Topsoil Calculator

Roughly 2,000 to 2,400 pounds when screened and moderately dry — call it a little over a ton. Wet or clay-heavy soil can hit 2,700 pounds. A half-ton pickup should not take more than about half a cubic yard.

Four to six inches of good topsoil gives grass roots room to establish. On a 1,000 square foot lawn that is about 12 to 19 cubic yards, which is a delivery job rather than a bagged one.

Topsoil is screened mineral soil, sold in bulk for filling and levelling. Garden soil is topsoil already blended with compost and fertiliser, sold in bags for planting beds. Use topsoil for volume and garden soil for the top few inches where roots live.

For dips under an inch, use a sand and compost top-dressing mix instead — pure topsoil can crust over and smother grass. For deeper hollows, cut the turf, backfill with topsoil, and re-lay or reseed.

Measure the length and width in feet at the widest points and multiply them. For an irregular bed, break it into rectangles, circles and triangles, calculate each one separately and add the results together. Rounding up slightly is safer than rounding down.

Bulk is almost always cheaper per cubic yard once you need more than about 1 cubic yard — roughly 27 bags. Bags win when you need a small amount, have nowhere to dump a pile, or want to spread the job over several weekends.

A half-ton pickup can usually carry about 1 cubic yard of light material like mulch, but only around half a cubic yard of wet soil or gravel because of the weight. Check the weight figure above against your vehicle's payload rating before you load up.