Topsoil Calculator
Find the tonnes and tonne bags of topsoil you need for a lawn, bed or raised bed in Ireland.
Measure your project
Your answer
That is 2.00 m³.
If you buy big bags
Woodside Garden Products uses 100–150 mm for a new lawn. The Lawn Turf Farm says at least 150 mm.
What it costs
Topsoil: €95 a tonne bag, the middle of 5 Irish sellers (€75–€200, Oct 2026). Most of them, the middle seller too, don't say if VAT is in. Irish shop prices usually include it, so we show these as with VAT. Treat it as a rough guide.
Quick answers
- A 5 × 4 m bed or lawn, 100 mm deep
- About 2.6 tonnes of topsoil. That is 3 tonne bags.
- Litres in a tonne
- About 770 litres, or 0.77 m³.
- Weight of 1 m³
- About 1.3 tonnes. Woodside Garden Products says screened topsoil weighs 1.2–1.4 tonnes.
- What a tonne bag covers
- About 7.7 m² at 100 mm deep, or 5.1 m² at 150 mm.
- Price
- About €95 a tonne bag, the middle of 5 Irish sellers. Most of them don't say if VAT is in.
How to work it out
- Measure the length and width of the lawn or bed in metres. Multiply them for m².
- Pick the depth in mm. Divide it by 1,000 to get metres.
- Area in m² × depth in metres gives the volume in m³. Times 1,000 gives litres.
- Multiply m³ by 1.3 to get tonnes.
- Round the tonnes up to whole tonne bags, and add a little for settling.
5 × 4 × 0.1 = 2 m³
2 × 1.3 = 2.60 tonnes
2.60 tonnes → round up → 3 tonne bags
How much topsoil for common sizes
Each row is one lawn or bed at two depths. Use the row closest to yours, or type your own sizes above.
| Size | Tonnes, 100 mm | Bags | Tonnes, 150 mm | Bags |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 × 1 m | 0.39 | 1 | 0.59 | 1 |
| 4 × 2 m | 1.04 | 2 | 1.56 | 2 |
| 5 × 4 m | 2.60 | 3 | 3.90 | 4 |
| 6 × 5 m | 3.90 | 4 | 5.85 | 6 |
| 10 × 5 m | 6.50 | 7 | 9.75 | 10 |
| 10 × 10 m | 13.00 | 13 | 19.50 | 20 |
Sizes as shown, nothing extra for settling. Bags are tonne bags of 1,000 kg, rounded up.
How deep should topsoil be?
Woodside Garden Products gives these depths for Irish gardens:
- New lawn: 100–150 mm. The Lawn Turf Farm, a turf grower, says at least 150 mm.
- Topping up a lawn: 50–75 mm.
- Garden beds: about 100 mm.
- Raised beds: 150–300 mm.
New soil settles, so Woodside says to round up a little.
Topsoil coverage: what 1 tonne covers
A tonne of topsoil is about 770 litres. Spread it out, and the depth in mm sets the area. Litres ÷ depth in mm = m².
| Depth | Tonne bag (1,000 kg) | 750 L bag |
|---|---|---|
| 50 mm | 15.4 m² | 15 m² |
| 75 mm | 10.3 m² | 10 m² |
| 100 mm | 7.7 m² | 7.5 m² |
| 150 mm | 5.1 m² | 5 m² |
| 300 mm | 2.6 m² | 2.5 m² |
At 1.3 tonnes per m³. At that weight, a 750 litre bag weighs about 975 kg.
Irish suppliers give figures close to these sums. The Lawn Turf Farm says a tonne covers 30 m² at about 25 mm. Landscape Depot says 12–15 m² at 50 mm.
Why UK answers differ
Wickes in the UK sells a bagged topsoil that weighs about 0.8 tonnes per m³. At that weight, a tonne is about 1,250 litres.
Woodside gives 1.2–1.4 tonnes per m³ for Irish topsoil. The cover figures of The Lawn Turf Farm and Landscape Depot work out at 1.3 tonnes or more. So a tonne of Irish topsoil fills fewer litres. If your supplier gives a figure, use theirs.
Litres, tonnes and what to buy
Tonne bags, by weight
Topsoil often comes in tonne bags, says Woodside Garden Products. Some sellers call them maxi or jumbo bags. Prices from 5 sellers ran from €75 to €200, with €95 in the middle (Oct 2026).
Bags by the litre
Quickcrop sells screened topsoil in 750 litre bags for €159, plus €10 delivery (VAT not stated). At 1.3 tonnes per m³, that bag weighs about 0.98 tonnes.
Loose loads
For a big lawn, ask about a loose load. The Lawn Turf Farm in Wicklow tips 3 tonnes for €200. That is about €67 a tonne (VAT not stated).
Revenue charges 23% VAT on soil. Most of these sellers don't say if VAT is in the price, so ask.
How to measure for topsoil
- Mark out the lawn or bed. Measure the length and width in metres.
- Split an odd shape into squares and circles. Add each one in the calculator.
- Pick the depth for your job from the list above.
- Choose screened topsoil for a lawn. Mullingar Hardware sells screened topsoil as a base for new turf.
- Check if the price has VAT and delivery in it.
- Decide where the tonne bags will sit. Close to the lawn saves a lot of barrow trips.
Questions people ask
How much topsoil do I need?
Multiply length × width × depth, all in metres, to get m³. Then m³ × 1.3 = tonnes. A 5 × 4 m bed at 100 mm needs about 2.6 tonnes.
How many litres of topsoil in a tonne?
About 770 litres, at 1.3 tonnes per m³ (Woodside Garden Products). The Lawn Turf Farm's cover figure works out at about 750 litres.
How many tonnes of topsoil per m³?
1.2–1.4 tonnes for screened topsoil, says Woodside Garden Products. It uses 1.3 tonnes, and so do we.
How much does 1 tonne of topsoil cover?
30 m² at about 25 mm deep, says The Lawn Turf Farm. Landscape Depot says 12–15 m² at 50 mm. At 100 mm, it covers about 7.7 m².
How deep should topsoil be for a new lawn?
100–150 mm, says Woodside Garden Products. The Lawn Turf Farm says at least 150 mm of soil under a lawn.
How deep should topsoil be in a bed or raised bed?
About 100 mm in a garden bed, and 150–300 mm in a raised bed. Those are Woodside Garden Products' figures.
How much is a tonne bag of topsoil in Ireland?
About €95, the middle of 5 sellers in October 2026. Prices ran from €75 to €200. Most sellers don't say if VAT is in.
What is screened topsoil?
Topsoil that has been sieved to take out stones and lumps. Quickcrop screens its topsoil to 20 mm.
Where our numbers come from
- Topsoil weight: Wickes 500 litre topsoil bag (about 400 kg)
- Topsoil depth and weight: Woodside Garden Products guide (Ireland)
- Topsoil for lawns: The Lawn Turf Farm, Wicklow (150 mm minimum)
- Topsoil cover: Landscape Depot, Dublin (1 tonne ≈ 12–15 m² at 5 cm)
- Screened topsoil 750 L bag: Quickcrop (screened to 20 mm)
- Screened topsoil jumbo bag: Mullingar Hardware
- Tonne bag prices: the middle price from Irish sellers (Oct 2026)
- VAT on soil and topsoil in Ireland: standard rate (Revenue)
- Irish VAT rates: Revenue (23%, 13.5%, 9%)
Made by BuildersCount. Last checked 4 Oct 2026.
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