Topsoil calculator for Arkansas
Figure cubic yards for lawns, beds, and final grading. Depth sets the order amount.
Enter your project dimensions
Start by choosing the job, then set the depth. Depth changes the order more than square footage: a 1,000-square-foot lawn takes 12 cubic yards at 4 inches, while a half-inch topdressing uses just 1.5 yards. This calculator turns area and depth into cubic yards, the unit used to sell topsoil, plus tons based on about 2,200 lb per dry yard. Screened topsoil has rocks, roots, and clods sifted out, saving time during raking.
Choose depth, then calculate
- For lawn topdressing, spread 1/4 to 1/2 inch and rake it down with grass tips showing.
- Prepare for overseeding with 1/2 to 1 inch.
- New seed or sod lawn: 4-6 inches over a loosened subgrade.
- Flower beds: mix 6 inches into the native soil beneath.
- Allow 12 inches for raised vegetable beds. A garden-soil blend is better suited to beds, so use the Soil Calculator.
- In feet, measure your area, then choose a depth from the options above.
- Cubic yards equal cubic feet ÷ 27; tons equal yards × 1.1. With the allowance enabled, the calculator adds 5%.
Tons = cubic yards × 1.1
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: a 1,000 square foot new lawn
For 4 inches, 1,000 x 0.333 = 333 cubic feet = 12.3 cubic yards, or about 13.5 tons on the truck. Plan 12.5 to 13 yards for edges and low corners. Build up the subgrade with fill dirt first if needed, then reserve topsoil for the upper 4 inches where roots grow.
Screened topsoil and load checks
Topsoil forms the natural upper soil layer and contains organic matter. Screening runs it across mesh to remove stones, roots, and clods. Screened topsoil should be dark, loose in your hand, and earthy smelling instead of swampy. Press a moist handful into a ball, then poke it: it should break apart easily. A smooth ribbon points to heavy clay, while soil that will not form a ball is mostly sand. Gray material, a sour odor, or visible rhizomes can indicate wet storage or weeds. Take a photo of anything unusual before spreading it and call us.
Spread it properly
- Before spreading, loosen the subgrade by an inch. Four inches of topsoil on sealed clay drains like a plugged bathtub. This matters on Delta gumbo clay.
- Slope the ground away from the house with a 6-inch drop across the first 10 feet.
- Settle it firmly without stomping. A footprint in settled topsoil should leave about half an inch of depth.
- Set delivery for the week you plan to spread the material. Rain makes a pile weigh a third more per shovel and turns it sticky instead of rakeable.
Understanding topsoil orders
How much topsoil is needed for a new lawn?
What does one yard of topsoil weigh?
What does a yard of topsoil cost?
What area does a yard of topsoil cover?
What does topsoil mean?
Can topsoil go on existing grass?
For beds, topsoil or garden soil?
Should I till before applying topsoil?
More calculators
Finished the lawn math? Arrange soil delivery.
Order screened topsoil by the cubic yard with free delivery across Arkansas.
