Topsoil Calculator
Work out how much topsoil you need for a lawn, border or raised beds, in m³ or cubic yards and bags.
Loose soil settles after spreading and watering, so many gardeners order a little extra. For large areas, bulk bags or loose loads are usually cheaper than small bags.
About this tool
Enter the length and width of the area, the depth of soil you want and how many identical beds or areas you are filling. The calculator gives the volume in cubic metres and litres or cubic yards and cubic feet, plus how many bags of your chosen size to buy.
Frequently asked questions
Rolawn recommends 100–150 mm (4–6 in) of topsoil under turf or seed, and 150–200 mm for borders and general planting. Root vegetables such as carrots and potatoes do best with 300–400 mm.
Multiply length × width × depth in metres to get cubic metres. A 10 × 15 m lawn at 150 mm needs 10 × 15 × 0.15 = 22.5 m³. In imperial units, multiply feet × feet × (inches ÷ 12) and divide by 27 for cubic yards.
Work out one bed and multiply by the number of beds. Two 2.4 × 1.2 m beds filled 30 cm deep need 2 × 0.864 = 1.73 m³ — about 1,728 litres, or 35 bags of 50 litres.
A cubic yard is 27 ft³, so it equals 36 bags of 0.75 ft³, 27 bags of 1 ft³ or 13.5 bags of 2 ft³. A cubic metre is 1,000 litres — 20 bags of 50 litres.
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