What Does a Yard of Topsoil Weigh? Dry/Wet Weights, Cost, & Coverage

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Everything you need to know to plan your next landscaping project and haul your dirt safely

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• Cubic Yard of Topsoil Weight
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• Cubic Yard of Topsoil Cost
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• Cubic Yard of Topsoil Coverage
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• Transporting Cubic Yards of Topsoil
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• Expert Q&A
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• Tips

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You’re driving your pickup to the landscaping supply store for a yard of topsoil to rehab your lawn when the thought hits you—how much is all that dirt going to weigh? Can my truck handle it safely? Did I order enough? The exact weight of a yard of dirt depends on its composition and how wet it is, but the average weights are consistent enough that you can plan your landscaping projects and dirt transportation accurately. In this article, we’ll walk you through the different factors that affect how much a yard of dirt weighs, plus show you how much land it’ll cover and the best way to drive it home. Time to get dirty!

Things You Should Know

• A cubic yard of loose, dry topsoil weighs around 2,100 lb (950 kg) depending on its composition. If it’s wet, it can be as much as 3,000 lb (1,400 kg).
• A yard of topsoil usually costs between $10 and $50 and can cover a 100 square foot (9.3 square meters) area 3 in (7.6 cm) deep.
• Transport up to 2 cubic yards in a full-size pickup truck yourself, or schedule larger, bulk deliveries in dump trucks.

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Section 1 of 4:

Cubic Yard of Topsoil Weight

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1. 
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   A cubic yard (0.76 cubic meters) of dry topsoil weighs 2,100 lb (950 kg). This weight is a close estimation since the exact weight varies based on the type of soil, how wet it is, and what kinds of debris, rocks, or mulch are present. Topsoil is the uppermost layer of dirt that usually contains a mixture of sand, silt, clay, and organic matter that can support plant life. If the topsoil is compacted, a yard of it can weigh around 2,700 lb (1,200 kg).

   • 2 yards of topsoil weighs about 4,200 lb (1,900 kg). To find the weight of multiple yards, multiply the weight of 1 yard by the total number of yards you need.
   • A yard of fill dirt (dirt that’s filtered for construction use and doesn’t contain any organic matter) is slightly heavier and weighs about 2,150 lb (980 kg).
   • If the topsoil is dry and sandy, it can weigh around 2,600 lb (1,200 kg) per cubic yard. Clay soil is lighter at around 1,700 lb (770 kg) per cubic yard.
   • Topsoil is used for most home and garden projects like raising flower beds, reshaping lawns, and adding more nutrients to your yard’s soil.
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   A yard of wet topsoil can weigh up to 3,000 lb (1,400 kg). If the soil is saturated with water after a rainy day, its weight increases dramatically. The moisture holds the bits of soil together and traps the water in the dirt until it slowly evaporates away. When you go out to purchase topsoil, go on a dry day when moisture doesn’t impact the weight (it makes it easier to transport home, too).

   • As a general rule, the more moisture the soil contains, the heavier it will be.
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   Soil mixed with wood chips or compost weighs less than pure topsoil. Wood chips improve soil drainage, and a cubic yard of just wood chips only weighs around 1,000 lb (450 kg). Compost adds valuable nutrients for planting and weighs in around 1250 lbs (567 kg) per cubic yard. Any mixture of soil and wood chips or compost will be lighter than straight soil, with the exact weight depending on the ratio of soil to other material.
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Section 2 of 4:

Cubic Yard of Topsoil Cost

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1. 
   A cubic yard of topsoil costs $10 to $50. The exact price depends on the moisture content, delivery fees, and quality of the soil. Raw topsoil will be on the lower end of the price range, whereas soil that’s been filtered or has additives will be more expensive. If you’re buying in bulk, a 10-15 yard truck load of topsoil costs $150 to $500 (including delivery).

   • Half-yards of topsoil run for $10 to $30 for pickup, and 40 lb (18 kg) bags cost $2 to $6.
   • A cubic yard of fill dirt is generally cheaper and ranges from $7 to $12.

Section 3 of 4:

Cubic Yard of Topsoil Coverage

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1. 
   1
   A yard covers 100 square feet (9.3 square meters), 3 in (7.6 cm) deep. To determine how many yards you need for your project, use a cubic yard calculator online or multiply the depth, width, and length (in feet) of your project area to get the total volume of soil needed. Divide the number of cubic feet by 27 to get the cubic yards you need. For example:

   • Say you're filling an area 5 ft (1.5 m) wide, 10 ft (3.0 m) long, and 6 in (15 cm) deep. Multiply 5 by 10 by 0.5 to get 25, then divide by 27 to get 0.93 cubic yards.
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   A yard of topsoil is equivalent to about 54 standard 40 lb (18 kg) bags. Each bag is about 0.5 cubic feet (0.014 cubic meters), and since there’s 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard, this makes 54 bags per yard. This comes out to 2,160 lb (980 kg) of topsoil.
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Section 4 of 4:

Transporting Cubic Yards of Topsoil

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1. 
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   A full-size pickup can haul 2 cubic yards 4,200 lb (1,900 kg) of topsoil. Double check your truck’s hauling capacity before you load it up with soil. If you’re pushing your weight limit, stay off of major highways and Interstates and try to keep your speed under 45 miles per hour (72 km per hour). Drive carefully with loaded trailers because of the risk of fishtailing.

   • Supply yards are usually pretty good at sizing up your truck and only loading a safe amount of material into the bed.
   • Small pickup trucks and trailers can usually haul 1 cubic yard of topsoil.
   • A small dump truck can carry about 5 cubic yards while a large one can haul 10 cubic yards or more.
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   It takes about 9 wheelbarrow loads to equal 1 yard of topsoil. Most medium-sized wheelbarrows hold 3 cubic feet (0.085 cubic meters) of material, meaning you’d need to make 9 wheelbarrow trips back and forth from your topsoil stock to its final location. Each wheelbarrow load would weigh around 230 lb (100 kg), so making more, smaller trips might be easier!
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Expert Q&A

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• Question

  How do you order dirt for your yard?

  

  Matt Daly
  Landscape Designer

  Matt Daly is a Landscape Designer and the Founder of Water & Earth Landscape Design, which is based in both Richmond, Virginia, and San Jose, California. With nearly 10 years of experience, he specializes in designing outdoor living spaces, including patios, pools, and fireplaces. Matt also runs a blog where he educates homeowners about landscaping topics: https://www.liveinyourbackyard.com/. He earned his Landscape Design & Horticulture Certification from The University of Richmond, where he also studied Sustainable Landscape Practices.

  

  Matt Daly

  Landscape Designer

  Expert Answer

  There are a few ways to buy dirt for your yard. One would be to go to a big box store like Lowe's or Home Depot. You can buy as many bags as you think you need. This is the more expensive way to do it. Rather than going to a big box store to buy soil, it's always better to look for your local stone yard or local mulch yard. You could get four times as much soil there for the same cost that you would spend at a big box store. There is a delivery fee for it but that's the best place to get dirt. Another place you can get dirt from is by searching online. A lot of people do outside projects themselves and either they have dirt that they don't want to haul somewhere themselves, so they give it away for free, or they order too much and then give it away.

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Tips

• Other materials measured in cubic yards include concrete, gravel, sand, rock, mulch, and compost.
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• A cubic yard is a volume that measures 1 yard (0.9144 meters) deep, 1 yard tall, and 1 yard wide.
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