Topsoil calculator for Oregon
Calculate lawn, bed, and final-grade yardage, starting with the depths that set the order.
Enter your project dimensions
The selected depth has a bigger effect on a topsoil order than the square footage. A 1,000-square-foot lawn takes 12 cubic yards at 4-inch depth, but just 1.5 yards for a half-inch topdressing. Start by defining the job, then use this calculator to turn area and depth into cubic yards, the sales unit for topsoil, and tons at about 2,200 lb per dry yard. Screening removes rocks, roots, and clods, leaving material that takes less cleanup during raking.
Set depth before calculating
- For lawn topdressing, apply 1/4 to 1/2 inch, then rake it in while leaving the grass tips exposed.
- Prepare for overseeding: 1/2 to 1 inch.
- For a seeded or sodded lawn, place 4 to 6 inches over prepared, loosened subgrade.
- Flower beds: 6 inches, blended into the native soil underneath.
- Vegetable beds should have 12 inches; use a garden-soil blend for beds instead, with calculations in the Soil Calculator.
- Measure in feet, then choose a depth from the options above.
- Divide cubic feet by 27 to get cubic yards, then use yards × 1.1 for tons. The calculator runs both figures and includes 5% when the allowance remains selected.
Tons = cubic yards × 1.1
Mulch coverage guide
| Depth | 1 cubic yard covers | 5 yards cover |
|---|---|---|
| 1/2 inch topdress | 648 sq ft | 3,240 sq ft |
| 2 inches | 162 sq ft | 810 sq ft |
| 4 inches | 81 sq ft | 405 sq ft |
| 6 inches | 54 sq ft | 270 sq ft |
| Project | Typical size | Depth | Volume | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New lawn, seed or sod | 1,000 sq ft | 4" | 12.3 yd³ | 13.6 tons |
| Lawn topdressing | 2,000 sq ft | 0.5" | 3.1 yd³ | 3.4 tons |
| New flower bed | 15 x 4 ft | 6" | 1.1 yd³ | 1.2 tons |
| Patch repairs around the yard | ≈ 150 sq ft | 2" | 0.9 yd³ | 1 tons |
| Finish grade over fill | 600 sq ft | 4" | 7.4 yd³ | 8.1 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 roughly 13.5 tons loaded. Order 12.5 to 13 yards, with the extra worked into perimeter areas and low spots. Where the subgrade needs added height, install fill dirt first, then keep the topsoil budget for the upper 4 inches of root zone.
Screened topsoil and what to check in a load
Natural topsoil is the surface horizon, containing organic material and active soil life. During screening, mesh separates out rocks, roots, and hard clumps. Screened material should be dark, friable in your hand, and smell earthy, not swampy. Compress a damp handful: it ought to form a soft ball, then fall apart when touched. If it makes a smooth ribbon, it has heavy clay; if it will not form a ball, it is largely sand. Gray soil or a sour odor points to wet, airless storage, while visible rhizomes can introduce weeds. Before spreading questionable material, photograph it and call us so it can be addressed.
Spread it right the first time
- Before spreading, loosen the subgrade an inch. In Willamette Valley clay, four inches of topsoil over a sealed surface holds water like a plugged bathtub.
- Slope the grade away from the house: 6-inch drop across the first 10 feet.
- Pack it lightly rather than stomping it. In settled topsoil, a footprint should press down about half an inch.
- Have the load delivered during the week it will be spread. Rain can make a pile weigh a third more per shovel, and wet material smears rather than rakes.
Understanding topsoil orders
How much topsoil should I use for a new lawn?
What does a yard of topsoil weigh?
What is the price of a yard of topsoil?
What area will one yard of topsoil cover?
What does topsoil mean?
Can topsoil go over existing grass?
For beds, topsoil or garden soil?
Should I till before spreading topsoil?
More calculators
Ready for lawn calculations? Arrange soil delivery.
Screened topsoil sold by the cubic yard with free delivery across Oregon.
