Topsoil for a New Lawn
Find how much topsoil you need to start a new lawn from seed or sod.
Measure your project
Your answer
That weighs about 10.86 tons. We added 10% extra.
4–6 in is how deep to till a new lawn, not how much soil to buy. Type the depth of new soil you will spread.
What it costs
Topsoil: $40 a cubic yard, the middle of 13 US sellers (Oct 2026), before delivery.
Quick answers
- How deep do I till for a new lawn?
- 4–6 in, say The Lawn Institute and Maryland Extension. That is not a depth of soil to buy.
- Compost for 1,000 sq ft
- 3.1–6.2 cubic yards, for a layer 1–2 in deep.
- What does a yard of topsoil weigh?
- About 0.8 tons (1,600 lb) loose, in Caterpillar's tables. One supplier uses 1.35 tons.
- What does it cost?
- About $40 a cubic yard in bulk, the middle of 13 sellers. Delivery is extra.
How to work it out
- Measure each part of the lawn in feet. Multiply length × width for square feet.
- Multiply by the depth of new soil in inches. Our example uses 4 in, the till depth, only to show the sum.
- Divide by 324. The answer is in cubic yards.
- Add 10% more if you want room for settling. One supplier does.
- To get tons, take the cubic yards times 0.8.
40 × 25 × 4 ÷ 324 = 12.35 cubic yards
12.35 + 10% = 13.58 cubic yards
13.58 × 0.8 = 10.9 tons
Till depth is not how much to buy
For a new lawn, The Lawn Institute and Maryland Extension give 4–6 in. That is how far down to loosen the ground before seed or sod. It is not soil to buy.
Before tilling, Maryland adds 1–2 in of compost across the lawn. NC State mixes add-ins as deep as 6–8 in.
No US source we found gives a depth of topsoil to buy for a lawn. So the 4 and 6 in choices in step 1 are examples only. If you are filling low spots, type their depth instead.
Compost and topsoil by lawn size
Each number is in cubic yards. The compost is Maryland's 1–2 in layer. The topsoil column is only an example: a layer as deep as the 4 in till depth.
| Lawn | Compost, 1–2 in | Topsoil, 4 in (example) | Topsoil cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500 sq ft | 1.5–3.1 | 6.8 | $272 |
| 1,000 sq ft | 3.1–6.2 | 13.6 | $543 |
| 2,000 sq ft | 6.2–12.3 | 27.2 | $1,086 |
| 3,000 sq ft | 9.3–18.5 | 40.7 | $1,630 |
| 5,000 sq ft | 15.4–30.9 | 67.9 | $2,716 |
Topsoil includes 10% extra. Cost uses our middle price of $40 a cubic yard, before delivery.
Yards, tons and bags
Landscape yards price topsoil by the cubic yard, or sometimes by the ton. Sources don't agree on what a cubic yard weighs. Caterpillar's tables say 0.8 tons, loose. Palmetto Sand & Gravel, a South Carolina yard, counts 1.35.
Say you spread 4 in of new soil over 1,000 sq ft, as an example. That is 12.3 cubic yards: 9.9 tons by Caterpillar's figure, or 16.7 by Palmetto's.
Bags or bulk for a lawn?
Picked up in bulk, topsoil runs about $40 a cubic yard, the middle of 13 sellers. That example comes to about $494, before delivery.
Topsoil bags are sold by weight, so the count depends on the weight you use. With Caterpillar's 0.8 tons, the job takes 494 bags of 40 lb, about $2,337. With Palmetto's 1.35, it takes 834 bags, about $3,945.
Those use $4.73 a bag. Only 2 stores gave us a bag price, so it is a rough figure.
Settling, lime and planting
Settling
The 10% extra in step 1 is one South Carolina yard's rule for topsoil. No lawn guide we read gives a number.
On a new lawn, NC State waters the soil first and fills the dips before planting.
Lime
Lime is a different job. Penn State Extension says to add it only when a soil test calls for it. For lime, see our limestone calculator.
Laying sod
Once the soil is ready, our sod calculator counts the pallets and pieces you need.
Questions people ask
How much topsoil do I need for grass?
The guides we read give no depth of new topsoil to buy. They say to till your soil 4–6 in deep. If you are filling low spots, measure them and type their depth above.
How many inches of topsoil for grass?
Work the soil 4–6 in deep before planting, says The Lawn Institute. That is a digging depth, not a layer of soil to buy.
Do I need topsoil for sod?
The guides we read don't say sod needs new topsoil. They say to till 4–6 in deep. Maryland adds 1–2 in of compost to that.
How much topsoil for 1,000 sq ft of lawn?
About 3.1 cubic yards for each inch of new soil. For example, 4 in would take 12.3 cubic yards, before any extra.
How much compost for a new lawn?
Maryland Extension says 1–2 in, tilled in. That comes to 3.1–6.2 cubic yards on 1,000 sq ft.
How much topsoil do I need to level my lawn?
Work out each low spot on its own, with its own depth. Then add up the cubic yards.
Does topsoil settle?
Yes, loose soil sinks. One supplier adds 10% for it, but we found no official figure. Water the new soil, then top up the dips.
Should I add lime to a new lawn?
Only if a soil test shows a need, says Penn State Extension. It also says not to guess the amount.
Where our numbers come from
- New lawn depth: The Lawn Institute
- New lawn depth: University of Maryland Extension
- New lawn soil and settling: NC State Extension (Carolina Lawns)
- Material weights: Caterpillar earthwork tables
- Topsoil extra: Palmetto Sand & Gravel (add 10% for settling)
- Topsoil prices: the middle price of 13 yards (bulk) and 2 stores (bags), Oct 2026
- Lime on lawns: Penn State Extension, Liming Turfgrass Areas
Made by BuildersCount. Last checked 3 Oct 2026.
How we work out our numbers About us Found a mistake? Tell us