Yard
Topsoil by area and depth
Every topsoil order is area times depth, converted to cubic yards. Take the area in square feet, multiply by the depth in inches, divide by 324, and you have cubic yards; then add 10% because loose delivered soil settles. The chart below does it for the sizes people actually build, with bag counts beside the bulk figure so you can see at a glance why bags only suit the small jobs:
| Area | Depth | Bulk (cubic yards) | Bags (0.75 cu ft) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 x 10 ft | 4 in | 1.23 | 45 |
| 10 x 10 ft | 6 in | 1.85 | 67 |
| 10 x 20 ft | 4 in | 2.47 | 89 |
| 10 x 20 ft | 6 in | 3.70 | 133 |
| 20 x 20 ft | 4 in | 4.94 | 178 |
| 20 x 20 ft | 6 in | 7.41 | 267 |
| 20 x 30 ft | 4 in | 7.41 | 267 |
| 20 x 30 ft | 6 in | 11.11 | 400 |
| 30 x 40 ft | 4 in | 14.81 | 533 |
| 30 x 40 ft | 6 in | 22.22 | 800 |
Bag counts are rounded up and before the 10% extra, and they include no mercy: 533 bags is a trailer-load of plastic and a full weekend of ripping and tipping. Notice how depth doubles everything: a 20 x 30 ft patch at 6 inches needs the same soil as a 30 x 40 ft lawn at 4. Choosing the depth first is what makes the order sensible. An irregular shape? Split it into rectangles, add the areas, and let the topsoil calculator run the same maths instantly.
The right depth for every job
Depth is the decision the whole order hangs on, and different projects want very different numbers:
| Job | Depth | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| New lawn from seed or sod | 4 to 6 in | 4 is the minimum for decent roots; 6 holds more water between rains |
| Top-dressing an existing lawn | 1/4 to 1/2 in | More buries the grass instead of feeding it |
| New flower beds | 6 to 8 in | Perennials root deeper than turf |
| Vegetable garden | 8 to 12 in | Many vegetables feed heavily; blend in compost |
| Raised bed | Full bed height | See the raised bed soil calculator for bed-size volumes |
| Filling low spots | Depth of the hole + 10 to 20% | Extra for settling, since the fill starts loose |
Depth for a lawn is measured after settling, not while the soil is fluffed up fresh off the truck, which is another reason for the 10% over-order. And if the ground underneath is compacted clay, scratch it up lightly first so the new layer knits instead of sliding.
Bags or bulk: where the price flips
Bagged topsoil is usually a 40 lb bag holding about 0.75 cubic feet, which means 36 bags per cubic yard. At roughly $3 to $5 a bag in 2026, one yard in bags costs $110 to $180. Screened bulk topsoil runs about $25 to $60 per yard plus a delivery fee of $40 to $90 a load. Delivery is the fixed cost that decides everything:
| Cubic yards | In bags ($4 each) | Bulk ($38/yd) + $65 delivery | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.25 | ~$36 (9 bags) | ~$75 | Bags |
| 0.5 | ~$72 (18 bags) | ~$84 | Bags |
| 1 | ~$144 (36 bags) | ~$103 | Bulk |
| 2 | ~$288 (72 bags) | ~$141 | Bulk |
| 5 | ~$720 (180 bags) | ~$255 | Bulk |
The crossover sits around three-quarters of a yard: below that, bags win because the delivery fee dwarfs the bulk discount; from about a yard up, bulk pulls away fast. There is also the weight reality. A yard of topsoil weighs 1.0 to 1.3 tons, so picking up two yards yourself is over two tons in the truck bed, and hauling 72 bags from the store is a workout with a very long tail. Bags win small patch jobs; bulk wins everything that looks like a project.
Worked example: a new lawn, 30 x 40 ft
A new lawn 30 x 40 ft is 1,200 square feet. At 4 inches: 1,200 x 4 / 324 = 14.81 cubic yards. Add 10% for settling and order about 16 yards. At 1.1 tons per yard that is roughly 17.6 tons of soil arriving at your driveway, and a tri-axle truck carries 10 to 15 yards, so this is one full load: roughly $610 to $670 all in at typical 2026 screened prices. Trying it in bags would mean 533 bags plus the extra, which is why the worked example on the calculator page uses the same maths to reach the same verdict.
If you want 6 inches instead, the same lawn is 22.22 yards before extra, about 24 yards ordered, which is two truck loads and nearly 27 tons. The depth decision is the budget decision. And before the truck arrives, confirm it can reach your site: a loaded tri-axle needs a wide, firm approach, and a pile dropped on the wrong side of the house gets moved by you, one barrow at a time.
Spreading it right: settle, grade, then seed
Delivered soil is fluffy and will sink 10 to 20% once watered and walked on, so the spreading sequence matters more than the muscle:
- Rough grade first. Rake the soil to roughly the right depth. Slope it away from the house at about 1 inch per 8 feet so water runs off instead of pooling against the foundation.
- Water it or wait for rain. One good soaking settles the soil before final grading. Skipping this is how mysterious dips appear a month after seeding.
- Final grade and firm. Rake level, then firm it by walking or light rolling until a footprint sinks about half an inch. Firm but not compacted is the target.
- Seed or sod immediately. Bare topsoil erodes in rain and weeds claim it within weeks. Get the grass seed down while the soil is fresh.
Schedule spreading help for delivery day. Sixteen yards will not move itself, a pile on the driveway annoys the neighbours quickly, and soil delivered in the morning is easiest to spread while it is still loose.