Topsoil calculator for Kansas
Topsoil quantities for lawns, beds, and finish grades, with order depth guidance.
Enter your project dimensions
Choose the intended use before setting the depth, since depth affects the order more than area. On a 1,000-square-foot lawn, 4-inch coverage calls for 12 cubic yards, while a half-inch topdressing takes only 1.5 yards. Enter the area and selected depth here to calculate cubic yards, the selling unit for topsoil, and tons using about 2,200 lb per dry yard. Screening removes rock, roots, and clods from topsoil, cutting down the raking left after spreading.
Pick depth before doing the math
- Lawn topdressing: 1/4 to 1/2 inch, raked so the grass blades remain showing.
- For overseeding: 1/2 to 1 inch.
- Seeded or sodded new lawn: 4 to 6 inches on loosened subgrade.
- Flower beds: use 6 inches and blend it into the soil underneath.
- For raised vegetable beds, use 12 inches. A garden-soil blend is a better fit for beds, so use the Soil Calculator.
- Get the area in feet, then select a listed depth.
- Divide cubic feet by 27 for cubic yards, then multiply yards by 1.1 for tons. The calculator handles both steps and includes 5% when the allowance is left on.
Tons = cubic yards × 1.1
Mulch 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 |
Example calculation: a 1,000 square foot new lawn
A 4-inch layer works out to 1,000 x 0.333 = 333 cubic feet = 12.3 cubic yards, or roughly 13.5 tons on the truck. For edges and low corners, plan 12.5 to 13 yards. Where the subgrade needs more height, place fill dirt first, then reserve topsoil for the upper 4 inches where roots grow.
Screened topsoil and what to look for in a load
Natural topsoil is the upper soil layer, where organic matter is active. Screening uses mesh to separate out stones, roots, and clods. It should look dark, break apart easily in your hand, and smell earthy instead of swampy. Press a moist handful into a ball, then poke it: it should hold loosely and crumble apart. A smooth ribbon indicates heavy clay, while material that will not form a ball is mostly sand. Gray soil or a sour odor points to wet, airless storage, and visible rhizomes can introduce weeds. Take photographs before spreading anything that seems unusual, then call us.
Spread it right the first time
- Before placing topsoil, loosen the soil below an inch. On sealed eastern Kansas clay, Four inches of topsoil can hold water like a tub with its drain plugged.
- Slope the ground away from the house with a 6-inch fall in the first 10 feet.
- Firm the soil without stomping it. In settled topsoil, a footprint should press in about half an inch.
- Set delivery during the week the material will be spread. Rain makes a pile weigh a third more per shovel, and it smears instead of raking clean.
Understanding a topsoil order
What amount of topsoil is required for a new lawn?
What does a topsoil yard weigh?
What does a yard of topsoil cost?
How much area will a yard of topsoil cover?
What does topsoil mean?
Can topsoil be spread over grass?
For beds, topsoil or garden soil?
Should I till before placing topsoil?
Other calculators
Ready to finish the lawn? Arrange soil delivery.
Screened topsoil sold by the cubic yard with free delivery across Kansas.
