How much topsoil do I need for 1,000 square feet?

7.1 cubic yards for a 2 inch top dressing, 14.2 cubic yards for a 4 inch layer and 21.3 for 6 inches, all with 15% for settling. In bags of 0.75 cubic feet that is 256, 512 and 767 bags; at that point bulk delivery is the sensible buy.

How many bags of topsoil make a cubic yard?

36 bags of 0.75 cubic feet or 27 bags of 1 cubic foot, because a yard is 27 cubic feet. Bags sold by weight (40 lb) vary with moisture: at the 1.2 t/m³ used here a yard is about 51 bags of 40 lb, but bagged soil is often lighter and fluffier than that, so go by the volume printed on the bag when there is one.

How much topsoil do I need to level my lawn?

Top dressing goes on thin: 1/4 to 1/2 inch at a time over grass, so it does not smother it, which is only 1.77 cubic yards per 1,000 square feet. Filling low spots deeper than an inch is better done by lifting the turf, adding soil and relaying it.

How much topsoil do I need for grass seed or turf?

A 4 to 6 inch bed of good topsoil is the usual base for a new lawn from seed or sod: 14.2 to 21.3 cubic yards per 1,000 square feet. If the existing soil is decent, 2 inches worked into the top of it is often enough.

How many square feet does a yard of topsoil cover?

About 141 square feet at 2 inches deep, 70 at 4 inches and 47 at 6 inches, allowing 15% for settling. Without the allowance a yard covers 162, 81 and 54 square feet.

Is it cheaper to buy topsoil in bags or in bulk?

Bulk, from about one cubic yard upwards; below that the delivery fee makes bags competitive. 100 square feet at 4 inches is 52 bags of 0.75 cubic feet, which is a car boot or two. Bagged soil is screened and consistent; bulk soil should be screened topsoil, not fill.

How much topsoil do I need? Bags and cubic yards by area

Multiply the area by the depth: 1,000 square feet of lawn topped up with 2 inches of topsoil is about 7.1 cubic yards with 15% for settling, roughly 7.2 US tons, or 256 bags of 0.75 cubic feet. A new 4 inch bed over the same area is 14.2 cubic yards. Anything over about a yard is cheaper delivered in bulk; the tables show where that line falls.

Open the topsoil calculator

Topsoil by area and depth

The tables include 15% for settling and use the calculator's topsoil density of 1.2 t/m³ for the tonnage. Bags are shown two ways: the 0.75 cubic feet bag sold by volume, and the 40 lb bag sold by weight, which at this density holds a little less.

2 inch layer, 15% for settling
Area	Cubic yards	US tons	Bags (0.75 cu ft)	Bags (40 lb)
100 sq ft	0.71	0.72	26	36
250 sq ft	1.77	1.79	64	90
500 sq ft	3.55	3.59	128	180
1,000 sq ft	7.1	7.18	256	359
2,000 sq ft	14.2	14.36	512	718

4 inch layer, 15% for settling
Area	Cubic yards	US tons	Bags (0.75 cu ft)	Bags (40 lb)
100 sq ft	1.42	1.44	52	72
250 sq ft	3.55	3.59	128	180
500 sq ft	7.1	7.18	256	359
1,000 sq ft	14.2	14.36	512	718
2,000 sq ft	28.4	28.72	1,023	1,436

6 inch layer, 15% for settling
Area	Cubic yards	US tons	Bags (0.75 cu ft)	Bags (40 lb)
100 sq ft	2.13	2.15	77	108
250 sq ft	5.32	5.38	192	270
500 sq ft	10.65	10.77	384	539
1,000 sq ft	21.3	21.54	767	1,077
2,000 sq ft	42.59	43.08	1,534	2,154

How the numbers are worked out

Area in square feet x depth in feet = cubic feet; divide by 27 for cubic yards, then add 15% because loose soil settles once it is spread and watered. The topsoil calculator does this for any area, depth, bag and truck size, takes a density from your supplier and prices bulk against bags. For an odd-shaped bed, split it into rectangles and add them.

Bags or bulk?

One cubic yard is 36 bags of 0.75 cubic feet. Up to about half a yard, bags win: no delivery fee, and you can carry them where a truck cannot tip. From one yard up, a bulk delivery of screened topsoil is usually cheaper per yard even with the fee, and it is a single pile to barrow rather than dozens of bags to cut open. Bulk soil is sold by the yard or by the ton; the cubic yard weight guide explains the conversion.

Metric: cubic metres, 40 L bags and bulk bags

In metric the sum is area x depth in metres. A 40 litre bag is 0.04 m³, so 25 bags make a cubic metre; a bulk bag holds about 850 kg, around 0.7 m³ of topsoil at 1.2 t/m³.

Topsoil, 15% for settling
Area	Depth	Cubic metres	Tonnes	40 L bags	Bulk bags
20 m²	5 cm	1.15	1.38	29	2
50 m²	5 cm	2.88	3.45	72	5
100 m²	5 cm	5.75	6.9	144	9
200 m²	5 cm	11.5	13.8	288	17
20 m²	10 cm	2.3	2.76	58	4
50 m²	10 cm	5.75	6.9	144	9
100 m²	10 cm	11.5	13.8	288	17
200 m²	10 cm	23	27.6	575	33

Before you order

Ask for screened topsoil for beds and lawns. Unscreened soil or fill contains stones, roots and clay lumps and is only for raising levels under something else.
Raised beds: work out the inside dimensions, and fill the bottom third with cheaper compost or fill if the bed is deeper than a foot.
Wet soil weighs a lot more than dry: a full yard can be over a ton and a half after rain, which matters for a trailer and for the barrow.
Gravel under a path or patio is worked out the same way; see gravel for a driveway.

Frequently asked questions

How much topsoil do I need for 1,000 square feet?: 7.1 cubic yards for a 2 inch top dressing, 14.2 cubic yards for a 4 inch layer and 21.3 for 6 inches, all with 15% for settling. In bags of 0.75 cubic feet that is 256, 512 and 767 bags; at that point bulk delivery is the sensible buy.
How many bags of topsoil make a cubic yard?: 36 bags of 0.75 cubic feet or 27 bags of 1 cubic foot, because a yard is 27 cubic feet. Bags sold by weight (40 lb) vary with moisture: at the 1.2 t/m³ used here a yard is about 51 bags of 40 lb, but bagged soil is often lighter and fluffier than that, so go by the volume printed on the bag when there is one.
How much topsoil do I need to level my lawn?: Top dressing goes on thin: 1/4 to 1/2 inch at a time over grass, so it does not smother it, which is only 1.77 cubic yards per 1,000 square feet. Filling low spots deeper than an inch is better done by lifting the turf, adding soil and relaying it.
How much topsoil do I need for grass seed or turf?: A 4 to 6 inch bed of good topsoil is the usual base for a new lawn from seed or sod: 14.2 to 21.3 cubic yards per 1,000 square feet. If the existing soil is decent, 2 inches worked into the top of it is often enough.
How many square feet does a yard of topsoil cover?: About 141 square feet at 2 inches deep, 70 at 4 inches and 47 at 6 inches, allowing 15% for settling. Without the allowance a yard covers 162, 81 and 54 square feet.
Is it cheaper to buy topsoil in bags or in bulk?: Bulk, from about one cubic yard upwards; below that the delivery fee makes bags competitive. 100 square feet at 4 inches is 52 bags of 0.75 cubic feet, which is a car boot or two. Bagged soil is screened and consistent; bulk soil should be screened topsoil, not fill.

How much fill dirt do I need? (yards, tons and truckloads by area)
Cubic yards of fill dirt for 100 to 5,000 sq ft at 3 to 12 in with 20% for compaction, the tons and 10-yard truckloads that is, filling a low spot, and metric.
How much is a yard of dirt? Fill dirt and topsoil cost (2026)
Fill dirt 5 to 25 and topsoil 10 to 50 per cubic yard delivered, US 2026 (HomeGuide): truckloads, delivery fees, bags, and what 1 to 30 yards cost for a lawn or low spot.
How many bags of topsoil in a cubic yard? (40 lb, 1 and 2 cu ft bags)
36 bags of 40 lb (0.75 cu ft) make a cubic yard, 27 of 1 cu ft, 14 of 2 cu ft. Bags for 1 to 10 yards, what they cost against a bulk load, and where bags stop paying.
How much does a cinder block garage cost? (blocks, mortar, grout and slab for 1, 2 and 3 car)
Blocks, mortar and grout for 1 to 3 car block garages, 12x20 to 36x24 ft, 8 ft walls, doors and windows taken off, plus the 4 in slab, at 2026 prices.

Last updated 2026-09-15. Figures are planning estimates from typical product data: check the yield, size or coverage printed on what you buy and round up.