard delivered ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $34.
The result updates as you type, so you can try a figure, see what it does to cubic yards needed, and change it back. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere or saved.
A worked example
These are the figures the calculator opens with. Every number in the results column below is produced by the same calculation the page runs, so you can follow it through before putting your own figures in.
What goes in
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Length (ft) | 50 ft |
| Width (ft) | 30 ft |
| Depth (inches) | 4 in |
| Waste / compaction allowance | 10% |
| Cost per cubic yard delivered | $34 |
What comes out
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Cubic yards needed main result | 20.4 |
| Cubic feet | 550.0 |
| Approximate tons | 22.4 |
| Estimated cost | $692.59 |
You need about 20.4 cubic yards (22.4 tons), costing roughly $692.59 delivered.
How sensitive the answer is
Holding everything else steady and changing only cost per cubic yard delivered, this is what happens to cubic yards needed. It is worth knowing which of your inputs the answer actually hinges on, and which barely move it.
| Cost per cubic yard delivered ($) | Cubic yards needed |
|---|---|
| $17 | 20.4 |
| $26 | 20.4 |
| $34 example above | 20.4 |
| $51 | 20.4 |
| $68 | 20.4 |
Every other input is held at the example value while this one changes, which is not how a real job behaves. Treat it as a guide to which number matters most, not as five separate quotes.
What each figure means
- Length (ft) (ft)
- Measured in ft, starting at 50 ft.
- Width (ft) (ft)
- Measured in ft, starting at 30 ft.
- Depth (inches) (in)
- Measured in in, starting at 4 in.
- Waste / compaction allowance (%)
- A percentage, between 0 and 60, starting at 10%.
- Cost per cubic yard delivered ($)
- A money amount, starting at $34.
What the results tell you
| Result | What it is |
|---|---|
| Cubic yards needed | The headline result. A decimal figure. |
| Cubic feet | A decimal figure. |
| Approximate tons | A decimal figure. |
| Estimated cost | A money figure. |
Seasonality is not in this
Coverage and material figures assume the area you enter. Slope, access for machinery, existing growth and the time of year all affect both quantity and labour, and none of them appear in a calculation like this.
Keep going
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