Cubic yards, bag counts & cost for new fill or lawn top-dressing
Deep fill for new lawns, grading, or raised beds — typically 2″ to 12″+ of topsoil.
1/4″ is the standard rate for routine lawn leveling. Go thicker only to fix noticeable low spots, or you risk smothering turf.
New lawn establishment: 4–6″. Grading/raised beds: up to 12″+.
The 70/30 sand-compost blend is the standard pick for leveling low spots without smothering existing grass.
Uncompacted topsoil settles 15–20% after its first rain or watering. This buffer keeps your finished depth on target instead of running short.
Leave blank to use the default for your selected mix. Screened topsoil typically weighs 2,000–2,700 lb/yd³ depending on moisture.
Please enter a valid area and depth first.
Total Order Amount (Includes Settling Buffer)
–cubic yards
Enter your project details and calculate to see results.
Enter details above to see coverage.
Retail Bag & Bulk Order Breakdown
Real-World Hauling Equivalents
Project Inputs
Estimates are approximate and based on standard soil bulk densities and industry coverage rates. Actual weight and coverage vary by moisture content and compaction. Confirm quantities with your supplier before ordering.
This tool splits into two modes, so start by picking the one that matches your job.
These are two different jobs, and mixing them up is the most common topsoil mistake homeowners make.
Deep Fill / New Bed is for building something up grading a low spot, filling a raised garden bed, or prepping ground for a brand-new lawn. You're typically adding 4 inches or more, and the goal is volume.
Lawn Top-Dressing is for fixing something that already exists. You're spreading a thin layer an eighth to a half-inch over living grass to smooth out bumps and dips without smothering it. Go thicker than that and you risk killing the turf underneath.
If you're not sure which one describes your project: are you starting from bare dirt, or is there already grass growing where you're working? Bare dirt means Deep Fill. Existing grass means Top-Dressing. QuickTonnage's calculator adjusts its default depth and even its input precision based on which one you pick, so you're not stuck typing "0.25" into a field built for whole inches.
A 40 lb bag of topsoil is roughly 0.75 cubic feet, so you'd need about 36 bags to fill one cubic yard. QuickTonnage's bag breakdown does this math against your actual order size.
Screened topsoil typically weighs 2,000 to 2,700 lbs per cubic yard depending on moisture. Our calculator uses a mid-range default and lets you override it if your supplier gives you a specific number.
Not quite. "Dirt" is a general term, while topsoil specifically refers to the nutrient-rich top layer of soil that plants grow in. Fill dirt, by contrast, is often subsoil with fewer nutrients fine for grading, not ideal for planting.
For lawn leveling, most landscapers use a 70/30 blend of masonry sand and compost rather than pure sand. QuickTonnage's Mix selector includes this exact blend so you get an accurate weight and volume for it.
Uncompacted soil settles 15–20% after its first rain or watering. Without that buffer, your finished depth would end up shallower than you planned.