Soil Calculator
Estimate the soil volume, weight, and cost for your project.
Weight per cubic yard is adjusted based on soil type.
Auto-converts units for calculations.
Select desired soil depth.
Custom price entry based on local supplier rates.
Updated On: June 11, 2025
Soil Calculator – How Much Soil Do You Need?
Created by James S. Lockwood
With a background in botany and ecological sciences, James specializes in creating practical tools and resources to help gardeners, farmers, and plant enthusiasts optimize their green spaces.
Use our Soil Calculator to order exactly the right amount of soil for any project—no more overbuying or surprises at delivery. Whether you’re leveling a lawn, backfilling around patio pavers, or planning a flowerbed, this tool converts area and depth into:
Cubic Yards (soil calculator cubic yards)
Cubic Feet (cubic feet calculator soil)
Liters (soil calculator litres)
Weight in Pounds & Kilograms (soil weight calculator, soil weight per cubic yard)
Table of Contents
Key Features & Conversions
100 Cubic Feet to Yards: Quickly convert bulk orders—100 ÷ 27 = 3.70 cubic yards.
Soil Calculator Yards & Cubic Feet: View both units to match supplier packaging.
Soil Calculator Litres: Handy for metric projects—cubic feet × 28.3168.
Soil Yardage Calculator: Ideal for turf installers and landscapers.
Weight of Soil Calculator: Determine load limits or shipping costs.
Use this as a volume calculator for soil, calculate soil needed, or soil removal calculator when excavating.
Step-by-Step Example
For a 1,000 sq ft lawn at 3 inches depth:
Cubic Yards = (1,000 × 3) ÷ 324 = 9.26 yd³
Cubic Feet = 9.26 × 27 = 250.0 ft³
Weight (Topsoil @ 2,000 lbs/yd³) = 9.26 × 2,000 = 18,520 lbs (8,402 kg)
Advanced Volume Conversions & Metrics
Beyond yards and feet, this soil calculator handles every unit you need:
Cubic Meters to Yards: Convert any m³ figure to cubic yards by dividing by 0.7646.
Liters & Gallons: The tool auto-converts to liters; for quick manual work, use
Volume Conversion: Switch between soil calculator cubic yards, cubic feet calculator soil, and cubic meters with one click.
Metric Mode: For those running projects in metric, activate the soil calculator metric toggle to work seamlessly in m³ and liters.
Use this whenever you need the volume of soil formula, soil volume calculation, or are calculating cubic yards of soil for international specs.
Weight & Density Insights
Understand how different soils pack and weigh:
Soil Density Calculator: Built in—see density in kg/m³ or lbs/ft³.
Weight of Soil per Cubic Foot: Ideal to size wheelbarrows—enter depth and area, then switch display to “lbs/ft³.”
Cubic Yards to Pounds Soil: Multiply yards by your soil type’s weight factor (e.g., 2,000 lbs/yd³) for a cubic yards to pounds soil result.
Soil Calculator Tons: Toggle your output to tons for bulk deliveries—perfect for “soil calculator tons” queries.
Small-Batch Weight: Quickly answer “0.75 cubic feet to pounds soil” or “2 cubic feet soil weight” without extra tools.
Reference this section for any soil weight calculator, soil weight per cubic yard, or weight cubic yard soil needs.
For a comprehensive definition of soil that underscores its role in ecosystem sustainability and human well-being, see the Soil Security framework in ScienceDirect’s article “Soil Security: A Key to Global Resilience”read the full study.
Specialty Soil Projects & Coverage
Tailored guidance for every landscape:
Garden & Flower Beds: Use the soil calculator to get exact soil coverage calculator results in sq ft per yard—no more guessing on how much soil per square foot for your planting beds.
Raised Beds & Boxes: For deeper beds and custom planter sizes, jump to our Raised Bed Calculator.
Landscape Grading & Terracing: When dealing with slopes, berms, or pool surrounds, rely on this as your landscape soil calculator.
Top-Dressing Turf: If you need a fine blend for lawns, switch over to our Topsoil Calculator for precise yardage and cost.
Bulk Dirt & Fill: For general fill dirt, sub-base leveling, or driveway projects, our Dirt Calculator has the exact dirt volume calculator and dirt removal calculator features you need.
Each linked tool zeroes in on its specialty so you always get the right volume—and right price—for any project.
Cost & Budgeting with Your Soil Calculator
Stop guessing on price and budget accurately:
Soil Cost Calculator: Enter Price per Cubic Yard to see Total Soil Cost instantly.
Calculate Soil Cost: Use the formula
Soil Cost per Cubic Foot: Divide your price per yard by 27 to get cost per ft³.
Cost per Cubic Yard vs. Cost per Cubic Meter: Toggle between units for metric quoting.
Topsoil Cost Calculator (for fine mixes) and Bulk Dirt Pricing: Compare by switching to our Topsoil Calculator or Dirt Calculator.
Area & Unit Conversions
Seamlessly convert land measurements without a separate tool:
Square Feet ↔ Square Meters ↔ Acres: Choose your Area Unit and watch the calculator switch automatically.
Calculate Soil Needed for any shape: just input total sq ft (or m²/acre) and depth.
Volume Calculator Soil: The built-in converter handles cubic yards, cubic feet, cubic meters, liters, and even gallons.
Calculating Cubic Yards of Soil by hand? Remember:
Weight Profiles & Custom Depths
Fine-tune your orders based on soil type and depth:
Custom Weight Factors: Each soil type uses its own lbs per yd³—from clay (2,500 lbs/yd³) to mulch (500 lbs/yd³).
Soil Weight per Cubic Foot: Switch the results panel to “lbs/ft³” for wheelbarrow loads.
Small-Batch Weights: Answer “0.75 cubic feet to pounds soil” or “how much does 2 cubic feet of soil weigh” in one click.
Depth Presets: Standard 1–12 inch options for any project—from garden soil top-dressing to sub-base fill.
Advanced Controls & Utility
Maximize productivity with built-in actions:
Share Result: One-click “📤 Share Result” copies your entire quote—volume, weight, and cost—for easy texting or quoting.
Clear All: Quickly reset inputs with “🗑️ Clear All” before starting a new project.
Collapsible Sections: Hide or show “🛠️ Calculate Soil Volume, Weight & Cost” to keep your workspace clean.
Responsive Design: Works full-width on mobile—your soil cover calculator goes wherever you go.
When to Use Other Calculators
Topsoil Calculator
For turf installers or garden bed top-dressing: calculate topsoil cost, yardage, and square-foot coverage.
👉 Go to Topsoil CalculatorDirt Calculator
For general fill dirt, sub-base leveling, or driveways: compute dirt calculator yards, dirt volume calculator, and soil removal needs.
👉 Go to Dirt CalculatorRaised Bed Calculator
For planter boxes and raised beds: get precise raised bed soil calculator estimates in cubic feet or yards.
👉 Go to Raised Bed Calculator
Each tool targets its specialty—use them together for complete site prep.
Common FAQs
Q: How to calculate how much soil I need?
A: Use the formula above or our soil calculator to get instant cubic yards, cubic feet, and weight.
Q: What’s the difference between cubic yards and cubic feet?
A: 1 cubic yard = 27 cubic feet. Convert bulk orders or match supplier bag sizes easily.
Q: How much soil per square foot for a garden bed?
A: Multiply desired depth (in inches) by 1 sq ft, divide by 12 for cubic feet, then ÷ 27 for cubic yards.
Q: Soil calculator for lawn vs. garden?
A: Both use the same volume formula—just choose appropriate depth (1–2 inches for lawn top-dressing, 4–6 inches for beds).
Q: How to convert volume to weight?
A: Multiply cubic yards by the soil type’s weight factor (e.g., 2,000 lbs/yd³ for topsoil).
Disclaimer for Soil Calculator
Estimates provided by this calculator are for informational purposes only. Actual soil volume, weight, and cost may vary based on local conditions, soil compaction, and supplier pricing. Always confirm with your soil provider before purchase.
