Topsoil calculator for Texas
Cubic yards for lawns, beds and finish grading, plus the depths that decide the whole order.
Enter your project dimensions
Depth moves a topsoil order more than area does. The same 1,000-square-foot lawn needs 12 cubic yards at a 4-inch depth and barely 1.5 yards as a half-inch topdressing. So before anything else, decide what the topsoil is for. This topsoil calculator converts your area and chosen depth into cubic yards (the unit topsoil sells in) and tons, at about 2,200 lb per dry yard. Screened topsoil, which is what we stock, has had rock, roots and clods sifted out; that difference is hours of raking you won't do.
Depth first, then the math
- Topdressing a lawn: 1/4 to 1/2 inch, raked in so grass tips stay visible.
- Overseeding prep: 1/2 to 1 inch.
- New lawn from seed or sod: 4–6 inches over loosened subgrade.
- Flower beds: 6 inches, worked into the native soil below.
- Raised vegetable beds: 12 inches, though a garden-soil blend serves beds better (that's the Soil Calculator).
- Measure the area in feet and pick the depth from the list above.
- Cubic feet ÷ 27 = cubic yards; yards × 1.1 = tons. The calculator does both and adds 5% if you keep the allowance on.
Tons = cubic yards × 1.1
Coverage chart
| 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 |
Worked example: 1,000 square feet of new lawn
At 4 inches: 1,000 x 0.333 = 333 cubic feet = 12.3 cubic yards, around 13.5 tons on the truck. Sod crews in our delivery data order this as 12.5 to 13 yards and spread the difference into edges and low corners. If the subgrade also needs building up, do that part with fill dirt first and spend the topsoil budget only on the top 4 inches where roots live.
What screened topsoil is (and how to judge a load)
Topsoil is the upper layer of natural soil, alive with organic matter. Screening passes it over a mesh that pulls out stones, roots and clods. Good screened topsoil is dark, crumbles in your hand, and smells like a forest floor rather than a swamp. Squeeze a moist handful: it should ball up loosely and break apart with a poke. A slick ribbon means heavy clay; refusal to ball at all means it's mostly sand. Gray color or a sour smell means it was stored wet and airless, and visible rhizomes mean you're importing weeds. Photograph anything that looks off before spreading and call us; that's what makes it fixable.
Spreading without regrets
- Loosen the subgrade an inch before spreading. Four inches of topsoil over sealed clay drains like a bathtub with the plug in.
- Grade away from the house: a 6-inch fall over the first 10 feet.
- Firm, don't stomp. A footprint should sink about half an inch in properly settled topsoil.
- Schedule delivery for the week you'll spread. A rained-on pile weighs a third more per shovel and smears instead of raking.
Topsoil orders, explained
How much topsoil do I need for a new lawn?
How much does a yard of topsoil weigh?
How much is a yard of topsoil?
How much does a yard of topsoil cover?
What is topsoil?
Can I put topsoil over existing grass?
Topsoil or garden soil for beds?
Do I need to till before adding topsoil?
Related calculators
Lawn math done? Soil's on us to deliver.
Screened topsoil by the cubic yard, free delivery across Texas.