aggregates · sold by the cubic yard and by the ton
Topsoil Calculator
Type the area you are covering and how deep the soil goes. The result comes back in the two units topsoil is sold in — cubic yards and tons.
What to order
6.12cubic yards
or6.73tons, loose
20 ft short side30 ft long side
Both figures are for Topsoil loose, the state it is in when it is delivered and spread.
The formula, written out
(30 ft × 20 ft × 3 in ÷ 12) × (1 + 10% waste) ÷ 27 = 6.12 cubic yards
6.1111 cubic yards × 2200 lb per cubic yard (loose) ÷ 2000 = 6.73 tons
The formula above is the one that produced the numbers: the page asks for both in the same call, so the two cannot drift apart.
A lawn 30 ft by 20 ft raised 3 inches is 150 cubic feet of soil. Adding the 10% waste factor makes 165 cubic feet, which is 165 ÷ 27 = 6.12 cubic yards. At 2,200 pounds per cubic yard that is about 13,444 pounds, or 6.73 tons — two trips for most single-axle trucks.
measured loose · read 2026-08-15 · next check 2027-08-15
“One cubic yard equals twenty-seven cubic feet of soil and weighs approximately 1800 pounds.”
Yard Works Landscape Supply, premium screened topsoil · read 2026-08-15
“One Cubic yard weighs approximately 2200 lbs.”
Woodland Earth, screened topsoil (per cubic yard) · read 2026-08-15
“1 cubic yard of topsoil weighs approximately 2,200 pounds.”
Sands & Soils, topsoil · read 2026-08-15
“Dry topsoil ~2,000 lbs (1 ton). Moist topsoil ~2,200–2,400 lbs. Wet/saturated topsoil ~2,600–2,700 lbs.”
Ottr Landscape Supply, Boston, Massachusetts, "How Much Does a Yard of Dirt Weigh?" · read 2026-08-15
Your supplier has the last word. Aggregates vary by quarry and soil varies by the week it was dug, so the range above is what to expect and not a promise about the load you are buying. The weight on their ticket is the one you pay for.
Is topsoil the same as fill dirt?
No, and they are not priced the same. Topsoil is the growing layer — it has organic matter in it and things root in it. Fill dirt is subsoil for raising and levelling ground, it is cheaper and heavier, and nothing grows in it well. If you are building the ground up and then planting, you want fill dirt underneath and topsoil on top, and they are two separate orders.
How much does a cubic yard of topsoil weigh?
Loose, about 2,200 pounds, with 1,800 to 2,400 covering the spread between yards. Moisture and clay content move it most: screened dry loam sits near the bottom of that range and a wet clay-heavy soil sits at the top.
How deep should topsoil go?
For topdressing an existing lawn, a quarter to half an inch at a time — more than that smothers the grass. For a new lawn from seed or sod, 4 to 6 inches of good soil is the usual figure. For raised beds, whatever the bed is deep. This page works out how much a depth needs; what depth to build is your call and your landscaper’s.
Is topsoil sold by the bag or by the yard?
Both, and the crossover is around one cubic yard. Bagged topsoil is usually 0.75 or 1 cubic foot a bag, so a cubic yard is 27 to 36 bags — at which point bulk delivery is cheaper and far less work. This page answers in cubic yards and tons, which is how bulk is sold.