Topsoil Calculator
Work out the amount of topsoil or triple mix to buy. Type your sizes in feet or metres. Get cubic yards, m³, tonnes and 25 L bags.
Measure your project
Your answer
That is 10.38 m³ and weighs about 12.36 tonnes. We added 10% extra.
If you buy bags
Which costs less?
This price is for picking it up yourself. Add a delivery fee in "Change prices" if they bring it.
Screened topsoil: $39 a cubic yard, the middle of 23 Canadian yards (Oct 2026). Pickup price, before delivery and tax. 25 L bag: $3.50, from 14¢ a litre, the middle of 9 prices at only 3 Ontario stores.
Quick answers
- Tonnes in a yard of topsoil
- About 0.91, the middle of only 3 Canadian sellers. They print 0.91 to 1.15.
- 25 L bags in a yard
- 30.6 bags. A cubic yard holds 764.6 litres, so buy 31 bags.
- Topsoil coverage per yard
- One yard spreads over 81 sq ft, 4 in thick. At 6 in thick, it spreads over 54 sq ft.
- Topsoil price
- About $39 a cubic yard, the middle of 23 yards, picked up. A 25 L bag is about $3.50 at only 3 Ontario stores. Both before tax.
- 1,000 sq ft, 4 in deep
- About 12.35 cubic yards (9.44 m³). That weighs about 11.2 tonnes.
How to work it out
- Find the area: multiply the length by the width, in feet.
- Times that by the depth in inches. Then divide by 324, and you have cubic yards.
- In metric, multiply the cubic yards by 0.765 for m³. For 25 L bags, multiply by 30.6.
- Soil can settle. One US supplier adds 10% for that, so the calculator starts there. You can change it.
25 × 40 = 1,000 sq ft
1,000 × 4 ÷ 324 = 12.35 cubic yards
12.35 + 10% = 13.58 cubic yards to order
12.35 × 0.91 = 11.2 tonnes
Topsoil, triple mix or black earth?
Three soils share the yard and the store shelf. They are not the same, and they don't weigh the same.
Screened topsoil
Yards sell screened topsoil loose, by the cubic yard. City rules in Toronto and Kitchener call for topsoil under new sod.
For sod, the topsoil for lawn calculator lists the Canadian depth rules. For fill dirt, see our soil calculator.
Triple mix
Triple mix is topsoil, peat moss or compost, and manure or black loam. Only 2 current sellers print a recipe. Both use equal thirds.
It costs more: about $55 a yard, next to $39 for topsoil.
Black earth in bags
Store bags of black earth are peat-based, so they are light. A 25 L bag of screened loam weighs about 2.4 times as much.
So don't use a bag's weight to work out bulk topsoil, or the other way round. Count in litres or cubic yards.
| Soil | Weight | Range found |
|---|---|---|
| Screened topsoil, loose | 0.91 tonnes a cubic yard (about 2,000 pounds) | 0.91–1.15 (3 sellers) |
| Triple mix, loose | 1.09 tonnes a cubic yard | 0.91–1.22 (3 sellers) |
| Black earth, 25 L bag | about 11.3 kg | one store listing says 8.5 kg |
| Screened loam, 25 L bag | 26.7 kg | 1 seller |
Loose weights are as delivered, from Canadian yards and producers. Few sources, so ask your yard.
Bags in a yard, and what a bag covers
Store soil comes in bags of 20 to 56.6 litres. One cubic yard holds 764.6 litres, so the count is a simple sum.
| Bag | Per cubic yard | Per m³ | Price per bag |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 L | 38.2 | 50.0 | $2.80 |
| 25 L | 30.6 | 40.0 | $3.50 |
| 28.3 L | 27.0 | 35.3 | $3.96 |
| 30 L | 25.5 | 33.3 | $4.20 |
| 50 L | 15.3 | 20.0 | $7 |
Price per bag uses 14¢ a litre for topsoil or black earth. That is the middle of 9 prices at only 3 Ontario stores, Oct 2026, before tax.
What one 25 L bag covers
| Depth | Feet | Metres |
|---|---|---|
| 1 in (25 mm) | 10.6 sq ft | 0.98 m² |
| 2 in (51 mm) | 5.3 sq ft | 0.49 m² |
| 4 in (102 mm) | 2.6 sq ft | 0.25 m² |
Vigoro's 25 L bag says to use 1 bag per 1–2 m² in garden beds. That is only 13–25 mm of soil. A lawn needs much more.
The 1,000 sq ft example above would take 378 bags. For big jobs, loose soil from a yard is easier.
Moving topsoil by barrow? A 6 cubic foot contractor barrow (a US maker's size) filled to the top weighs about 200 kg. Most people fill it less. Full loads would be 27 ÷ 6 = 4.5 per cubic yard, so plan on more than 5 trips.
What topsoil costs in Canada
The price of a cubic yard depends on how you buy it. Here is one yard, bought four ways.
| How you buy it | Price | Based on |
|---|---|---|
| Store bags (30.6 × 25 L) | $107 | 9 prices, only 3 Ontario stores |
| Big 1 cubic yard bag, delivered | $206 | 4 sellers |
| Loose topsoil, yard pickup | $39 | 23 yards |
| Loose triple mix, yard pickup | $55 | 9 yards |
Before tax. Bag prices are from Ontario stores. Yard and bulk bag prices come from sellers in several provinces.
Prices by region
| Soil | Quebec | Prairies | Atlantic | Ontario, BC, Alberta |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Topsoil | $47.50 (2) | $38 (7) | $50 (5) | $35.99 (8) |
| Triple mix or garden soil | $55 (3) | $51.80 (1) | $76.50 (4) | $53.50 (6) |
Brackets show how many yards we found. Fewer than 4 is a weak price.
Delivery and big loads
Yards charge about $75 to bring a small load. That is the middle fee of 7 yards.
A dump truck brings much more. One Ontario yard's 2022 list puts 18 cubic yards of topsoil in a tandem, and 25 in a tri-axle.
Big loads cost less per yard. One New Brunswick yard delivers 2 yards for $180, and 25 yards for $770, before tax.
That is $90 a yard for the small load, but $30.80 a yard for the big one.
Questions people ask
How do I measure how much topsoil I need?
Measure the length and width in feet, and pick a depth in inches. Then area × depth ÷ 324 gives cubic yards of topsoil.
How much topsoil for 1,000 square feet?
About 12.3 cubic yards at 4 in deep, or 18.5 at 6 in. For sod depths, see our topsoil for lawn calculator.
How much will a yard of topsoil cover?
A yard of topsoil spreads 4 in thick over about 81 sq ft. Spread 2 in thick, it covers 162 sq ft.
How much will a 25 L bag of topsoil cover?
About 10.6 sq ft at 1 in deep. One store bag says to use 1 bag per 1–2 m² in a garden bed. That is a layer 13–25 mm thick.
How many yards and litres are in a ton of topsoil?
A metric tonne is about 1.10 cubic yards, or 840 litres. A short ton of 2,000 lb is about 1 cubic yard. Some sellers print up to 1.15 tonnes a yard.
How much will topsoil settle?
No Canadian source gives a figure. Palmetto, a US supplier, adds 10% for settling. You can pick 0, 5 or 10% in the calculator.
How many inches of topsoil do I need?
It depends on the job. Kitchener asks for 150 mm (6 in) under sod or seed, and 300 mm (12 in) under shrubs. For more lawn rules, see our topsoil for lawn calculator.
How much is a yard of topsoil in Canada?
About $39 picked up, the middle of 23 yards. They charged $16.50 to $70, before tax. A delivered 1 cubic yard bag is about $206.
Where our numbers come from
- Wheelbarrow size: Jackson M6T22 contractor wheelbarrow holds 6 cubic feet (maker's page)
- Wheelbarrow sizes: AMES range (Jackson, True Temper, UnionTools), mostly 6 cu ft
- Weights per cubic yard: Canadian yards and producers (few sources each)
- Gravel weight: Natural Resources Canada (1 cubic yard = 1.35 tonnes)
- Truck sizes and stone weights: A. Miron Topsoil price list (2022)
- Bag sizes sold in Canada (soil, mulch)
- Store prices: Ontario Home Depot, RONA, Home Hardware and Chamberlain Timber Mart (Oct 2026)
- Bag cover: Vigoro All-Purpose Top Soil 25 L (Home Depot Canada page)
- Loose prices: the middle of up to 23 Canadian yards (Oct 2026)
- Loose prices by region: Quebec, Prairies, Atlantic, Ontario/BC/Alberta
- 1 cubic yard bulk bags, delivered: 4 Canadian sellers per product (Garden Bag, Walmart.ca, RONA, Mygardenbag)
- Delivery fees (7 Canadian yards); loads up to 22.9 tonnes (LBL, Almonte ON)
- Delivered loads: M.W. Price & Sons (New Brunswick) price list
- Triple mix: 14 Canadian sellers (contents and prices)
- Topsoil depth: City of Toronto TS 5.00 Sodding (100 mm)
- Topsoil depth: City of Kitchener landscape design (150 mm)
- Unit sizes: NIST Handbook 44, Appendix C (1 ft = 0.3048 m; 1 US gallon = 231 cubic inches)
- Topsoil extra: Palmetto Sand & Gravel (add 10% for settling)
Made by BuildersCount. Last checked 4 Oct 2026.
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