How Much Topsoil for a 12x16 Area?
For a 12x16 area of topsoil at 3 inches deep, you need about 1.78 cubic yards - roughly 64 bags (0.75 cu ft bag), about 1.96 tons. The amount changes with depth; the table below shows common depths, and you can adjust everything in the calculator.
Based on a 12x16 area (192 sq ft). One cubic yard = 27 cubic feet; bags are 0.75 cu ft bag.
1-2 in to top-dress a lawn, 3-6 in for new beds, more to fill a raised bed.
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You need about
Weight is an estimate (1.0-1.35 tons per cubic yard); actual weight varies with material and moisture.
For top-dressing or leveling a lawn, 1 to 2 inches is plenty. For new planting beds, plan on 3 to 6 inches of good soil. To fill a raised bed, measure the inside depth of the box.
Measure length and width in feet, choose your depth, and the calculator returns cubic yards plus the number of bags for the bag size you pick.
Other topsoil amounts
Same area, other materials
Need a different size? Open the full Topsoil calculator →