Fill Dirt Calculator
Estimate the loose cubic yards, tons, and truckloads needed to hit a finished grade target for pad raises, low spots, circular fills, and wedge slopes.
Smaller tandem loads often land around 10 cu yd; larger deliveries can reach about 16 cu yd.
When Fill Dirt Is the Right Material
Fill dirt is for structural grade work: raising a pad, building up a low area, or changing elevation before a driveway edge, shed base, or hardscape project. The buying mistake is treating it like finish soil. It is cheaper and more stable than topsoil for the lower lifts, but it is not the material you want as the final rooting medium for grass or planting beds.
That is why this calculator leads with loose order quantity. The finished surface you want is compacted, while the truck that arrives carries loose material. The uplift assumption bridges that gap so you can order closer to the real delivery quantity instead of the final compacted shape alone.
Delivery and Compaction Notes
| Planning question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Where can the truck dump? | Bulk trucks need room to back in, tip safely, and avoid soft lawns or overhead obstructions. |
| How deep is the deepest lift? | Deep fills settle less when they are placed and compacted in multiple lifts. |
| What is the finish layer? | Low spots, lawns, and planting areas usually need topsoil above the structural fill. |
| Does the new grade move water? | Small grade changes can push runoff toward foundations or neighbors if the slope is not checked first. |
Rule of Thumb
Use fill dirt to build the shape, compact it, then switch to topsoil if the final surface needs to support seed or sod. If the low spot keeps returning because water has nowhere to go, pair the fill plan with the French drain calculator instead of assuming more soil alone will solve the issue.
How the Math Works
The calculator starts with finished geometry: area times finished depth. That returns the compacted volume the project will occupy after shaping and compaction. Then it applies the compaction uplift so the final answer reflects the loose quantity to order, which is how bulk fill dirt actually arrives.
Tons come next by multiplying the loose yardage by the selected density. Truckloads are then rounded up to whole deliveries because suppliers do not send fractional dump trucks. Wedge mode uses average depth, which is why a 0-12 inch wedge over the same area matches the same math as a flat 6-inch fill.
Worked Example: 20 x 20 Pad Raise
A homeowner wants to raise a 20 x 20 ft shed pad by 6 inches and needs an order quantity that already accounts for compaction.
- 1 Pad size: 20 x 20 ft = 400 sq ft
- 2 Finished depth target: 6 in = 0.5 ft
- 3 Finished compacted volume: 400 x 0.5 = 200 cu ft = 7.41 yd3
- 4 Add 15% compaction uplift: 7.41 x 1.15 = 8.52 loose yd3
- 5 At 1.21 tons per yd3, weight is about 10.31 tons
- 6 With a 10 yd truck, that is 1 truckload
Worked Example: 30 x 10 Wedge Fill
A sloped low area runs 30 x 10 ft and tapers from flush grade to 12 inches at the far end.
- 1 Slope area: 30 x 10 ft = 300 sq ft
- 2 Depth changes from 0 in to 12 in, so average depth is 6 in
- 3 Finished compacted volume: 300 x 0.5 = 150 cu ft = 5.56 yd3
- 4 Add 15% uplift: 5.56 x 1.15 = 6.39 loose yd3
- 5 At 1.21 tons per yd3, order roughly 7.73 tons
- 6 One 10-yard truck covers the job, but compaction and grading still need to be planned in the field.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much extra fill dirt should I order for compaction? +
What is the difference between fill dirt and topsoil? +
Why does truckload planning matter? +
When should I compact fill dirt in lifts? +
Do I need to worry about grading rules or runoff? +
You May Also Need
Topsoil Calculator
Size the finish layer after the structural fill is in and compacted.
Calculate →Topsoil vs Fill Dirt for Low Spots
Use the right material in the right lift so low-spot repairs do not settle back out.
Read Guide →French Drain Calculator
If the grade problem is really a drainage problem, plan the trench, rock, and fabric next.
Calculate →