calcs.homes
calcs.homes
Find how much fill dirt you need for grading, backfilling, or leveling a yard — with a compaction allowance since loose fill settles over time.
Estimate only — actual compaction varies with soil type and moisture.
Loose fill dirt settles once it's placed and compacted, so you need more loose volume than the finished fill depth suggests. A light compaction allowance of 15% covers most backyard grading; heavy compaction (driveways, sub-base under a slab) can call for 25% or more.
Multiply the area by your target depth to get raw volume, then add a compaction allowance since loose dirt settles. This calculator does both steps for you.
About 1.3 tons for typical topsoil or fill dirt, though wet or clay-heavy soil can weigh more.