How much topsoil do I need to grow grass?
Measure the lawn, pick the job. The depth is built in.
You need about
0 cubic yards
0tons
0bags, 1 cu ft each
Add your truck size to see loads
How this was worked out
Assumes screened topsoil at 1.1 tons (2,200 lb) per cubic yard. A ton is 2,000 lb. Wet soil weighs more, so ask your supplier for their number.
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About topsoil for grass
A new lawn needs the most. The roots of new grass grow down into the soil under them, so the whole lawn gets a deep layer of good topsoil before any seed or sod goes down. Penn State Extension says at least 4 to 6 inches, measured once the soil is firmed. This page uses 6 inches.
Topdressing is a thin layer spread over grass that is already growing, to level it out and build up the soil a little at a time. Too much at once smothers the grass, so Clemson Cooperative Extension says no more than half an inch at a time. This page uses 0.5 inch.
For low spots, University of Maryland Extension says about a quarter to three quarters of an inch can go on the grass without smothering it. This page uses 0.75 inch. For a deeper dip, change the depth.
Garden soil is lighter than screened topsoil, about 0.9 tons a cubic yard against 1.1, so the tons go down when you use it. The cubic yards stay the same. Bags are counted by room, at 1 cubic foot a bag, the same as the bagged topsoil page.
Where the depths come from:
Penn State Extension: Lawn Establishment
Clemson Cooperative Extension: Topdressing a Home Lawn
University of Maryland Extension: Improving a Struggling Lawn and Repairing Damage