Topsoil calculator for Wyoming
Figure cubic yards for lawns, planting beds, and finish grading, with depth guidance that sets the order quantity.
Enter your project dimensions
Start by setting the use and depth, since depth changes the order faster than square footage. At 4-inch depth, a 1,000-square-foot lawn takes 12 cubic yards, but a half-inch topdressing uses only 1.5 yards. Enter the area and selected depth to calculate cubic yards, how topsoil is sold, along with tons at about 2,200 lb per dry yard. Our screened topsoil has rocks, roots, and clods removed, leaving less cleanup after it is spread.
Set depth, then calculate
- Keep grass blades showing by raking in a 1/4 to 1/2 inch lawn topdressing.
- Before overseeding: spread 1/2 to 1 inch.
- New seeded or sodded lawn: place 4-6 inches over a loosened subgrade.
- Flower beds: use 6 inches and blend it into the soil underneath.
- Raised vegetable beds: allow 12 inches, but use a garden-soil blend for beds instead (see the Soil Calculator).
- Calculate the area in feet, then select a depth from the choices above.
- Convert cubic feet to cubic yards by dividing by 27, then multiply yards × 1.1 for tons. The calculator runs those figures and applies 5% when the allowance remains selected.
Tons = cubic yards × 1.1
Coverage by depth
| 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 for a new lawn
For 4 inches, 1,000 x 0.333 = 333 cubic feet = 12.3 cubic yards, which is around 13.5 tons on the truck. Ordering 12.5 to 13 yards leaves a little for edges and low corners. Where the subgrade needs height, build that first with fill dirt and save topsoil for the upper 4 inches where roots grow.
Screened topsoil and load checks
Natural topsoil is the surface layer where organic matter is active. Screening runs the material through mesh to separate out stones, roots and clods. Screened topsoil should look dark, feel crumbly in your hand and have an earthy forest-floor smell, not a swamp smell. Press a damp handful together: it should make a loose ball that breaks apart when poked. A smooth, slick ribbon points to heavy clay, while material that will not ball is mostly sand. Gray color or a sour odor indicates wet, airless storage, and visible rhizomes can carry weeds. Before spreading anything questionable, photograph it and call us so it can be addressed.
Spread it right the first time
- Before placing topsoil, work the subgrade loose for an inch. Put four inches over sealed clay and water will sit there like a plugged bathtub.
- From the house, establish a 6-inch drop across the first 10 feet.
- Settle the soil gently instead of stomping it. A footprint in properly firmed topsoil should press down about half an inch.
- Set delivery for the week you plan to spread the material. A pile hit by rain can weigh a third more per shovel, and it will smear rather than rake cleanly.
Understanding topsoil quantities
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 a yard of topsoil cover?
What does topsoil mean?
Can topsoil go on top of grass?
For beds, topsoil or garden soil?
Should I till before placing topsoil?
Other calculators
Finished with the lawn calculation? Arrange soil delivery.
Order screened topsoil by the cubic yard with free delivery in Wyoming.
