How Much Topsoil for a 4×8 Garden?
A 4 × 8 ft garden (32 ft²) at 6″ deep needs 0.7 yd³ of topsoil — 0.59 yd³ net plus 10% for settling. Order 1.0 yd³ — bulk soil is sold by the ½ yard; most yards run a 3 yd³ delivery minimum.
4×8 at other depths
| Depth | Volume | Order (yd³) | 40 lb bag (0.75 ft³) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3″ | 0.30 yd³ | 0.3 yd³ | 12 |
| 6″ (this page) | 0.59 yd³ | 0.7 yd³ | 24 |
| 12″ | 1.19 yd³ | 1.3 yd³ | 47 |
Other garden sizes
Order 1.0 yd³ — bulk soil is sold by the ½ yard; most yards run a 3 yd³ delivery minimum.
- Area
- 32 ft²
- Volume (16.0 ft³)
- 0.59 yd³
- Weight @ 1.10 t/yd³
- ≈ 0.7 tons
- Waste / settling 10%
- + 0.06 yd³
- Order quantity
- 0.65 yd³
- Truckloads
- 1 × tandem dump (≈10 yd³)
- Metric
- 0.50 m³
- 40 lb bag (0.75 ft³)
- 24 bags
- 1 ft³ bag
- 18 bags
- 1.5 ft³ bag
- 12 bags
- Materials + delivery$20–$55 / yd³ · Aug 2026
- $95 – $130
- Installed (with labor)typ. $136
- $111 – $169
Different size or depth?
Open the full topsoil calculator to change every input, pick a material and see truckloads.
How to calculate topsoil by hand
Cubic yards = Length (ft) × Width (ft) × Depth (in) ÷ 12 ÷ 27
Worked example
- Area: 20 ft × 10 ft = 200 ft².
- Volume: 200 ft² × (6 in ÷ 12) = 100 ft³.
- Cubic yards: 100 ÷ 27 = 3.70 yd³.
- Settling allowance 10%: 3.70 × 1.10 = 4.07 yd³ → order 4.5 yd³ (sold by the half yard).
- Bagged instead: 110 ft³ ÷ 0.75 ft³ = 147 × 40 lb bags — a pallet and a half.
- 1 yd³ of topsoil at 3″
- ≈ 108 ft²
- 1 yd³ of topsoil at 6″
- ≈ 54 ft²
- 1 yd³ in 40 lb bags
- 36 bags
- 1 yd³ screened topsoil
- ≈ 2,200 lb
Questions crews ask
How many cubic yards of topsoil do I need?
Length × width in feet gives square feet; multiply by depth in inches and divide by 324 to get cubic yards (12 × 27). A 20 × 10 ft area at 6″ is 200 × 6 ÷ 324 = 3.7 yd³. Add about 10% because loose soil settles once it is watered in.
How much does a cubic yard of topsoil weigh?
Screened topsoil runs 2,000–2,600 lb per cubic yard — 1.0 to 1.3 tons — depending on moisture and organic content. Wet clay soil is heavier; compost and garden mixes are lighter at 1,400–2,000 lb.
How many bags of topsoil make a yard?
A 40 lb bag holds about 0.75 ft³, so 36 bags make a cubic yard. 1 ft³ bags take 27; 1.5 ft³ bags take 18. Above roughly a yard, bulk delivery is cheaper than bags even with the delivery fee.