Fill Dirt Calculator
Fill dirt for raising grade, filling holes, and backfill, in cubic yards and tons, with compaction added.
Quick answer
One cubic yard of fill dirt covers about 54 sq ft at 6 in deep, or 27 sq ft at 12 in deep.
Measure
Material and depth
Also called: clean fill, subsoil, structural fill, dirt
5% is typical
Fill that gets compacted in layers ends up smaller than it arrived. About 15 percent extra covers it.
Adds local climate notes and goes into your copied order.
2.24 cu yd of Fill dirt. 81 bags or 3 cubic yards bulk.
You need
2.24cubic yards
= 60 cu ft of fill dirt · about 2.68 tons
This material packs down when compacted, so you order about 15% more to end up with the depth you measured.
5% extra covers spills, low spots, and the material that stays in the truck or wheelbarrow.
HaulOnce order ticket
Fill dirt
Ticket no.
382284
Option A: Bags
81 bags
0.75 cu ft bag, about 67 lb each
Example price, enter yours
Option B: Bulk
Cheaper3 cu yd
Rounded up to the nearest 1 yd, about 3.6 tons.
Example, enter yours
0 if you pick up
Ask your yard; many have a delivery minimum.
Bulk is cheaper above 1.1 cu yd. Bulk saves you $98 on this job.
Bags mean lifting 81 bags (about 5,400 lb in total). Bulk means about 25 wheelbarrow trips at 2.5 cu ft a load.
Estimate from haulonce.com. Weights vary with moisture and supplier. Prices are examples unless you entered your own.
Haul Check
Typical 1,500 to 2,300 lb. We use the low end until you enter yours.
Check the Tire and Loading Information sticker on your driver's door jamb for your exact payload.
Fill dirt hits your payload long before your bed is full.
That is 3,870 lb over your payload. You need 4 trips.
Split it into 4 loads of about 0.56 cu yd (1,340 lb) each, or get it delivered instead. At this many trips, delivery usually costs less than your time and fuel.
If the fill dirt is wet or on the heavy side, plan on 5 trips.
Using the low end of the typical payload range. Enter your own for an exact answer.
Ready to text or email your supplier:
“I need 3 cubic yards of fill dirt delivered.”
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Fill dirt shrinks when you compact it
Fill dirt is subsoil: low in organic matter, stable, and cheap. It is meant to be compacted in layers, and compacted fill takes up less room than the loose pile that arrived. The calculator adds about 15 percent so the finished grade comes out where you measured.
If anything will grow on top, finish with at least 4 inches of topsoil. Switch the material to topsoil in the calculator for that layer.
How to measure
Measure the length and width in feet, multiply for square feet, then decide the depth in inches. For odd shapes, split the area into rectangles, circles, and triangles and add them up; the calculator lets you add as many areas as you need and subtract cut-outs like a tree ring or an air-conditioner pad.
No tape measure? Open the Draw on satellite map tab, find your address, and trace the outline. Or use Pace it off: count steps along each side. Measure depth in a few spots, because ground is rarely flat.
Want the area on its own first? The lawn size calculator measures any part of your yard and carries it into the other calculators.
Coverage by depth
One cubic yard covers about 54 sq ft at 6 in deep.
| Depth | 1 cu yd covers | 1 bag (0.75 cu ft) covers | Yards per 100 sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 in | 108 sq ft | 3 sq ft | 0.93 |
| 6 in | 54 sq ft | 1.5 sq ft | 1.85 |
| 12 in | 27 sq ft | 0.8 sq ft | 3.7 |
| 18 in | 18 sq ft | 0.5 sq ft | 5.56 |
| 24 in | 14 sq ft | 0.4 sq ft | 7.41 |
Fill that gets compacted in layers ends up smaller than it arrived. About 15 percent extra covers it. The calculator adds this for you; the table does not.
Weight per cubic yard
A cubic yard of fill dirt weighs 2,000 to 2,700 lb (about 1.2 tons typical). Moisture is the big swing: the same pile weighs more after rain.
| Material | Low | Typical | High | Tons per yd |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fill dirt | 2,000 | 2,400 | 2,700 | 1.2 |
| Topsoil (screened) | 2,000 | 2,200 | 2,700 | 1.1 |
Pounds per loose cubic yard, as delivered. Wet material sits at or above the high end.
See every material side by side on the material weights chart.
Bags versus bulk
It takes 36 bags of 0.75 cu ft to make one cubic yard, and each bag weighs about 70 lb. Bags cost more per yard but skip the delivery fee and the minimum order. Bulk is cheaper per yard once the delivery fee is spread over enough material.
With example prices of $3 a bag, $15 a yard in bulk, and $100 delivery, bulk starts winning at about 1.1 cubic yards. These are examples, not your local prices: type your own into the Order Ticket above and it recalculates the break-even.
Do not forget the labor. One cubic yard in bags means lifting 36 bags, about 2,400 lb in total, twice: into the cart and out of the car.
Hauling it yourself
One cubic yard of fill dirt weighs about 2,400 lb. A full-size half-ton pickup typically carries 1,500 to 2,300 lb, and a midsize pickup 1,100 to 1,700 lb. Your exact number is on the Tire and Loading Information sticker on the driver's door jamb.
That means weight runs out first. At the low end of a half-ton's payload, you can carry only about 0.63 cubic yards per trip, even though a 6.5 ft bed holds about 2.1 level full. A bed that looks half empty can already be over the limit.
The Haul Check in the calculator does this math for your truck and your load, and tells you how many trips it takes.
What pros know
- Fill dirt is not for planting. Cap it with 4 or more inches of topsoil where anything needs to grow. (Penn State Extension)
- Big fill jobs are usually priced by the truckload. Ask how many yards their truck holds. (Caterpillar)
Common mistakes
- Dumping it in one deep layer instead of compacting every 4 to 6 inches.
- Planting straight into fill.
- Forgetting it is heavy. A yard is over a ton.
Questions people ask
How much fill dirt do I need?
Measure the area and how many inches you need to raise it. Area x depth in feet, divided by 27, is cubic yards; add about 15 percent if it will be compacted.
How much does a yard of fill dirt weigh?
About 2,000 to 2,700 lb per cubic yard, more when wet.
What is the difference between fill dirt and topsoil?
Fill dirt is subsoil for structure and grade; topsoil is the organic layer plants grow in. Fill goes under, topsoil goes on top.
Can I grow grass on fill dirt?
Not well. Cap fill with at least 4 inches of topsoil before seeding or sodding.
How do I compact fill dirt?
Spread it in 4 to 6 inch layers, moisten it slightly, and compact each layer with a plate compactor or tamper before adding the next.
Sources
- The Engineering ToolBox, Dirt and Mud: Densities (dry, moist, and wet soils, sand, and gravel)
- Caterpillar, Earthwork Volumes Reference Tables (swell and load factors)
- Penn State Extension, Lawn Establishment (seeding rates and timing)
- NHTSA, Tires: the Tire and Loading Information placard on the driver's door jamb
Last reviewed: . How we calculate
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