Topsoil Delivery Cost Calculator
Bulk topsoil by the cubic yard, delivered and optionally spread. Prices below are national averages — enter your local yard’s quote to tighten the range.
Order 8.5 yd³ — bulk soil is sold by the ½ yard; most yards run a 3 yd³ delivery minimum.
- Area
- 600 ft²
- Volume (200.0 ft³)
- 7.41 yd³
- Weight @ 1.10 t/yd³
- ≈ 8.1 tons
- Waste / settling 10%
- + 0.74 yd³
- Order quantity
- 8.15 yd³
- Truckloads
- 1 × tandem dump (≈10 yd³)
- Metric
- 6.23 m³
- 40 lb bag (0.75 ft³)
- 294 bags
- 1 ft³ bag
- 220 bags
- 1.5 ft³ bag
- 147 bags
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
How we price this
The low, typical and high columns are the 20th, 50th and 80th percentile of published us national averages for screened topsoil, bulk, delivery and labor. They are estimates for budgeting, not quotes — enter your own supplier and crew prices above to replace them. Ranges are re-checked monthly; see the methodology page for how every number on this site is derived.
- HomeAdvisor cost guides — bulk topsoil per yard, delivery and spreading
- Home Depot / Lowe’s bagged soil pricing — per-bag prices used for the bag-vs-bulk comparison
- Local landscape supply price lists — delivery minimums and per-load fees
Questions crews ask
How much does a yard of topsoil cost delivered?
Bulk screened topsoil is $20–$55 per cubic yard at the yard, plus a $50–$150 delivery fee for a local run. A 5 yd³ load lands at $175–$400 delivered; a 10 yd³ tandem load at $275–$700.
Is bulk topsoil cheaper than bags?
Bagged soil works out to $80–$150 per cubic yard (36 × 40 lb bags at $2–$4). Bulk is $20–$55 plus delivery, so above about one yard bulk wins even after the fee.
What does it cost to have topsoil spread?
A landscaper spreading and grading by skid-steer or by hand charges $25–$60 per cubic yard, or $50–$100 per hour. Hand-spreading 4 yd³ over a lawn is about a half-day for one person with a wheelbarrow.