Worksheet 1

How much dirt do I need?

Revised October 2026

Measure the spot, get cubic yards, see how many truckloads that is. Works for fill, topsoil, sand and stone.

Length (ft) Width (ft) Depth (in)

Material

0 cubic yards

Fill in the three measurements.

The math

Cubic yards = length (ft) × width (ft) × depth (in) ÷ 324. One cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, or a cube about three feet on a side.

Table 1. Coverage per cubic yard

Table 2. What a dump truck carries

Single axle	about 8 yards, or 8 to 10 tons of stone
Tandem (the usual truck)	about 12 yards, or 16 to 18 tons of stone
Tri-axle	about 16 yards, or 20 to 24 tons of stone

Dirt weighs 1.3 to 1.5 tons a yard, more when wet, so a truck is often weight-limited before it is full.

Loose fill and topsoil settle 10 to 25 percent. The calculator adds 15 percent for dirt. Compact fill in layers if something will sit on it.
Stone is sold by the ton. Crushed stone runs about 1.4 tons per cubic yard, so 10 yards of crusher run is about 14 tons.
Whole loads are cheaper. Most of a delivery price is the truck. Nine yards and twelve yards often cost nearly the same.

Five short steps. There is no account to make, and nobody calls until you want them to.