A low spot in the yard that collects water after every storm, a garden bed that needs raising, or a stretch of ground you want to level — all of them need the same thing before you start: a reliable estimate of how much fill dirt to buy. Order too little and the project stalls halfway through. Order too much and you pay for dirt that sits in a pile for months.

The Dirt Fill Calculator takes the guesswork out of the ordering process. You enter the length and width of the area, how deep you want the fill, and a compaction allowance, and it returns the raw volume, the volume adjusted for settling, the estimated weight in tons, and how many 10-yard truckloads that means.

This guide explains what fill dirt is, how the calculator works, and how to measure and order like a contractor. Work through the examples below and you will be able to order with confidence the next time your project needs dirt.

What Does the Dirt Fill Calculator Do?

The Dirt Fill Calculator turns your measurements into the four numbers a supplier actually needs to hear: cubic yards, tons, and truckloads. Suppliers sell fill dirt by the cubic yard, and dump trucks are rated by cubic yard capacity, so the volume in cubic yards is the most important figure on the page.

Because loose dirt settles after it is placed and compacted, the calculator also applies a compaction allowance. The default is 10 percent, which means it adds 10 percent to the raw volume so you order enough dirt to end up with the depth you planned once everything settles.

Finally, it converts the adjusted volume into an estimated weight in tons and the number of 10-yard truckloads. The weight helps if you are hauling the dirt yourself and need to know whether your truck or trailer can handle the load.

How to Use the Dirt Fill Calculator

Start by measuring the length and width of the fill area in feet. Measure the longest and widest points, because fill calculations assume a rectangular area and it is better to round up slightly than to come up short.

Next, decide how deep you want the fill and enter that depth in inches. For raising a garden bed 6 inches, enter 6. For leveling a low spot that is 4 inches deep at its lowest point, enter 4.

The compaction allowance field is prefilled with 10 percent. Leave it there for a typical yard fill, or raise it to 15 or 20 percent if the fill will be compacted heavily by equipment or vehicles. Press Calculate to see your four results, or Reset to start over.

Why Fill Dirt Settles After Compaction

Dirt delivered from a supplier arrives loose and fluffy, with air trapped between the particles. As soon as you spread it, drive over it, or let rain work on it, that air is squeezed out and the dirt takes up less space.

This settling is called compaction, and it is the number one reason do-it-yourself projects run short of dirt. A fill that looks 6 inches deep right after spreading may measure only 5 inches a month later.

The standard fix is to order extra dirt up front. Ten percent extra covers light hand compaction, while 20 percent is safer when the fill will support a driveway or parking area. The calculator adds this allowance automatically so your finished depth matches your plan.

Cubic Yards, Cubic Feet, and Tons Explained

These three units show up constantly in dirt work, and mixing them up causes expensive mistakes. A cubic foot is a box 1 foot on every side. A cubic yard is a box 1 yard — 3 feet — on every side, and it holds exactly 27 cubic feet.

Suppliers price dirt by the cubic yard, so that is the unit to speak when you call. A ton, on the other hand, measures weight. One cubic yard of compacted fill dirt weighs roughly 1.35 tons, though wet dirt weighs more.

The calculator shows all three so you can talk to the supplier in cubic yards and check your hauling capacity in tons at the same time.

How to Measure the Fill Area Correctly

Good numbers in mean good numbers out. Use a tape measure or measuring wheel to find the length and width of the area in feet. For an irregular shape, measure the longest dimension each way and accept a little overage — leftover dirt is far cheaper than a second delivery.

For depth, push a ruler or probe into the low spot at several points and use the deepest reading. If the depth varies a lot across the area, take readings at five or six points and use the average.

Round your measurements to the nearest half foot rather than pretending you can measure to the inch. The compaction allowance absorbs far more error than fine measurement ever could.

The formula is:

Fill volume in cubic feet = length (ft) × width (ft) × (depth (in) ÷ 12)

Volume in cubic yards = cubic feet ÷ 27

Adjusted volume = cubic yards × (1 + compaction percent ÷ 100)

Weight in tons = adjusted cubic yards × 1.35

Truckloads = adjusted cubic yards ÷ 10, rounded up

Worked Example: A 30 by 20 Foot Garden Bed

You want to raise a 30 by 20 foot garden bed by 6 inches of fill dirt. You plan to compact it by hand, so you use the default 10 percent compaction allowance.

First convert the depth to feet: 6 inches divided by 12 equals 0.5 feet. Multiply the area by the depth: 30 × 20 × 0.5 equals 300 cubic feet.

Divide by 27 to get cubic yards: 300 ÷ 27 equals 11.11 cubic yards. Apply the compaction allowance: 11.11 × 1.10 equals 12.22 cubic yards.

The weight estimate is 12.22 × 1.35, which equals 16.50 tons. For truckloads, divide 12.22 by 10 and round up: 1.222 rounds up to 2 truckloads of 10 yards each.

So you would order about 12.22 cubic yards — two 10-yard truckloads — to finish this bed at the planned depth.

Worked Example: Filling a Low Spot in the Yard

A 15 by 12 foot low spot holds water every time it rains. Probing shows it is about 4 inches deep at its worst. You plan to drive over it with a riding mower regularly, so you choose a 15 percent compaction allowance.

Convert 4 inches to feet: 4 ÷ 12 equals 0.333 feet. The volume is 15 × 12 × 0.333, which equals 60 cubic feet.

In cubic yards that is 60 ÷ 27, or 2.22 cubic yards. With the 15 percent allowance: 2.22 × 1.15 equals 2.56 cubic yards.

The weight comes to 2.56 × 1.35, which is 3.45 tons. Dividing 2.56 by 10 and rounding up gives 1 truckload.

One small truckload covers this job, and you would ask the supplier for about 2.56 cubic yards delivered loose.

Worked Example: A 100-Foot Driveway Shoulder

You want to build up the shoulder along a 100-foot driveway. The shoulder is 4 feet wide and you want 3 inches of fill to restore its edge.

Depth in feet: 3 ÷ 12 equals 0.25 feet. Volume: 100 × 4 × 0.25 equals 100 cubic feet.

That is 100 ÷ 27, or 3.70 cubic yards. With the default 10 percent compaction allowance: 3.70 × 1.10 equals 4.07 cubic yards.

The weight estimate is 4.07 × 1.35, or 5.50 tons. Truckloads: 4.07 ÷ 10 rounds up to 1 truckload.

This is a typical single-load job — roughly 4 cubic yards delivered in one 10-yard truck that will be less than half full.

Common Dirt Fill Mistakes

The most common mistake is forgetting the compaction allowance entirely. The raw volume looks right on paper, but after a few weeks of settling the finished grade sits below the target and a second delivery is needed.

The second most common mistake is measuring only the center of the area and ignoring the edges. Fill areas are rarely perfectly rectangular, and the edges almost always need more dirt than the estimate suggests.

A third mistake is confusing tons with cubic yards when ordering. Telling a supplier you need 16 tons when you meant 16 cubic yards — or the reverse — produces a wildly wrong delivery. Always order dirt in cubic yards.

Where Fill Dirt Is Useful

Fill dirt shines anywhere you need bulk and structure rather than fertility. Raising the grade around a foundation so water drains away from the house is the classic residential use.

It is also the right choice for leveling low spots, building up a driveway base, filling behind a new retaining wall, or preparing the ground under a shed pad before finer materials go on top.

Because it contains no organic matter, fill dirt will not decompose and shrink the way topsoil or compost can. That stability is exactly what you want under anything that must stay level.

How to Interpret Your Result

The raw fill volume is the exact geometric amount your area holds — useful for comparing against the bag labels at a garden center if you ever buy by the bag.

The volume with compaction is the number you order. This is the figure to quote to the supplier, and it already includes your chosen allowance for settling.

The estimated weight tells you whether self-hauling is realistic. A pickup truck bed typically carries 1 to 2 cubic yards, or 1.35 to 2.7 tons — so most fills beyond a couple of yards are better delivered.

The truckload count assumes standard 10-yard dump trucks and rounds up. If the supplier runs smaller 5-yard trucks, double the count.

Fill Dirt vs. Topsoil: Which Do You Need?

Fill dirt and topsoil look similar but do very different jobs. Fill dirt is the subsoil layer dug from below the surface — mostly clay, sand, and silt, with almost no organic matter.

Topsoil is the dark, living top layer, full of organic matter that plants love. It is the right choice for the top few inches of a garden bed or lawn, but it decomposes and settles over time, so it is a poor choice for deep fills.

The practical approach for raised beds is to fill with fill dirt up to a few inches below the final grade, then top with topsoil or compost for the planting layer. You get the volume cheaply and the fertility where it matters.

Ordering and Delivery Tips

Call the supplier with your adjusted cubic yard figure and the project address. Ask whether the price includes delivery and spreading, because those are often separate charges.

Schedule delivery for a dry day and have the drop spot ready. A tarp under the pile keeps the dirt clean and makes cleanup far easier on a driveway or lawn.

If your result is between truck sizes, round up rather than down. The extra half yard per truckload the calculator mentions covers spillage, uneven ground, and the inevitable patch you forgot to measure.

How Truckloads Are Calculated

The calculator assumes standard 10-yard dump trucks, which is the most common size for residential dirt delivery. It divides the adjusted volume by 10 and rounds up to the next whole truck.

Rounding up matters because a supplier cannot deliver a fraction of a truckload. If you need 12.22 cubic yards, the supplier sends two 10-yard trucks — one full and one partially loaded.

Ask your supplier what truck sizes they run before you finalize. If they deliver in 5-yard loads, simply halve the truck size in your head and double the truckload count.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is fill dirt?

Fill dirt is the subsoil excavated from beneath the topsoil layer, made mostly of clay, sand, and silt with little or no organic matter. It is used to raise grades, fill holes, and build up level surfaces because it compacts well and does not decompose.

2. How do I calculate how much fill dirt I need?

Multiply the length by the width of the area in feet, multiply by the depth in feet (inches divided by 12), and divide by 27 to get cubic yards. Then add a 10 to 20 percent compaction allowance, which is exactly what the Dirt Fill Calculator does for you.

3. How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?

There are 27 cubic feet in one cubic yard, because a cubic yard is 3 feet on each side and 3 × 3 × 3 equals 27. The calculator divides your cubic foot volume by 27 to convert it.

4. What is a compaction allowance?

A compaction allowance is extra dirt — typically 10 to 20 percent — added to your order to replace the volume lost when loose dirt settles after spreading and compaction. Without it, the finished grade ends up lower than planned.

5. How much does a cubic yard of fill dirt weigh?

One cubic yard of compacted fill dirt weighs about 1.35 tons, or roughly 2,700 pounds. Wet dirt weighs noticeably more, so the calculator's weight figure assumes average moisture content.

6. How many 10-yard truckloads do I need?

Divide your adjusted cubic yards by 10 and round up. The Dirt Fill Calculator performs this step automatically and shows the number of 10-yard truckloads in the results.

7. Can I use fill dirt for a garden bed?

Yes, as the base layer. Fill a raised bed with fill dirt up to a few inches below the top, then add topsoil or compost for the planting layer. This keeps the cost down while giving plants the fertile soil they need.

8. Is fill dirt the same as topsoil?

No. Topsoil is the dark, organic-rich surface layer used for growing plants, while fill dirt is the denser subsoil beneath it used for building up grades. They are sold separately and priced differently.

9. How deep should fill dirt be around a foundation?

Grade the soil so it slopes away from the foundation at about 6 inches of drop over the first 10 feet. Fill dirt is ideal for this because it compacts firmly and sheds water away from the house.

10. Why did my fill settle below the target grade?

The fill was probably ordered without a compaction allowance, or it was never compacted in lifts as it was placed. Loose dirt can lose 10 to 20 percent of its volume to settling within the first few months.

11. Should I order extra dirt beyond the calculator result?

The calculator already includes your compaction allowance, so the result is a complete order figure. If your ground is very uneven or you expect spillage during spreading, rounding up by half a yard per truckload is reasonable insurance.

12. Can I haul fill dirt in a pickup truck?

A standard pickup bed holds about 1 to 2 cubic yards, or 1.35 to 2.7 tons of dirt. Check the weight figure in your results — anything beyond a couple of yards is usually cheaper and easier to have delivered.

13. Does wet dirt change the calculation?

Wet dirt weighs more per cubic yard, so the ton estimate rises, but the volume in cubic yards stays the same. Suppliers sell by volume, so your cubic yard figure is still the number to order by.

14. How do I measure depth for an uneven low spot?

Probe the depth at five or six points across the area and use the average. Enter that average in inches, and keep the compaction allowance at the high end — 15 to 20 percent — since uneven spots compact irregularly.

15. What does the calculator assume about dirt density?

It assumes one cubic yard of compacted fill dirt weighs about 1.35 tons and that deliveries arrive in 10-yard dump trucks. Both are standard industry figures that match what most suppliers use.