How much topsoil do I need for 500 square feet?
Covering 500 square feet with 4 inches of topsoil, the usual depth for a new lawn, takes 7.10 cubic yards including 15 percent for settling, which weighs about 7.8 tons. In bags that is 256 of the 0.75 cubic foot size or 128 of 1.5 cubic feet. A 2 inch top dressing needs 3.55 yards; a 12 inch raised bed depth needs 21.30.
Topsoil for 500 square feet by depth
| Depth | Cubic yards (15% settling) | Tons | 0.75 cu ft bags | 1.5 cu ft bags | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 in | 3.55 | 3.9 | 128 | 64 | top dressing or leveling a lawn |
| 4 in | 7.10 | 7.8 | 256 | 128 | new lawn from seed or sod |
| 6 in | 10.65 | 11.7 | 384 | 192 | vegetable or flower bed |
| 12 in | 21.30 | 23.4 | 767 | 384 | raised beds, filling a low spot |
Screened topsoil at about 1.1 tons per cubic yard with 15 percent added for settling. Compost and garden mixes are lighter; wet or clay-heavy soil is heavier.
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Bulk or bags for 500 square feet?
At 256 bags you want bulk. Bagged topsoil at $2 to $3 per 0.75 cubic foot bag would cost $512 to $768, while 7.10 yards of screened topsoil costs about $177 to $319 plus a $50 to $100 delivery fee. A single dump truck delivers the whole order. Ask for screened topsoil, not fill dirt, and look at a sample: it should be dark, crumbly, and free of rocks and roots.
Spreading 500 square feet of topsoil
- Top dressing a lawn: no more than 1/2 in at a time, raked in so grass blades show through. Repeat rather than smothering the lawn.
- New lawn: 4 to 6 in over the subsoil, lightly compacted, graded to slope away from the house. Then seed or sod.
- Garden beds: 6 to 12 in, mixed with 2 to 3 in of compost. The raised bed soil calculator gives a full mix recipe.
- Soil settles 10 to 20 percent in the first season, which the order already allows for. Water it in before planting to speed that up.
- 500 square feet at 4 in is about 77 wheelbarrow loads from the pile.
Common questions
How many yards of topsoil for 500 square feet?
3.55 cubic yards at 2 inches, 7.10 at 4 inches, 10.65 at 6 inches, or 21.30 at 12 inches deep, each with 15 percent for settling.
How many bags of topsoil for 500 square feet?
256 bags of 0.75 cubic feet or 128 bags of 1.5 cubic feet at 4 inches deep. For a 2 inch top dressing, 128 and 64 bags.
How much does topsoil for 500 square feet weigh?
About 7.8 tons at 4 inches deep, or roughly 15,617 pounds. A half-ton pickup can safely carry about half a cubic yard, so plan on delivery for anything over a yard.