Compost Calculator
One cubic yard of compost topdresses about 650 square feet of lawn at a quarter inch, or fills 108 square feet of bed at 3 inches deep.
Compost goes down thin on lawns and thick in beds. Choose a depth that matches the job — a quarter inch for topdressing, one to three inches when amending soil.
Compost calculator
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Density of 1,100 lb/yd³ reflects finished, moist yard-waste compost. Manure-based blends are heavier. Estimates only — confirm with your supplier before ordering.
Compost coverage per cubic yard
| Depth | Coverage per cubic yard | Yards per 500 sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| 1" | 324 sq ft | 1.54 yd³ |
| 2" | 162 sq ft | 3.09 yd³ |
| 3" | 108 sq ft | 4.63 yd³ |
| 4" | 81 sq ft | 6.17 yd³ |
| 6" | 54 sq ft | 9.26 yd³ |
Compost questions people actually ask
- How much compost do I need to topdress a lawn?
- A quarter inch is the standard rate, which is about 0.77 cubic yards per 1,000 square feet. Going deeper can smother the grass.
- How much compost should I mix into a new bed?
- Two to three inches tilled into the top six inches of soil, which works out to roughly 25 to 30 percent compost by volume.
- How much does a yard of compost weigh?
- Around 1,100 pounds when finished and moist — lighter than topsoil, heavier than bark mulch.
Gear for a compost job
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Related calculators
- Topsoil CalculatorOne cubic yard of screened topsoil covers about 108 square feet at 3 inches deep and weighs roughly 1.1 tons.
- Mulch CalculatorA cubic yard of mulch covers about 108 square feet at 3 inches deep, so most beds need roughly 1 cubic yard (13.5 two-cubic-foot bags) per 100 square feet.
- Grass Seed CalculatorA new lawn needs about 1 pound of grass seed per 250 square feet; overseeding an existing lawn takes about half that.
- Sod CalculatorA standard pallet of sod covers about 450 square feet, and a single roll covers about 10 square feet.
How this number is calculated
Density of 1,100 lb/yd³ reflects finished, moist yard-waste compost. Manure-based blends are heavier. Volume is area × depth, converted to cubic yards by dividing cubic feet by 27. See all our assumptions.