Dirt calculator
Calculate this loadFill dirt is sold by the yard and weighed by the ton. Plan with 1.15 tons per loose cubic yard, then confirm moisture with the yard.
Project calculator
Area 1
Cubic yards
1.85 yd³
Tons
2.13 t
2 cu ft bags
25
Estimated cost
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Active area
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Fill dirt planning density 1.15 t/yd³ (USDA NRCS mineral-soil bulk density converted to loose cubic yards). Order 2 yd³ with 5% waste. 3 cu ft bags: 17.
Fill dirt is not topsoil. It is the cheaper, less organic mineral soil yards use to raise grade, backfill a foundation, or fill a pool. USDA NRCS bulk-density tables for mineral soils convert to roughly 2,000–2,800 pounds per loose cubic yard depending on texture and water. This calculator uses 1.15 tons/yd³ as a midpoint for unscreened fill.
Compaction is the hidden multiplier. A yard of loose fill can shrink 10–20% after a plate compactor or a winter of rain. If the finish grade is critical — a patio pad, a driveway subgrade — order the compacted volume, not the fluffy volume, or plan a second pass. Raised vegetable beds are the opposite: you want screened topsoil or a mix, not fill, and you do not compact it like a road.
Deep fills are safer in lifts. Dumping 18 inches in one drop and driving over it leaves voids. Measure the hole, not the pile. Piles look bigger than the void they came from.
Share the project with a civil or the yard. If the ZIP is in a service area, the lead form can route a delivery request. Bring a photo of the hole; estimators still trust a tape and a photo more than a vibe.
Formula
Yards = L × W × D ÷ 27. Tons ≈ yards × 1.15 for loose mineral fill.
Worked example
A 30 × 20 ft backyard low spot 6 inches deep is 30 × 20 × 0.5 ÷ 27 = 11.11 yd³, about 12.8 tons.
Fill dirt on the ground
Typical cover is 6 inches. Range 1.05–1.4 t/yd³. Unscreened fill. Clay and moisture push weight toward the top of the range.
Density table
Related calculators
Topsoil calculator
A new lawn wants about 4–6 inches of topsoil. A tired lawn can take a 1-inch dressing. Measure the area and we will do the yards.
Sand calculator
Paver sand, mason sand, and play sand are different products that share the same volume math. Plan on about 1.35 tons per loose yard.
Cubic yard calculator
A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet — a 3 × 3 × 3 ft cube. This page is the unit converter landscapers actually use.