Use the calculator with your own quote
- Enter your area or raised beds and the depth. The card works out the cubic yards, tons and bags.
- Type the price from your quote into Price and choose per cubic yard, per ton or per bag.
- The Material cost line gives the total for the soil. Add the delivery fee and any tax yourself.
With a per-ton price the calculator uses the middle weight, about 1.2 tons per cubic yard, so treat the result as approximate. Ask the supplier for their own weight per yard to tighten it up.
What drives the price of topsoil
| Factor | Effect on price |
|---|---|
| Screened or unscreened | Screening removes stones, roots and clods. It takes time and machinery, so screened soil usually costs more. |
| Blended or plain | Topsoil mixed with compost or sand (garden mix, lawn mix) usually costs more than plain topsoil. |
| Testing and certification | Soil sold with a lab analysis, or to a specification, may cost more. |
| Local supply | Areas with plenty of good native topsoil nearby tend to be cheaper than areas where it is hauled in. |
| Order size | Many yards price per yard and add a delivery fee; some have a minimum order or charge a short-load fee for small loads. |
| Delivery distance | Fees often rise with distance and the size of truck needed. |
| Season | Spring is busy for landscape yards. Off-season orders can be easier to schedule. |
| Bags vs bulk | Bags add packaging and handling, so they usually cost more per cubic foot. |
How to compare quotes fairly
Quotes come in different units, so convert everything to the same thing before you decide.
Price per cubic yard, delivered:
delivered price per yard = (price per yard × yards + delivery fee) ÷ yards
Per-ton price to per-yard price: topsoil weighs about 1 to 1.4 tons per yard. Ask the supplier their figure; if they don’t know, use 1.2 as a middle estimate.
price per yard ≈ price per ton × tons per yard
Bag price to per-yard price:
price per yard = bag price ÷ bag size (cu ft) × 27
For a 0.75 cubic foot bag that is the bag price × 36; for a 1 cubic foot bag, × 27; for a 2 cubic foot bag, × 13.5.
When bags beat bulk
Bulk is usually cheaper per cubic foot, but the delivery fee is fixed, so on small orders bags can come out ahead. The break-even point is:
break-even yards = delivery fee ÷ (bag price per yard − bulk price per yard)
If you need fewer yards than that, bags are cheaper. If you need more, bulk is. Use the bag-to-yard conversion above to get the “bag price per yard”. Remember to weigh up the labour too: a cubic yard is 27 one-cubic-foot bags to carry and open.
Questions to ask the supplier
- What is the price per cubic yard (or per ton), and what does a yard of your topsoil weigh?
- Is it screened? What size screen?
- Is it plain topsoil or a blend? What’s in the blend?
- Do you have a soil test or analysis?
- What is the delivery fee, and is there a minimum order or a short-load charge?
- How much can one truck bring, and how many trips will my order take?
- Can the truck reach my drop spot, and will it damage the driveway or lawn?
Quote worksheet
Copy this into a note and fill one row per supplier. The lowest delivered price per yard wins, if the soil quality is equal.
| Supplier | Unit quoted | Price | Converted to per yard | Yards needed | Delivery fee | Delivered price per yard |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | ||||||
| B | ||||||
| C |
Need the number of yards first? Use the topsoil calculator, or the bags of soil calculator for a bag count.
Ways to spend less
- Order the right amount. Measure carefully and add about 10%, not 50%.
- Use topsoil only where roots grow. For deep fills, cheaper fill material can go underneath, with 4 to 6 inches of topsoil on top.
- Combine orders. One delivery of several yards usually costs less per yard than several small ones.
- Make your own compost. It reduces how much blended soil or bagged compost you need to buy.
This site doesn't publish national average prices, because topsoil prices are local and change through the year. Your supplier's quote is the number to use.
Questions gardeners ask
- How much is a yard of topsoil?
- It depends on where you live, the quality of the soil and how far it is delivered. Call two or three local landscape supply yards and ask for the price per cubic yard of screened topsoil, the delivery fee and any minimum order.
- Is topsoil cheaper by the yard or by the ton?
- Neither unit is cheaper in itself. A yard of topsoil weighs about 1 to 1.4 tons, so convert one price into the other before you compare: price per yard ≈ price per ton × tons per yard.
- Is bagged topsoil more expensive than bulk?
- Per cubic foot, bags usually cost more than bulk, but bulk adds a delivery fee. For small jobs bags can still win. Compare the price per cubic foot with delivery included.
- Why do topsoil prices vary so much?
- Screening, blending with compost, testing, local supply, fuel and haul distance, the size of the order and the time of year all change the price.