Fill Dirt Calculator
Fill dirt is measured in cubic yards: area in square feet times depth in feet, divided by 27. Add 15 percent because fill compacts as it settles.
Fill dirt is subsoil with the organic matter screened out, used to build up grade rather than grow anything. Because it is placed in lifts and compacted, always order more than the raw volume suggests.
Fill Dirt calculator
You need
0cubic yards
- Area covered
- 0 sq ft
- Cubic feet
- 0
- Weight
- 0 tons
- 40 lb bag (0.75 cu ft)s
- 0 bags
- Estimated cost
- $0
2,600 lb/yd³ reflects typical moist unscreened fill dirt. Verify tonnage with your supplier's scale ticket. Estimates only — confirm with your supplier before ordering.
Fill Dirt 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 |
Fill Dirt questions people actually ask
- What is the difference between fill dirt and topsoil?
- Fill dirt is subsoil with little organic material, so it compacts well and does not settle later — right for structural fill. Topsoil is the growing layer and should only go on top.
- How much extra fill dirt should I order?
- Add 15 percent for normal compaction, and up to 25 percent if the fill is going into a trench or under a slab where it will be mechanically compacted in lifts.
- How much does a yard of fill dirt weigh?
- Roughly 2,600 pounds, or 1.3 tons, when moist. Clay fill can exceed 3,000 pounds per yard.
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Related calculators
- Dirt CalculatorYards of dirt = length x width x depth in feet divided by 27. A 20 x 20 ft area filled 6 inches deep needs 7.4 cubic yards, or about 10 tons.
- Topsoil CalculatorOne cubic yard of screened topsoil covers about 108 square feet at 3 inches deep and weighs roughly 1.1 tons.
- Cubic Yard CalculatorCubic yards = length (ft) x width (ft) x depth (ft) divided by 27. A 10 x 10 ft area at 3 inches deep is 0.93 cubic yards.
- Sand CalculatorOne cubic yard of sand weighs about 1.35 tons and covers roughly 324 square feet at a 1-inch paver bedding depth.
How this number is calculated
2,600 lb/yd³ reflects typical moist unscreened fill dirt. Verify tonnage with your supplier's scale ticket. Volume is area × depth, converted to cubic yards by dividing cubic feet by 27. See all our assumptions.