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Topsoil calculator for Vermont

Figure cubic yards for lawns, beds, and final grading, with depth guidance for planning the order.

Enter your project dimensions

ft
Enter a length greater than 0
ft
Enter a width greater than 0
ft
Enter a diameter greater than 0
in
Enter a depth between 0.25 and 24 inches

Choose your depth before calculating. It affects a topsoil order more than square footage. A 1,000-square-foot lawn takes 12 cubic yards at 4 inches, but a half-inch topdressing uses only 1.5 yards. Start by defining the job. This calculator turns your area and selected depth into cubic yards, the measure used to sell topsoil, and tons at roughly 2,200 lb per dry yard. Screening removes rocks, roots, and clumps from topsoil, reducing the raking needed afterward.

Pick depth, then calculate

  • Lawn topdressing: 1/4 to 1/2 inch. Rake it in while leaving grass tips exposed.
  • Prepare for overseeding: 1/2 to 1 inch.
  • For a seeded or sodded lawn, place 4-6 inches over a loosened subgrade.
  • Flower beds: work 6 inches into the native soil underneath.
  • Raised vegetable beds: use 12 inches. A garden-soil blend is better suited to beds (see the Soil Calculator).
  1. Measure your area in feet, then select a depth from the options above.
  2. Cubic feet ÷ 27 = cubic yards, and yards × 1.1 = tons. This calculator handles both calculations and includes 5% when the allowance is left on.
Cubic yards = (Area sq ft × Depth in ÷ 12) ÷ 27
Tons = cubic yards × 1.1

Coverage guide

Depth1 cubic yard covers5 yards cover
1/2 inch topdress648 sq ft3,240 sq ft
2 inches162 sq ft810 sq ft
4 inches81 sq ft405 sq ft
6 inches54 sq ft270 sq ft
ProjectTypical sizeDepthVolumeWeight
New lawn, seed or sod1,000 sq ft4"12.3 yd³13.6 tons
Lawn topdressing2,000 sq ft0.5"3.1 yd³3.4 tons
New flower bed15 x 4 ft6"1.1 yd³1.2 tons
Patch repairs around the yard≈ 150 sq ft2"0.9 yd³1 tons
Finish grade over fill600 sq ft4"7.4 yd³8.1 tons

Example calculation: 1,000 square feet of new lawn

For 4 inches: 1,000 x 0.333 = 333 cubic feet = 12.3 cubic yards, or about 13.5 tons loaded. For this size, orders commonly run 12.5 to 13 yards, with the remainder used along edges and in low spots. If the subgrade needs added height, build it first with fill dirt. Reserve topsoil for the upper 4 inches where roots grow.

Screened topsoil and how to assess a load

Topsoil is nature's upper soil layer and contains organic matter. During screening, mesh separates out stones, roots, and clods. Screened topsoil should be dark, friable in your hand, and smell like forest ground instead of a swamp. Press a moist handful together. It should form a loose ball, then break up with a poke. A smooth ribbon points to heavy clay, while soil that will not form a ball is mostly sand. Gray color or a sour odor can indicate wet, airless storage. Visible rhizomes can bring in weeds. Take photos of anything unusual before spreading and call us.

Spread it the right way

  • Before spreading, loosen the subgrade by an inch. Four inches of topsoil placed over sealed clay drains like a bathtub with its plug in.
  • Slope the grade away from the house: allow a 6-inch drop across the first 10 feet.
  • Settle it firmly without stomping. In settled topsoil, a footprint should sink about half an inch.
  • Arrange delivery during the week you plan to spread. After rain, a pile can weigh a third more with each shovel and will smear rather than rake.

Understanding topsoil orders

What topsoil depth does a new lawn need?
Use a 4-6 inch depth, which takes 1.25 to 1.85 cubic yards for each 100 square feet. For 1,000 square feet, expect 12 to 18 yards. Use the calculator for the precise amount.
What does a yard of topsoil weigh?
A dry yard weighs about 2,200 lb, or 1.1 tons. Once soaked, that yard may exceed 2,700 lb. Since topsoil is sold by volume, weather does not change its coverage.
What is the cost of a yard of topsoil?
See the current per-yard price, including delivery, on our Top Soil product page. One bulk yard equals roughly 36 bags at 40 lb each. Compare a delivered yard with the shelf cost of 36 bags before choosing.
What area will a yard of topsoil cover?
At 3 inches, it covers 108 square feet. At 4 inches, it covers 81 square feet. At 6 inches, it covers 54 square feet. A half-inch topdressing reaches 648 square feet.
What does topsoil mean?
Natural topsoil is the upper soil layer, usually the first 5-12 inches, where organic material and soil organisms are most active. It is screened before sale to remove debris and rock. The subsoil underneath is available as fill dirt for structural applications.
Can topsoil go over existing grass?
Use it over grass only as a topdressing no deeper than a half inch, so the grass can grow through it. For more than an inch of grade change, remove or kill the turf first. Sod buried below new soil decays unevenly and can leave lumps in the lawn for a year.
For beds, topsoil or garden soil?
Garden soil works better in beds because it combines topsoil and compost. Use plain screened topsoil for lawns and grading. The Soil Calculator explains blended materials and raised-bed quantities.
Should I till before applying topsoil?
At a minimum, scratch the existing surface an inch deep. This joins the layers so roots and water move through them instead of stopping at the divide.
Soil CalculatorCalculate →Dirt CalculatorCalculate →Mulch CalculatorCalculate →All calculatorsMulch, sand, topsoil, dirt & more.Open the hub →

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Screened topsoil sold by the cubic yard, with free delivery across Vermont.

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