Topsoil calculator for Hawaii
Estimate lawn, bed, and finish-grade yards using the depth that shapes your order.
Enter your project dimensions
Start by choosing the job, since depth has a bigger effect on a topsoil order than area. At a 4-inch depth, a 1,000-square-foot lawn calls for 12 cubic yards, while a half-inch topdressing needs only 1.5 yards. This calculator changes your measurements and selected depth into cubic yards, which is how topsoil is sold, plus tons at about 2,200 lb per dry yard. Screened topsoil has stones, roots, and clods removed through sifting, leaving less raking after it is spread.
Choose depth before calculating
- For lawn topdressing, use 1/4 to 1/2 inch. Rake it in lightly, leaving the grass tips exposed.
- Prepare for overseeding with 1/2 to 1 inch.
- New seeded or sodded lawn: Spread 4 to 6 inches over a loosened subgrade.
- Flower beds: Work 6 inches into the soil already below.
- Allow 12 inches for raised vegetable beds. A garden-soil blend is better suited to beds, so use the Soil Calculator.
- Enter 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 steps 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: a 1,000 square foot new lawn
For a 4-inch depth, 1,000 x 0.333 = 333 cubic feet = 12.3 cubic yards, or about 13.5 tons on the truck. Allow 12.5 to 13 yards for low spots and edges. Build up the subgrade with fill dirt first if needed, then reserve the topsoil budget for the upper 4 inches where roots grow.
Screened topsoil and ways to assess a load
Topsoil is the natural surface layer, where organic material is active. Screening uses mesh to remove clods, roots, and stones. Screened topsoil should be dark, break apart easily in your hand, and smell earthy instead of swampy. Press a moist handful together. It should make a loose ball and crumble 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 indicate wet, airless storage, and visible rhizomes can bring in weeds. Take photos of anything unusual before spreading it and call us so it can be addressed.
Spread it with fewer problems
- Before spreading, loosen the subgrade an inch. Four inches of topsoil over compacted clay holds water like a bathtub with the plug in.
- Slope the ground away from the house with a 6-inch drop across the first 10 feet.
- Settle it gently rather than stomping it. In settled topsoil, a footprint should press down about half an inch.
- Have the material delivered during the week you plan to spread it. A rain-soaked pile is a third heavier per shovel and smears instead of raking cleanly.
Understanding a topsoil order
How much topsoil is needed for a new lawn?
What does one yard of topsoil weigh?
What is the price of a yard of topsoil?
What area does a yard of topsoil cover?
What does topsoil mean?
Can topsoil go over an existing lawn?
For beds, should I use topsoil or garden soil?
Should I till before spreading topsoil?
Other calculators
Finished the lawn calculation? We deliver the soil.
Order screened topsoil by the cubic yard with free delivery across Hawaii.
