siteworkcalcLawn areas
Measure the lawn area and enter the intended layer of new soil. A topdressing layer and a new lawn base are different jobs: this tool leaves depth for you to specify.
SOIL & LANDSCAPE / TOOL 02
Topsoil Calculator.
Different beds. Different depths. One soil order.
Combine up to 20 lawn and garden areas, then compare bulk volume and bags.
01 / YOUR AREAS
Build your soil order
02 / YOUR COMBINED ORDER
One total for every area
Add each area and its own depth to see your breakdown here.
Order volume, including allowance
yd³
Bag counts round up once for the combined order. This estimates volume; it does not choose a growing mix, recommend planting depth or predict settlement.
Plan the layer you are adding
Garden beds
Add each bed separately when dimensions or depths differ. For a partly filled bed, enter the remaining fill depth. Enter only non-overlapping areas.
One product, one order
Combine areas only when ordering the same product. A prepared soil blend is measured as a whole; this tool does not calculate a compost recipe.
THE CALCULATION
Add volumes, not depths
Area volume (yd³) = area (ft²) × depth (in) ÷ 324Order = sum of area volumes × (1 + extra % ÷ 100)Metric: area (m²) × depth (cm) ÷ 100 gives m³. One cubic yard equals 27 cubic feet, or 0.764554857984 m³. Keep internal precision until the final display; round bag purchases up to whole bags.
A two-area example
A 12 × 4 ft bed receiving 6 in of soil needs 24 ft³. A 20 × 10 ft lawn area receiving 0.25 in needs 4.1667 ft³.
Combined: 28.1667 ft³ = 1.0432 yd³. Adding 10% gives 1.1475 yd³. With 2 ft³ bags, order 16 bags. These dimensions and depths illustrate the math, not planting recommendations.
Before ordering topsoil
Topsoil or fill dirt?
This page helps combine planting areas. For a single general fill space and supplier-density weight estimates, use the Dirt Calculator.
Decorative stone instead?
For a mineral landscape layer rather than planting soil, the Stone Calculator estimates bulk volume and converts supplier density into weight.
Does this recommend a mix?
No. Soil quality and growing media matter separately from volume. University of Maryland Extension discusses topsoil and compost for raised beds; select a suitable product for your site before estimating its quantity.
Why no automatic tons?
Weight varies with the product and its moisture. Ask the supplier for a density matched to your material rather than applying a universal tons-per-yard value.
METHOD & REFERENCES
Sources and assumptions
Reviewed October 4, 2026. Rectangular volume and unit conversion; user-supplied depth, allowance, packaging and price. No default soil density or product prices.