Dirt calculator: how much fill dirt do I need?
0.93 cubic yards
25 cubic feet · about 0.97 tons · for 10 × 10 ft at 3 in
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3/8 or 10' 6".
0.93 cubic yards
25 cubic feet · about 0.97 tons
A 10 by 10 ft area at 3 inches deep needs 0.93 cubic yards of fill dirt, which is 25 cubic feet. Fill dirt runs about 1.0 to 1.1 tons per cubic yard dry, so pick the state to get the tons.
A worked example
A 12 by 8 ft area 6 inches deep for backfill needs 1.78 cubic yards. 48 cubic feet, about 1.87 tons dry, so a 2 cubic yard delivery covers it.
How many tons is a yard of fill dirt?
A cubic yard of fill dirt weighs roughly 1.0 to 1.1 short tons when it is dry and loose, the range the U.S. Army FM 5-434 table gives for earth as loam or silt, 1,900 to 2,200 pounds per cubic yard. Wet, it climbs to about 1.4 to 1.6 tons as the soil holds water. Pick the state in the calculator and it multiplies your cubic yards by that density, each option cited to FM 5-434. The cubic yard is the figure to order by, because the tons shift with every load as the moisture changes.
What else it is called
Fill dirt is also called fill, backfill, or clean fill, and it is not topsoil: fill dirt is the subsoil used to raise a grade or fill a hole, while topsoil is the screened growing layer on top. The cubic yards you need is geometry, the same for either; what changes is the price and the weight per yard.
Common sizes
| Area | 2 in deep | 3 in deep | 4 in deep | 6 in deep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 × 8 ft | 0.40 | 0.60 | 0.80 | 1.19 |
| 10 × 10 ft | 0.62 | 0.93 | 1.24 | 1.86 |
| 10 × 12 ft | 0.75 | 1.12 | 1.49 | 2.23 |
| 12 × 12 ft | 0.89 | 1.34 | 1.78 | 2.67 |
| 12 × 16 ft | 1.19 | 1.78 | 2.38 | 3.56 |
| 16 × 20 ft | 1.98 | 2.97 | 3.96 | 5.93 |
| 20 × 20 ft | 2.47 | 3.71 | 4.94 | 7.41 |
Cubic yards, rounded up to two decimals. Round up again to what your supplier will deliver.
Where the numbers come from
- 1 cubic yard = 27 cubic feet, exact by definition. The volume of dirt to fill an area is that arithmetic and nothing else, so the cubic yard figure does not depend on any density.
- Tons, loose earth: U.S. Army field manual FM 5-434, Earthmoving Operations, Table 1-2 (Material Weight). Earth as loam or silt is 1,900 to 2,200 lb per cubic yard loose and dry, which is 0.95 to 1.10 short tons, and 2,800 to 3,200 lb (1.40 to 1.60 tons) wet. The manual states these are averages that vary with soil and moisture. Public domain; read October 1, 2026. Data sheet (PDF)
Order by the cubic yard. Fill dirt settles and compacts once it is placed and wetted, so order for the finished volume and expect to add a little. It is not topsoil: fill dirt is subsoil for raising a grade or backfilling, with little organic matter.
By Javier Miralles · Last updated . How this site is made.
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