Topsoil calculator for South Dakota
Find yardage for lawns, planting areas, and final grading by selecting the depth needed first.
Enter your project dimensions
For a topsoil order, depth has a greater effect on quantity than area. A 1,000-square-foot lawn requires 12 cubic yards at 4-inch depth, while a half-inch topdressing uses only 1.5 yards. Start by identifying the intended use for the soil. This calculator uses your area and selected depth to estimate cubic yards, the standard sales unit for topsoil, along with tons based on about 2,200 lb per dry yard. Screened topsoil has rocks, roots, and clumps removed, reducing the raking needed after placement.
Start with depth, then calculate
- Lawn topdressing: 1/4 to 1/2 inch, raked so the grass blades remain visible.
- Overseeding preparation: 1/2 to 1 inch.
- New seeded or sodded lawn: 4 to 6 inches over a loosened subgrade.
- Flower beds: 6 inches, mixed into the native soil underneath.
- For raised vegetable beds, use 12 inches. A garden-soil blend is better suited to bed filling, so see the Soil Calculator.
- Find the area in feet, then select a depth from the options above.
- To convert, take cubic feet ÷ 27 for cubic yards, then use yards × 1.1 for tons. The calculator handles the math and applies 5% when the allowance is left on.
Tons = cubic yards × 1.1
Coverage guide
| Depth | 1 cubic yard covers | 5 yards cover |
|---|---|---|
| 1/2 inch topdress | 648 sq ft | 3,240 sq ft |
| 2 inches | 162 sq ft | 810 sq ft |
| 4 inches | 81 sq ft | 405 sq ft |
| 6 inches | 54 sq ft | 270 sq ft |
| Project | Typical size | Depth | Volume | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New lawn, seed or sod | 1,000 sq ft | 4" | 12.3 yd³ | 13.6 tons |
| Lawn topdressing | 2,000 sq ft | 0.5" | 3.1 yd³ | 3.4 tons |
| New flower bed | 15 x 4 ft | 6" | 1.1 yd³ | 1.2 tons |
| Patch repairs around the yard | ≈ 150 sq ft | 2" | 0.9 yd³ | 1 tons |
| Finish grade over fill | 600 sq ft | 4" | 7.4 yd³ | 8.1 tons |
Example calculation: 1,000 square feet of new lawn
For a 4-inch layer: 1,000 x 0.333 = 333 cubic feet = 12.3 cubic yards, or roughly 13.5 tons loaded for delivery. Orders commonly run 12.5 to 13 yards, with the remainder used along borders and in shallow areas. Where the subgrade needs added height, establish it with fill dirt, then use topsoil only for the upper 4 inches that support roots.
Screened topsoil: what it is and how to assess a load
Topsoil is the natural upper soil layer and contains organic matter. During screening, soil passes across mesh that separates stones, roots, and clods. Screened material should be dark and friable rather than slick or sour-smelling. A moist handful should form a loose ball, then break apart when pressed. A smooth ribbon indicates heavy clay, while soil that will not form a ball is largely sand. Gray color or a sour odor can indicate wet, airless storage; visible rhizomes can introduce weeds. Take photographs of material that appears unusual before spreading it.
Spreading with a sound plan
- Before placing topsoil, work the subgrade to an inch of depth. In East River till or West River gumbo, Four inches over compacted clay can trap water.
- Set the grade to drain from the house, with a 6-inch drop in the first 10 feet.
- Settle the soil lightly instead of stomping it. Properly settled topsoil should take a footprint about half an inch deep.
- Set delivery during the week the soil will be spread. After rain, a pile can take a third more effort per shovel and smear rather than rake cleanly.
Understanding topsoil orders
How much topsoil is needed for a new lawn?
What does one yard of topsoil weigh?
What is the cost of a yard of topsoil?
What area will a yard of topsoil cover?
What does topsoil mean?
Can topsoil be spread over existing grass?
For beds, should I use topsoil or garden soil?
Should I till before placing topsoil?
Other calculators
Finished with lawn calculations? Arrange soil delivery.
Screened topsoil sold by the cubic yard, with free delivery across South Dakota.
