We’re often asked to help calculate how much sand, topsoil, or stone will be needed for a particular job. Here are some common calculations and conversion factors to use when filling a hole or topdressing.
FILLING A HOLE
To determine how much sand, topsoil or stone you need to fill an area:
- Measure number of square feet in the area
- # of square feet x depth in feet = # of cubic feet
- # of cubic feet /divided by 27 = # of cubic yards
- # of cubic yards x (unit weight in pounds / 2000) = # of tons needed
(See chart below for unit weight conversion factors)
Remember to add 10-20% to the total for compaction and waste
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MATERIAL WEIGHTS PER CUBIC YARD
- Sand: 2,700 lbs (cubic yards needed x 1.35 = tons needed)
- Topsoil: 2,200 lbs (cubic yards needed x 1.1 = tons needed)
- Clay: 3,000 lbs (cubic yards needed x 1.5 = tons needed)
- Compost: 1,200 lbs (cubic yards needed x 0.6 = tons needed)
- Crushed Gravel: 2,700 – 3,000 lbs depending on stone sizing
- Decorative Stone: 2,700 – 3,000 lbs depending on stone sizing
TOPDRESSING
To determine how much sand topdressing you need to cover an area:
- Measure number of square feet in the area
- # of square feet x depth of application in inches x 0.0031 = cubic yards of topdressing needed for surface coverage
- # of cubic yards x 1.35 = # of tons of sand needed
(See chart above for unit weight conversion factors for topdressing with materials other than sand)
