Topsoil calculator for Montana
Figure lawn, bed, and finish-grade yardage, then check the depth before ordering.
Enter your project dimensions
Start with depth, since it changes the order more than square footage. A 1,000-square-foot lawn takes 12 cubic yards at 4 inches, but only 1.5 yards for a half-inch topdressing. First choose the job the soil will handle. This calculator turns area and selected depth into cubic yards, the unit used for topsoil, and tons at about 2,200 lb per dry yard. Screening removes rocks, roots, and clods from topsoil before it is used.
Set the depth, then calculate
- Use 1/4 to 1/2 inch for lawn topdressing, and rake it so the grass blades still show.
- Overseeding preparation: 1/2 to 1 inch.
- New seeded or sodded lawn: 4 to 6 inches over a loosened subgrade.
- Flower beds: 6 inches mixed into the native soil beneath.
- For vegetable beds, use 12 inches. Garden-soil blend is better suited to beds, so use the Soil Calculator.
- Find the area in feet, then choose a depth from the options above.
- Divide cubic feet by 27 to get cubic yards, then multiply yards by 1.1 for tons. The calculator handles both and includes 5% when the allowance is left on.
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 about 13.5 tons on the truck. Order 12.5 to 13 yards for edges and low spots. Where the subgrade needs height, build it with fill dirt first, then use topsoil for the upper 4 inches where roots grow.
Screened topsoil and checking a load
Topsoil is the natural surface layer, with organic material mixed through it. Screening uses mesh to remove rocks, roots, and clumps. It should look dark, feel loose when rubbed, and have an earthy smell instead of a swamp odor. Press a damp handful together. It should make a loose ball and fall apart when poked. A smooth ribbon points to heavy clay, while material that will not hold a ball is mostly sand. Gray soil or a sour odor can mean it sat wet without air. Rhizomes showing in the mix can bring weeds. Take pictures of anything questionable before spreading.
Spread it the right way
- Break up the ground below by an inch before you spread it. Over gumbo clay, Four inches of topsoil will hold water if the layer underneath is sealed.
- Slope the finished grade away from the house, allowing a 6-inch drop across the first 10 feet.
- Settle the soil without stomping it. A properly settled surface takes a footprint about half an inch deep.
- Set delivery for the same week as spreading. A wet pile can weigh a third more per shovel and will smear instead of rake.
Understanding a topsoil order
How much topsoil is required 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 applying topsoil?
Other calculators
Finished with the lawn calculation?
Screened topsoil sold by the cubic yard, with free delivery across Montana.
