How Much Does Soil Weigh?
A cubic yard of garden soil weighs about 2,000 lb (1 ton), and a cubic foot weighs about 74 lb. Bulk topsoil is heavier at about 2,400 lb per cubic yard, and potting mix is much lighter at 20 to 40 lb per cubic foot. The table shows the range for each material the calculator covers, from the light end to the heavy end.
| Material | lb per cu ft | Typical lb per cu ft | lb per cu yd | Typical lb per cu yd |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Potting mix | 20 to 40 | 30 | 540 to 1,080 | 810 |
| Garden soil (topsoil with compost) | 67 to 81 | 74.1 | 1,800 to 2,200 | 2,000 |
| Topsoil (bulk delivery) | 74 to 126 | 88.9 | 2,000 to 3,400 | 2,400 |
| Sandy soil (dry, in place) | 100 to 112 | 106.1 | 2,696 to 3,033 | 2,864 |
| Loam or silt loam (dry, in place) | 87 to 103 | 95.2 | 2,359 to 2,780 | 2,569 |
| Clay soil (dry, in place) | 69 to 92 | 80.2 | 1,853 to 2,477 | 2,165 |
| Mulch | 15 to 30 | 18.5 | 400 to 800 | 500 |
| Gravel | 89 to 107 | 100 | 2,400 to 2,900 | 2,700 |
The mineral soil rows come from USDA NRCS bulk density limits, converted to pounds per cubic foot with the factor Penn State Extension uses (1 g/cm³ = 62.4 lb per cubic foot). They describe dry soil in the ground, which is looser once dug and heavier once wet. The topsoil, garden soil, mulch and gravel rows use the same per-yard ranges as our Topsoil Calculator and Cubic Yard Calculator, so the three pages agree.
How to Calculate Soil Weight
- Find the volume. Multiply length × width × depth in feet. Convert inches to feet by dividing by 12. This gives cubic feet. Divide by 27 for cubic yards. If you only know the area and a depth, the Soil Volume Calculator does this for pots and beds.
- Pick a weight per cubic foot. Use the table above for your material. Take the light end for dry, loose material and the heavy end for wet or packed material.
- Multiply. Weight in pounds = cubic feet × pounds per cubic foot. Divide by 2,000 for US tons, or multiply by 0.4536 for kilograms.
The calculator above does all three steps and shows the range, so you can see how far a wet delivery could stray from the typical figure. If you want to measure your own soil instead of using a table value, our guide to soil bulk density shows a simple pipe core test.
How Many Cubic Feet Are in a Pound of Soil?
One pound of garden soil takes up about 0.0135 cubic feet, or roughly 23 cubic inches. To find it for any soil, divide 1 by the soil’s weight per cubic foot. Garden soil weighs about 74 lb per cubic foot, so 1 ÷ 74 = 0.0135. Going the other way, a 50 lb bag of garden soil is about 0.67 cubic feet.
| Material | Typical lb per cu ft | Cu ft in 1 lb | Cu in in 1 lb | Cu ft in 50 lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Potting mix | 30 | 0.0333 | 57.6 | 1.67 |
| Garden soil (topsoil with compost) | 74.1 | 0.0135 | 23.3 | 0.67 |
| Topsoil (bulk delivery) | 88.9 | 0.0112 | 19.4 | 0.56 |
| Sandy soil (dry, in place) | 106.1 | 0.0094 | 16.3 | 0.47 |
| Loam or silt loam (dry, in place) | 95.2 | 0.0105 | 18.2 | 0.53 |
| Clay soil (dry, in place) | 80.2 | 0.0125 | 21.6 | 0.62 |
| Mulch | 18.5 | 0.0540 | 93.3 | 2.70 |
| Gravel | 100 | 0.0100 | 17.3 | 0.50 |
These use the typical figure for each material, so wet or compacted soil will fill less space per pound and loose, dry soil more. Use the calculator above for the light and heavy ends of the range.
Raised Bed Soil Weight
Filling a raised bed adds up faster than most people expect. The table uses typical garden soil at about 74.1 lb per cubic foot. Add 10 to 15 percent if the soil is wet, and see our guide to soil for a 4x8 raised bed for how the volume is worked out.
| Bed size | 6 in deep | 12 in deep | 18 in deep |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 x 4 ft | 593 lb (8 cu ft) | 1,185 lb (16 cu ft) | 1,778 lb (24 cu ft) |
| 4 x 8 ft | 1,185 lb (16 cu ft) | 2,370 lb (32 cu ft) | 3,556 lb (48 cu ft) |
| 4 x 12 ft | 1,778 lb (24 cu ft) | 3,556 lb (48 cu ft) | 5,333 lb (72 cu ft) |
| 3 x 6 ft | 667 lb (9 cu ft) | 1,333 lb (18 cu ft) | 2,000 lb (27 cu ft) |
A deeper bed does not need to be filled with soil all the way down, and a lighter mix cuts the weight sharply. Our guide to how to fill a raised garden bed covers the 60/30/10 blend and ways to reduce the soil you carry in.
Worked Example
Say you are filling a 4 × 8 ft raised bed, 12 inches deep, with garden soil.
- Cubic feet: 4 × 8 × (12 ÷ 12) = 32 cubic feet.
- Cubic yards: 32 ÷ 27 = 1.19 cubic yards.
- Weight: 32 × 74.1 lb = about 2,370 lb, a little over 1 US ton.
- Range: 32 × 66.7 = 2,133 lb at the light end, and 32 × 81.5 = 2,607 lb at the heavy end.
So you would plan on roughly 1.2 tons of soil, and ask the supplier whether the load is quoted by volume or by weight. If you are ordering by the ton, the Topsoil Calculator gives bulk quantities directly.
Why Soil Weight Changes
Soil is part mineral, part organic matter and part pore space, and water fills some of that pore space. Bulk density is the dry weight of soil divided by its volume, and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service gives limits by texture: for plant growth, bulk density should stay below 1.60 g/cm³ in sandy soil, 1.40 in silty soil and 1.10 in clayey soil, and it restricts root growth above 1.80, 1.65 and 1.47. That is why a cubic foot of sandy soil weighs more than a cubic foot of clay soil even though clay feels heavier in the hand.
Compaction raises the weight per cubic foot because the same space holds more solids. Water raises it too, since a cubic foot of water weighs 62.4 lb. Organic matter lowers it, which is why adding compost makes garden soil lighter than bare topsoil. For how the layers of a soil profile differ, see soil profile horizons, and for choosing between mixes, see topsoil vs. garden soil.
To see what a load of sand weighs, dry or wet, use the Sand Calculator, which turns an area and depth into tons and 50 lb bags. For a paver project, the Paver Calculator gives the base and sand weights along with the paver count.
Common Mistakes
- Using one weight for every material. Potting mix at 20 to 40 lb per cubic foot and topsoil at about 89 lb per cubic foot differ by a factor of two or three. Pick the material that matches what you are buying.
- Ignoring moisture. A pile that has been rained on can weigh well above the typical figure. Use the heavy-end setting for anything wet, and for loads on a trailer or a deck.
- Mixing up volume and weight when ordering. Suppliers may quote by the cubic yard or by the ton. A cubic yard of topsoil is about 1.2 tons, so a 10-ton order is roughly 8 cubic yards, not 10.
- Forgetting the container and plants. The soil weight is only part of a planter's load. Add the container, the water the soil holds and the plants.
Soil Weight Calculator FAQ
How much does 2 yards of topsoil weigh?
About 4,800 lb, or 2.4 tons, for 2 cubic yards of bulk topsoil at the typical 2,400 lb per cubic yard. Dry, loose topsoil can weigh as little as 4,000 lb and wet or compacted topsoil as much as 6,800 lb for the same 2 yards, so ask your supplier what the load is rated at.
How many cubic feet are in a pound of soil?
About 0.0135 cubic feet of garden soil, or roughly 23 cubic inches, because garden soil weighs about 74 lb per cubic foot. Divide 1 by the weight per cubic foot for any soil. Potting mix at about 30 lb per cubic foot takes 0.033 cubic feet per pound.
How much does a cubic yard of soil weigh?
Garden soil (topsoil mixed with compost) weighs about 1,800 to 2,200 lb per cubic yard, with 2,000 lb as a typical figure. Bulk topsoil is heavier, about 2,000 to 3,400 lb (1.0 to 1.7 tons), with 2,400 lb (1.2 tons) as the usual planning baseline. Wet or compacted soil sits at the top of those ranges.
How much does a cubic foot of soil weigh?
A cubic foot of garden soil weighs roughly 67 to 81 lb, and a cubic foot of potting mix weighs about 20 to 40 lb. Divide a per-cubic-yard figure by 27 to get the per-cubic-foot figure. Dry mineral soil in place runs about 69 to 112 lb per cubic foot depending on texture, based on USDA NRCS bulk density limits.
How much does the soil in a 4x8 raised bed weigh?
A 4 x 8 ft bed filled 12 inches deep holds 32 cubic feet. At about 74 lb per cubic foot for garden soil, that is roughly 2,370 lb, or a little over 1 ton. At 18 inches deep it is about 3,550 lb. Wet soil weighs more, so plan for the heavy end if the bed sits on a deck or roof.
How many tons is a cubic yard of soil?
About 1 ton for garden soil (2,000 lb) and about 1.2 tons for bulk topsoil. One US ton is 2,000 lb, so divide the weight in pounds by 2,000. The Topsoil Calculator uses 1.2 tons per cubic yard as its baseline, and its real range runs from 1.0 to 1.7 tons.
How much does potting soil weigh?
Dry potting mix weighs about 20 to 25 lb per cubic foot, and moist mix weighs about 40 lb per cubic foot. That makes a 1 cubic foot bag about 20 to 40 lb depending on how wet it is. This is why a large planter is far lighter than the same planter filled with garden soil.
Does wet soil weigh more than dry soil?
Yes. Water weighs 62.4 lb per cubic foot, and soil pores hold part of that. Penn State Extension uses 62.4 to convert bulk density from g/cm3 to lb per cubic foot. Dry loam of 1.33 g/cm3 weighs about 83 lb per cubic foot before any water is added. Rain-soaked soil can weigh well over that, which is why the calculator offers a heavy-end setting.
How do I convert cubic yards of soil to tons?
Multiply cubic yards by the weight per cubic yard, then divide by 2,000. For example, 5 cubic yards of garden soil at 2,000 lb per cubic yard is 10,000 lb, or 5 tons. In the calculator, choose By volume, enter 5, pick cubic yards, and the tons appear on the right.
Is this the same as the soil volume calculator?
No. The Soil Volume Calculator tells you how much soil fills a pot or bed, in cubic feet, cubic yards and liters. This calculator starts from that volume (or from the bed size) and tells you how much it weighs, with a weight setting for each material. Use the volume calculator to order, and this one to plan deliveries, lifting and load limits.
Can I use this for deck, balcony or roof loads?
Use it for a first estimate only, at the heavy end of the range. Roofs and balconies have posted load limits, and saturated soil plus the container and plants weighs more than a dry estimate. Ask a structural engineer or your building manager for the actual limit before filling large planters or raised beds there.
Sources & further reading
Bulk density limits by soil texture come from the USDA NRCS Soil Quality Indicators: Bulk Density sheet. The conversion from g/cm³ to pounds per cubic foot (62.4) and the 83 lb per cubic foot figure for a silt loam come from Penn State Extension’s What is an acre furrow slice of soil?. The per-yard ranges for topsoil, garden soil, mulch and gravel, and the potting mix figures, are the same planning ranges used on our Topsoil, Cubic Yard and Soil Volume calculators. For how we source and check the numbers on every calculator, see our methodology page, and for the full topic see the complete guide to soil and amendments.
