Topsoil Cost in 2026: Price per Yard, Ton, Bag and Delivered Load

Most topsoil price guides give one national range and stop. This one is built from what supply yards actually post: 2026 prices from 24 screened-topsoil listings and 16 blended-soil listings in 21 states, plus the delivery fees, truck sizes and order minimums printed on the same pages. We added the coverage arithmetic, BLS wage data for the people who spread it, what state transportation departments paid per cubic yard in 2025, the quality limits written into state topsoil specifications, and what university labs charge to test a load. The calculator below runs on the same numbers, and the arithmetic is in the method note near the end. Prices for other yard projects are collected on our cost guides hub.

Topsoil cost per yard: screened, unscreened and blended

Bulk topsoil is sold by the cubic yard (27 cubic feet, roughly one front-loader bucket) almost everywhere, and by the ton at some yards. The grade matters more than the region. Screening, which pushes the soil through a mesh to drop stones, roots and clods, roughly doubles the price of the same dirt, and blending in compost adds a few dollars more.

Product	What it is	Price per cubic yard, middle half	Median	Lowest to highest seen	Listings
Unscreened topsoil (fill-grade, “black dirt” straight from the pile)	Stripped surface soil with stones, roots and clods left in	$15–$23	$17	$15–$23 (KDCO: $22.99 a ton)	3
Screened topsoil or screened loam	Same soil passed through a screen, typically 3/8 to 3/4 inch	$30–$47	$40	$24–$73.50	24
Topsoil-compost blend (garden mix, 50/50, planting mix, lawn mix)	Screened topsoil mixed with compost, sand or both	$38–$53	$43.50	$30–$89.99	16
Bagged topsoil, converted to a cubic yard	0.75 or 1 cu ft retail bags	$108–$198	$149	$108 (90+ bags) to $198	5

The middle-half range is the useful number for budgeting. The extremes are real but specific: the $24 loads are on Cape Cod and Long Island, and the $73.50 figure is an Evanston, Ill., yard that sells by the ton and says one yard weighs 1.5 tons (Mulch Center).

Area to cover (sq ft)Soil and who spreads it (price per sq ft per inch of depth)Screened topsoil, delivered, you spreadUnscreened topsoil, delivered, you spreadTopsoil-compost blend, delivered, you spreadScreened topsoil, machine-spread and gradedScreened topsoil, hand-spread, open accessTopsoil-compost blend, hand-spread into bedsDepth4 in. (new lawn minimum)1 in. (top-dressing, low spots)2 in.3 in.5 in. (New Jersey standard)6 in.8 in. (Western Washington standard)12 in. (raised bed)Settling allowanceNoneAdd 10% for settling

Add-ons

Delivery, one load over 10 yd ($80 to $340) Delivery, one load of 10 yd or less ($60 to $250) Each extra truckload ($80 to $340) University lab soil test, routine ($5 to $20) Rutgers-style topsoil evaluation (texture, organic matter, salts) ($90 to $90)

Estimated topsoil cost$450 to $920

Uses the per-yard ranges in this guide divided by 324 (sq ft covered by 1 cubic yard at 1 inch). Pick one delivery line: 1,000 sq ft at 4 in. is 12.35 yd. Machine jobs under about 10 yd usually hit a half-day minimum of about $505 to $542. Local prices vary; see How we built these numbers.

The calculator multiplies your area by the depth and by the per-yard range for the product and service level you pick, divided by 324 (the square feet one cubic yard covers at 1 inch). Delivery is a flat adder per truckload, because it doesn’t scale with the amount once the truck is rolling. Pick the larger-load fee for anything over about 10 yards.

What 33 supply yards charge in 2026

Swipe the table sideways to see every column.

Supplier, location	Product	Posted price	Delivery and truck notes
Southridge Farm & Nursery, Walpole, Mass.	Screened loam, 1/2 in.	$25 / yd	Pickup or delivery
McIntyre Loam, Hopkinton, Mass.	Screened loam / loam-compost mix	$28 / $34 per yd	Zone delivery: $60–$250 (1–10 yd truck), $80–$340 (10–20 yd)
T.W. Nickerson, Cape Cod, Mass.	Screened loam	$24 / yd	No minimum; per-load fee by town; $1/yd off 20+ yd
Eastern LM, Suffolk County, N.Y.	Screened organic topsoil	$24 / yd	Suffolk County delivery
Got Mulch, Suffolk County, N.Y.	Screened topsoil / organic planting mix	$24 / $35 per yd	Suffolk County only
Kirk Allen, Stanhope, N.J.	Black topsoil / brown topsoil	$43.50 / $42.50 per yd	Up to 20 yd per trip; $25 fuel charge per delivery
Peach Country Tractor, Mullica Hill, N.J.	Premium screened / unscreened fill dirt	$29.50 / $17 per yd	Delivery priced by location
APLS, Pittsburgh, Pa.	Screened soil (clay-based)	$40 / yd	Call for 7+ yd pricing
Remington Mulch, Northern Va.	Screened topsoil (compost-enriched) / 50-50 compost mix	$45 / $55 per yd	5-yd minimum on bulk delivery
Piedmont Landscape Materials, Concord, N.C.	Screened topsoil	$40 / yd retail	Delivery minimum applies
Cummin Landscape Supply, metro Atlanta	Landscaper’s mix	$45–$59 / yd	Online delivery ordering
Panhandle Palm & Rock, Navarre, Fla.	Topsoil	$37.50 / yd	Up to 5 yd per delivery
Mulch and Stuff, Ormond Beach, Fla.	Premium topsoil, bulk	$40.50 / yd	Bag (40–45 lb): $7.75
Canton Topsoil, Canton, Mich.	Screened / garden soil 50-50 / unscreened	$30 / $39 / $15 per yd	5-yd minimum to deliver unscreened
Suburban Landscape Supply, Walled Lake, Mich.	Screened topsoil / garden soil 50-50	$34 / $38.50 per yd	Zone delivery
Midwest Compost, Elgin, Ill.	Screened topsoil	$47 / yd	7 yd per delivery
Mulch Center, Evanston, Ill.	Screened topsoil	$49 / ton (1 yd = 1.5 tons)	Sold by the ton
McCarty Mulch & Stone, Greenwood, Ind.	Pulverized topsoil	$45 / yd	3-yd online minimum; 15 yd max per soil load
Ohio Mulch, Ohio	Grower’s blend topsoil (soil, compost, leaf fines, sand)	$49.95 / yd	Home delivery
American Topsoil, Olathe, Kan.	Pulverized / organic topsoil blend	$65 / $75 per yd	Delivery $100–$200 (1–15 yd), $140–$320 (16–25 yd)
Plaisted Companies, Minn.	Pulverized black dirt	$39.95 / yd	Bulk by the yard
KDCO, Medina, Minn.	Black blend / garden mix / unpulverized	$29.99 / $34.49 / $22.99 per ton	$42 minimum
Buberl Black Dirt, Stillwater, Minn.	Topsoil, full 14-yd load / garden mix	$395 per load / ~$30 per yd	Delivery ~$95 (1–4 yd truck), ~$115 dump truck
Cheaper Than Dirt, Belton and Waco, Texas	Sandy loam topsoil / garden mix	$30–$35 / $50 per yd	Two yards
Texas Garden Materials, Houston	Lawn soil mix / top soil compost, 5/16 in.	$35.99 / $49.99 per yd	Pickup, delivery or install
Bedrock Landscaping Material, Denver	Screened topsoil	$51.89 / yd	Denver and Brighton yards
Direct Landscape Supply, Denver	Screened topsoil	$49 / yd	Delivery quoted
BioGrass, Salt Lake City area	Screened / premium topsoil / top-dressing soil	$47 / $68 / $75 per yd	Bulk delivery
Portland Rock, Gresham, Ore.	Screened topsoil	$49 / yd	Page says it is most often used as fill
Sky Nursery, Shoreline (Seattle), Wash.	3-way mix / planting mix	$37 / $39 per yd picked up; $52 / $54 delivered	10-yd delivery minimum; 1,500 lb per yd
GreenWaste, Bay Area and Sacramento, Calif.	Topsoil Superblend (compost, humus, bark fines, castings, sand)	$89.99 / yd	Premium blend
Eastman Soil, San Marcos, Calif.	70/30 grass-sod mix / 50-50 planting mix	$42 / $48 per yd	Delivery rates posted
West Valley Rock, Buckeye, Ariz.	Sandy loam (dirt, mulch, sand) / screened fill dirt	$52.95 per yd / $25.80 per ton	Delivery quoted

1. Cape Cod, MA24
2. Suffolk Co., NY (1)24
3. Suffolk Co., NY (2)24
4. Walpole, MA25
5. Hopkinton, MA28
6. Mullica Hill, NJ29.50
7. Canton, MI30
8. Belton/Waco, TX32.50
9. Walled Lake, MI34
10. Navarre, FL37.50
11. Minnesota (Plaisted)39.95
12. Pittsburgh, PA40
13. Concord, NC40
14. Ormond Beach, FL40.50
15. Stanhope, NJ43.50
16. Northern VA45
17. Greenwood, IN45
18. Elgin, IL47
19. Salt Lake City area, UT47
20. Denver, CO (Direct)49
21. Gresham, OR49
22. Denver, CO (Bedrock)51.89
23. Olathe, KS65
24. Evanston, IL73.50

Source: Supplier price pages checked Oct. 13–14, 2026 (see sources) Before delivery and tax. Evanston converted from $49 a ton at the yard's stated 1.5 tons per yard; Texas averages two yards.

Show the numbers

	Posted price
Cape Cod, MA	24
Suffolk Co., NY (1)	24
Suffolk Co., NY (2)	24
Walpole, MA	25
Hopkinton, MA	28
Mullica Hill, NJ	29.50
Canton, MI	30
Belton/Waco, TX	32.50
Walled Lake, MI	34
Navarre, FL	37.50
Minnesota (Plaisted)	39.95
Pittsburgh, PA	40
Concord, NC	40
Ormond Beach, FL	40.50
Stanhope, NJ	43.50
Northern VA	45
Greenwood, IN	45
Elgin, IL	47
Salt Lake City area, UT	47
Denver, CO (Direct)	49
Gresham, OR	49
Denver, CO (Bedrock)	51.89
Olathe, KS	65
Evanston, IL	73.50

Read the regional pattern loosely, because a few dozen yards can’t stand in for a whole state. Still, three things hold up. New England and Long Island yards post the lowest screened prices ($24 to $29). Front Range and Wasatch yards sit near $47 to $52. The Midwest spans the widest range, from $30 in suburban Detroit to $73.50 in Evanston, partly because its high end includes a delivery-only service in Kansas City and a yard that sells by the ton.

How much topsoil do I need? The coverage math

One cubic yard spread 1 inch deep covers 324 square feet. Everything else follows from that: divide 324 by your depth in inches to get the area one yard covers, or multiply your area by the depth and divide by 324 to get the yards you need. Scotts’ own label math agrees: one 0.75-cubic-foot bag of its topsoil covers 4 square feet at 2 inches (ScottsMiracle-Gro product page).

Depth	1 cubic yard covers	Yards per 100 sq ft	Yards per 1,000 sq ft	0.75 cu ft bags per 1,000 sq ft
1 in.	324 sq ft	0.31	3.09	112
2 in.	162 sq ft	0.62	6.17	223
3 in.	108 sq ft	0.93	9.26	334
4 in.	81 sq ft	1.23	12.35	445
5 in.	64.8 sq ft	1.54	15.43	556
6 in.	54 sq ft	1.85	18.52	667
8 in.	40.5 sq ft	2.47	24.69	889

A handy shortcut: at 3 inches, one yard covers about 100 square feet, and at 4 inches it covers 81. For the searches people actually type, 4 yards of topsoil covers about 324 square feet at 4 inches or 650 square feet at 2 inches, and 10 yards covers about 810 square feet at 4 inches.

How deep should topsoil be?

For a new lawn, the land-grant guidance clusters at 4 to 6 inches. Penn State Extension says a minimum of 4 to 6 inches, measured as firmed or settled depth, of good-quality topsoil is typically needed to establish good turf (Penn State Extension, Lawn Establishment). Washington State University’s Pacific Northwest handbook calls 6 inches over a well-drained base the minimum for a good-quality lawn (WSU Extension, PNW Gardener’s Handbook, ch. 10). Some places write the depth into rules for new construction:

• New Jersey’s soil erosion standards require topsoil applied uniformly to a depth of 5 inches (unsettled) on all sites that will be stabilized with vegetation, and imported topsoil must contain at least 2.75 percent organic matter (N.J. Dept. of Agriculture, Standards for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control, 2017 with soil restoration amendments).
• Western Washington’s post-construction soil standard (BMP T5.13) requires a topsoil layer at least 8 inches deep with 10 percent organic matter in planting beds and 5 percent in turf, at a pH of 6.0 to 8.0, and calls for scarifying the subsoil at least 4 inches where feasible (Washington Dept. of Ecology, Soil BMP implementation guide).
• Wisconsin’s highway specification places topsoil at a minimum of 4 inches in rural areas and 6 inches in urban areas when the plans give no depth (WisDOT Standard Specifications, Section 625).

Two inches or less is a top-dressing job, not a new soil profile. The New Hampshire and Maine extension fact sheets make the same point: a thin layer of new soil sitting on hard subsoil becomes a barrier to roots and drainage, so loosen the ground underneath and mix the first inch or two of new soil into it (UNH Extension, Purchasing Top Soil; UMaine Extension Bulletin 2283).

Order extra for settling

Loose soil compacts after it is spread, rained on and walked on, which is why Penn State specifies settled depth and New Jersey specifies unsettled depth. University of Alaska Fairbanks extension notes that gardeners are often surprised when an initial 6 inches of topsoil settles to 3 to 4 inches over a few years (UAF Cooperative Extension). The calculator offers a 10 percent allowance as a planning assumption, not a measured figure; UAF suggests asking the vendor how much its soil will settle.

What a load of topsoil costs delivered

Delivery is a flat charge per truck, so it hurts small orders most. On the posted schedules we found, a small dump truck (up to about 10 yards) runs $60 to $250 depending on distance, and a larger 10-wheeler or trailer load (10 to 25 yards) runs $80 to $340 (McIntyre Loam zone schedule; American Topsoil). Other posted figures sit inside that band: about $95 for a 1-to-4-yard truck and $115 for a dump truck at a Minnesota yard (Buberl Black Dirt), a $25 fuel charge on every delivery in North Jersey on top of the delivery rate (Kirk Allen), and free local delivery with a 4-yard minimum at a Sacramento yard (Hastie’s Capitol Sand and Gravel).

Order	Unscreened, delivered	Screened, delivered	Topsoil-compost blend, delivered	Screened: effective price per yard
1 yd	$75–$273	$90–$297	$98–$303	$90–$297
2 yd	$90–$296	$120–$344	$136–$356	$60–$172
3 yd	$105–$319	$150–$391	$174–$409	$50–$130
4 yd	$120–$342	$180–$438	$212–$462	$45–$110
5 yd	$135–$365	$210–$485	$250–$515	$42–$97
10 yd	$210–$480	$360–$720	$440–$780	$36–$72
15 yd	$305–$685	$530–$1,045	$650–$1,135	$35–$70
20 yd	$380–$800	$680–$1,280	$840–$1,400	$34–$64

Look at the last column. A single delivered yard costs $90 to $297, because the truck fee is most of the bill. By 10 yards the effective price falls to $36 to $72 a yard, and past that it barely moves. That is why the common advice to order everything in one trip holds up in the numbers. Some yards fold delivery into the price instead: a Salt Lake City company lists triple-screened topsoil at $275 for 4 yards delivered ($68.75 a yard) and $700 for 20 yards ($35 a yard) (Millcreek Topsoil).

How big is a load of topsoil?

There is no standard “load.” The yards in our sample list trucks that carry 5 yards (Panhandle Palm & Rock), 7 yards (Midwest Compost), up to 10 yards for a 6-wheel truck, 10 to 20 yards for a 10-wheeler and 25 to 30 yards for a dump trailer (McIntyre Loam), 14 yards for a “full load” in Minnesota (Buberl) and 20 yards per trip in New Jersey (Kirk Allen). Weight caps the load too: at 1.5 tons per yard (Mulch Center), 15 yards is about 22 tons. When a quote says “a load,” ask how many yards it is.

Minimums matter as much as fees. One Virginia yard has a 5-yard minimum on all bulk deliveries (Remington Mulch), a Seattle-area nursery a 10-yard minimum (Sky Nursery), and an Indianapolis-area yard a 3-yard online minimum with a 15-yard cap per soil load (McCarty Mulch & Stone). Sky Nursery’s sheet shows the delivered premium plainly: its 3-way mix is $37 a yard picked up and $52 delivered.

Is it cheaper to buy topsoil in bulk or bags?

Bulk is cheaper per yard by a wide margin; bags win only for very small jobs or when delivery isn’t possible. A 40-pound bag of Ace topsoil holds 3/4 cubic foot and was listed at $3.99 at one Ace dealer (Kenny Queen Hardware, Ace Top Soil 40 lb). A cubic yard is 36 of those bags. The comparison:

How you buy it	Price	Bags per cubic yard	Cost per cubic yard
Ace Top Soil, 40 lb (0.75 cu ft)	$3.99 a bag	36	$143.64
Wasco Nursery bagged topsoil, 0.75 cu ft (~40 lb), St. Charles, Ill.	$5.49 a bag	36	$197.64
Remington Mulch bagged topsoil, 1 cu ft, Va.	$5.50 a bag; $4.00 at 90+ bags	27	$148.50 ($108 at 90+)
Mulch Pros premium topsoil, 1 cu ft, Ga.	$5.95 a bag	27	$160.65
Bulk screened topsoil, middle half	$30–$47 a yard	n/a	$30–$47 (+ $60–$250 delivery)

1. Unscreened, bulk (median)16
2. Screened, bulk (median)40
3. Blend, bulk (median)43.50
4. 1 cu ft bags at 90+ (Remington)108
5. 40 lb bags (Ace)143.64
6. 1 cu ft bags (Remington)148.50
7. 1 cu ft bags (Mulch Pros)160.65
8. 0.75 cu ft bags (Wasco)197.64

Source: Supplier and retailer price pages, Oct. 2026; bags converted at 27 cu ft per yard Bulk prices exclude a $60–$250 delivery fee.

Show the numbers

	Cost per cubic yard
Unscreened, bulk (median)	16
Screened, bulk (median)	40
Blend, bulk (median)	43.50
1 cu ft bags at 90+ (Remington)	108
40 lb bags (Ace)	143.64
1 cu ft bags (Remington)	148.50
1 cu ft bags (Mulch Pros)	160.65
0.75 cu ft bags (Wasco)	197.64

The break-even is about 1 cubic yard. Below roughly half a yard (18 small bags), bags cost less than any delivery fee. Above 1 to 2 yards, bulk wins even with the truck charge, and if you can haul it yourself, bulk wins from the first yard. There is also a product difference: Maine’s extension service warns that most bagged soil products do not contain true mineral soil and are mixes of manures, aged bark, peat and compost (UMaine Extension Bulletin 2283). Fine for patching, poor for building up a lawn grade.

The label weights show it: bagged topsoil and garden soil both print about 20 lb per cubic foot, and our topsoil vs garden soil label comparison lines up 9 bags against mineral soil’s 82.9 lb.

Topsoil cost per ton, and how much a yard weighs

Yards that sell by weight post $22.99 to $34.49 a ton for black dirt and garden mix in Minnesota (KDCO), $49 a ton for screened topsoil in Evanston, Ill. (Mulch Center), and $21.30 to $25.80 a ton for fill dirt in Arizona (West Valley Rock). The per-ton price looks cheap until you convert it, and the conversion depends on moisture, clay content and how fluffy the soil is.

• 1,350 lb per yard average for screened topsoil at a South Carolina and Georgia yard (Taylor’s Landscape Supply).
• 1,500 lb per yard for blended soils at a Seattle-area nursery (Sky Nursery).
• 1.5 tons (3,000 lb) per yard at an Illinois yard that sells by the ton (Mulch Center).
• 2,100 to 2,500 lb per yard dry and up to 3,000 lb wet, per an Austin, Texas supplier (Austin Wholesale Landscape Supply).

So a ton is anywhere from two-thirds of a yard to a yard and a half. At Mulch Center’s own factor, $49 a ton is $73.50 a yard. Ask any per-ton seller what one yard weighs before comparing it with a per-yard quote, and remember that wet soil is heavier, so a rainy-week load gives you fewer yards per ton.

Spreading costs: DIY, tailgate, wheelbarrow service or a crew

The soil is often the cheaper half of the job. Moving 12 yards (roughly 9 to 18 tons) from a driveway pile to the back yard is the expensive part. Here is what the options cost, from published prices and our labor model.

Option	What you get	Added cost per cubic yard	Source
Driveway dump, you spread	Pile on the driveway or curb	$0	Supplier delivery terms
Tailgate spreading	Driver spreads the load off the back of a moving truck	$30 flat per load	Area Delivery & Supply, Medina, Ohio
Power wheelbarrow placement	Piles placed through gates into the back yard; you rake	$50	American Topsoil, Kansas City
Machine spread and rough grade	Mini track loader plus 2-person crew, open access	$11–$23 (half-day minimum about $505–$542)	Our model; see method
Hand spread and finish grade	Wheelbarrows and rakes, 2-person crew	$38–$85	Our model; see method
Complete spreading service	Delivered, installed and fully spread	$200	American Topsoil, Kansas City

Our hand-spreading range assumes a two-person crew moves and rakes 1 to 2 yards an hour over open ground. Long wheelbarrow runs, gates, steps and fine grading for seed cut that rate, which is why one Kansas City company’s complete-spreading price is $200 a yard, more than double our high case. Treat $38 to $85 as front-yard, easy-access work and expect gated back yards to run higher.

Labor prices also track local wages. Landscaping workers’ median pay ranges from $15.21 an hour in Mississippi to $23.40 in Massachusetts, a 35 percent gap (BLS OEWS, May 2025), so the same spreading job priced from wages alone costs about a third more in the Northeast than in the Deep South. For how crews turn wages into bid prices, see our guide to bidding landscaping jobs, and for current pay by state, our landscaper salary data.

Topsoil cost for common projects

Project	Cubic yards	Delivered, you spread	Machine-spread	Hand-spread
Top-dress 1,000 sq ft after core aeration, 1/4 in.	0.77	$83–$286	n/a (too small)	$112–$352
Fill low spots, 300 sq ft at 2 in.	1.85	$116–$337	n/a (too small)	$186–$494
Raised bed, 4 x 8 ft, 12 in. deep (blend)	1.19	$105–$313	n/a (too small)	$150–$414
Flower bed, 200 sq ft, 6 in. (blend)	3.70	$201–$446	n/a (too small)	$341–$761
New lawn, 1,000 sq ft, 4 in.	12.35	$450–$920	$955–$1,462	$920–$1,970
New lawn, 2,500 sq ft, 4 in.	30.86	$1,086–$2,131	$1,591–$2,840	$2,259–$4,754
New lawn, 5,000 sq ft, 6 in.	92.59	$3,178–$6,052	$4,196–$8,181	$6,696–$13,922
Western Wash. 8-in. soil standard, 1,000 sq ft (blend)	24.69	$1,098–$1,989	$1,603–$2,557	$2,037–$4,087

Two takeaways. Small jobs are dominated by fixed costs: a quarter-inch top-dressing after aeration needs less than a yard of soil, so the delivery fee or a few bags decide the price (our lawn aeration cost guide covers the aeration itself). And on a new lawn, the machine minimum makes a crew a poor deal under about 10 yards, while above 30 yards a machine is far cheaper than hand labor.

1. 1 in.$153
2. 2 in.$245
3. 3 in.$338
4. 4 in.$450
5. 5 in.$543
6. 6 in.$636
7. 8 in.$901

Source: The Green Industry Report estimate from 24 supplier price lists, McIntyre Loam delivery zones and BLS OEWS May 2025 One delivery fee per load; machine spreading includes a half-day minimum. Before tax; no settling allowance.

Show the numbers

	Delivered, low	Delivered, high	Machine-spread, high
1 in.	$153	$395	$937
2 in.	$245	$540	$1,082
3 in.	$338	$685	$1,227
4 in.	$450	$920	$1,462
5 in.	$543	$1,065	$1,607
6 in.	$636	$1,210	$1,752
8 in.	$901	$1,840	$2,408

If the topsoil is going under new sod or seed, the soil is only the first line on the bill. Our sod installation cost guide prices the full install, and sod vs. seed compares the two once the soil is down.

What state highway departments pay per yard

Transportation departments publish what contractors bid for topsoil on road jobs, which gives a floor for large, machine-placed work. The figures below are averages of winning bids, including the contractor’s markup.

Agency and item	Unit price	Quantity behind it	Period
Arkansas DOT: topsoil furnished and placed	$55.00 / CY	686 CY	Jan.–Nov. 2025
Arkansas DOT: removing and replacing topsoil (placement of site soil)	$8.12 / CY	23,160 CY	Jan.–Nov. 2025
Wisconsin DOT: topsoil (furnish and place)	$4.37 / SY (about $39 / CY at 4 in.)	statewide average	FY 2025
Wisconsin DOT: salvaged topsoil	$1.34 / SY (about $12 / CY at 4 in.)	statewide average	FY 2025
Oklahoma DOT: unclassified borrow (topsoil)	$13.85 / CY	13,451 CY, 4 contracts	Jan. 2025–June 2026
Oklahoma DOT: salvaged topsoil	$12.26 / CY	14,860 CY, 11 contracts	Jan. 2025–June 2026
West Virginia DOH: furnishing and placing topsoil	$130.97 / CY mean ($91–$945)	341 CY, 6 contracts	2025

Two lessons carry over to a yard. First, scale is everything: Arkansas paid $8.12 a yard to place soil on a 23,000-yard job, and West Virginia’s six small topsoil items, 341 yards in total, averaged $130.97. Second, furnished-and-placed topsoil on public work ($39 to $55 a yard in Wisconsin and Arkansas) lands close to our machine-spread residential estimate of $41 to $70 a yard plus delivery, which suggests the model is in the right range.

How to tell good topsoil from expensive dirt

Topsoil is not a regulated product in most states. New Hampshire and Maine extension fact sheets both note that their states have no legal definition of topsoil and no rules governing its sale (UNH Extension; UMaine Extension), and UConn says Connecticut has no state-run grading or certification system (UConn Home and Garden Education Center, 2026). Public specifications are the best yardstick available:

Standard	pH	Organic matter	Texture and debris	Depth
NYSDOT 713-01, Topsoil-Lawn (2026)	5.5–7.6	5%–12%	100% passes 1 in.; 75–100% passes No. 10 sieve; no stones, clay lumps, roots or invasive plant parts	Per plans
WisDOT Section 625	6.0–7.0	Humus-bearing	Loam to clay loam; top 2 in. 100% passes 1 in. and 90% passes No. 10 under sod or seed	4 in. rural, 6 in. urban
New Jersey Standard for Topsoiling	Not set; lime per soil test	2.75% minimum (imported)	Friable, loamy, free of debris, weeds and stones; soluble salts below 0.5 mmhos/cm	5 in. unsettled
Washington Ecology BMP T5.13	6.0–8.0	10% beds, 5% turf	Subsoil scarified 4 in.	8 in.
UConn Extension guidance	Test and lime	2%–10%	Sandy loam ideal; screened soil free of stones over 3 in.	n/a
UNH Extension guidance	5.5–7.5	Add compost	Loam or sandy loam best	n/a
University of Missouri IPM	Electrode-tested	3% or more	Reject material outside range	n/a

Practical checks before you pay, all from the extension sheets above:

• Look at the pile. UConn’s fact sheet says screened topsoil should be completely free of stones larger than 3 inches and of trash. Very dark, grayish soil may be dredged wetland material that is acidic and poorly structured.
• Ask for test data. UNH recommends asking the vendor for the product’s test results and, if there are none, taking a small sample to test yourself; at minimum, pH and texture class.
• Squeeze it. UConn’s 2026 guidance: sticky and heavy when wet may drain poorly; very light, peaty or woody may settle within a season or two.
• Check for herbicide carryover. Oregon State Extension notes that clopyralid and aminopyralid persist through composting and can contaminate compost and soil mixes; it recommends asking vendors how they manage that risk and running a bioassay with peas or beans in the soil before you plant (OSU Extension EM 9307). This matters most for blends and garden mixes.
• Know what screening means at that yard. A Michigan yard warns that its screened topsoil uses a larger screen that lets small stones and twigs through and is not the same as bagged soil (Suburban Landscape Supply); an Indiana yard notes its farm-field soil can include pebbles and corn or soybean stalks (McCarty Mulch & Stone).

Soil testing: what university labs charge

A routine test costs less than one bag of premium soil at most land-grant labs, and it tells you whether you need topsoil at all. UConn’s 2026 guidance makes the point directly: if the real problem is low pH or low fertility, another load of soil may not help (UConn).

Lab	Routine test	Organic matter add-on	Texture or topsoil option	Source
UMass Amherst	$20	$6	Basic particle size $50	Lab services
Penn State AASL	$10 kit	$5	n/a	Fertility testing
Virginia Tech	$10 in-state, $16 out	$4 in-state	n/a	Fees and forms
NCDA&CS (North Carolina)	Free Apr. to late Nov.; $5 in peak season	n/a	n/a	Peak season page
University of Georgia	$6 (S1); $20 mail-in kit	$10	n/a	Soil analyses
Clemson	$6	$7 in-state	n/a	Soil testing
Rutgers	$20 landscape fertility	Included in $55 suitability test	Topsoil evaluation $90 (adds sand/silt/clay and gravel)	Services and fees
Texas A&M	$12	$32 (routine plus organic matter); $40 with micronutrients added	$37 (routine plus texture); $57 with organic matter and texture	Urban and homeowner form
Colorado State	$40 basic (pH, salts, organic matter, N, P, K, S)	Included	n/a	Price list

For a purchased pile, Rutgers’ $90 topsoil evaluation is the closest thing to a buyer’s inspection: it reports nutrients, pH, soluble salts, organic matter, sand-silt-clay percentages, textural class and gravel content. On a 12-yard order costing $400 to $600, that is a reasonable check before the soil goes down. Maine’s extension service suggests mixing five quarter-cup samples from different parts of the vendor’s pile for a representative sample (UMaine Extension). This is general information, not a substitute for your lab’s sampling instructions.

Screened vs. unscreened, topsoil vs. fill dirt vs. garden mix

Unscreened topsoil is the cheapest real topsoil and works where a machine will spread it and the surface will be raked or tilled anyway. A Minnesota yard says its unscreened soil can hold large rocks and roots and suits skid-steer placement, not hand raking (KDCO). Screened topsoil is the default for lawns and grading. Blends with compost cost about 10 to 20 percent more and belong in beds and raised gardens, where organic matter pays off. Fill dirt is a different product: a North Jersey yard prices common fill at $19 a yard against $42.50 to $43.50 for topsoil and says never to plant directly into it; cap it with 4 to 6 inches of screened topsoil (Kirk Allen).

If you are choosing between compost and a surface layer instead, our compost vs mulch page compares lab values, depths and same-yard prices.

DIY or hire, and red flags in a topsoil quote

Spreading under about 5 yards over open ground is a reasonable DIY job: at 2 to 3 cubic feet per wheelbarrow trip (our assumption for heavy soil), one yard is 9 to 14 trips. Past 10 yards, or anywhere the soil has to travel through a gate or up steps, a crew with a compact loader is usually worth the minimum charge. If you hire, the same checks apply as for any landscaper; our guide to checking a landscaper’s license covers state rules, and how much landscaping costs puts the job in context.

Quote red flags we see in the published terms:

• “A load” with no yardage. Truck sizes run from 5 to 30 yards in our sample.
• A per-ton price with no tons-per-yard figure. At 1,350 lb to 3,000 lb a yard, the same per-ton price can mean a 2-to-1 difference per yard.
• “Topsoil” with no screen size. Screens in our sample ranged from 3/8 inch (Millcreek Topsoil) to 1/2 inch (Southridge; KDCO), and UConn notes most soils are screened through 3/4-inch mesh (UConn).
• No fuel charge, minimum or zone stated. Fuel charges, 3-to-10-yard minimums and zone pricing are all common.
• Spreading priced “per hour” with no crew size or equipment. Ask how many yards an hour they expect to place.
• No source or test data for a blend. Ask about herbicide-carryover controls, per Oregon State Extension.

This page is general information, not engineering, legal or agronomic advice. Topsoil depth and quality rules on new construction vary by state and town; confirm with your local conservation district or permitting office before you grade or build.