Is fill dirt good for growing grass?

No. Cover fill dirt with topsoil before seeding: Penn State Extension calls for 4–6 inches of settled topsoil for a new lawn on subsoil.

How much does a yard of fill dirt cost?

A yard of fill dirt costs about $5–$18 before delivery (Lawn Love, Dec 2025). Delivery is extra and local prices vary.

Dirt Calculator

Fill dirt weighs 1,900–2,550 lb per cubic yard loose and dry. Enter length, width and depth below to get cubic yards, tons and cost for your low spot or hole.

Material

Area

Length ft

Width ft

Count

Depth in

Order options No waste · ¼ yd steps · reference price

Extra for waste

Supplier sells by

Your price $ per yd³, optional

Know the tons? Supplier quote in tons → yards

Tons

Tape readings work: 10' 6", 10 1/2, 10½ or 10.5. Depth takes inches or feet (1 ft). Areas add up. Other material? Use the cubic yard calculator.

Order

5.75 cubic yards to order

rounded up to the nearest ¼ yd³

Each cube is 1 yd³ (3 × 3 × 3 ft). Solid: exact 5.56 yd³. Order: 5 full cubic yards + ¾ of a yard.

Exact 5.56 yd³ · 150 ft³ · 4.25 m³

At 6 in deep, 1 yd³ covers 54 ft².

Weight: 5.46–7.33 tons (dry, loose)
Bags: Sold in bulk
Trucks: 5–11 pickup loads (half-ton class)
Cost: $29–$104

You need 5.75 cubic yards of fill dirt ≈ 5.46–7.33 tons (dry, loose).

Suppliers sell by the ¼, ½ or whole yard, often with a minimum order — round up to your supplier's step.

Order sheet for your supplier

Fill dirt weight: dry, loose (Caterpillar, U.S. Army). Cost: reference range, before delivery (Lawn Love, Dec 2025); local prices vary.

Fill dirt vs topsoil

Fill dirt is subsoil used to raise a grade or fill a hole, while topsoil is the darker, organic top layer that grass and plants grow in.

Use fill dirt below the surface and a topsoil layer on top. Pick topsoil in the calculator for the top layer, or use the topsoil calculator for a lawn.

Dirt weight: loose vs in the ground

Dirt weighs 1,900–2,550 lb per cubic yard loose and dry (0.95–1.28 tons), and 2,180–3,200 lb per cubic yard dry in the ground.

Loose dirt is dirt as dug and delivered. Dirt in the ground is packed tighter, so the same cubic yard weighs more. Wet, loose dirt weighs 2,700–3,200 lb per cubic yard.

Dirt state	lb per yd³	tons per yd³
Dry, loose (as delivered)	1,900–2,550 lb	0.95–1.28
Wet, loose	2,700–3,200 lb	1.35–1.60
Dry, in the ground	2,180–3,200 lb	1.09–1.60
Wet, in the ground	3,400–4,000 lb	1.70–2.00

Sources: Caterpillar Performance Handbook; U.S. Army FM 5-434. Suppliers deliver loose dirt, so order by the loose weight. At about a ton per yard, a half-ton pickup is full by weight before its bed is full.

Fill dirt and topsoil: weight and price per cubic yard
Material	lb per yd³	tons per yd³	Bags	$ per yd³
Fill dirt	1,900–2,550	0.95–1.28	Bulk only	$5–$18
Topsoil	1,600–2,200	0.8–1.1	0.75 cu ft, 1 cu ft, 1.5 cu ft	$20–$45

Weight basis: fill dirt dry, loose; topsoil dry, loose. Prices are reference ranges from dated cost guides and supplier lists (updated September 2026); local prices vary. Sources: Caterpillar; U.S. Army; Lawn Love; Do it Best; Shell Lumber; Graf's Garden Shop; Penn State Extension; Topsoil.com.

Dirt settling and compaction

Dirt settling has no single published percentage. The U.S. Army's FM 5-434 shows loose loam losing 20–28% of its volume when compacted: 1 cubic yard loose packs down to 0.72 cubic yard.

Natural settling in a yard is usually less than machine compaction, and no extension source gives one percentage. Order more loose fill dirt than the hole measures when the fill gets compacted in layers.

Dirt calculator FAQ

Is fill dirt good for growing grass?: No. Cover fill dirt with topsoil before seeding: Penn State Extension calls for 4–6 inches of settled topsoil for a new lawn on subsoil.
How much does a yard of fill dirt cost?: A yard of fill dirt costs about $5–$18 before delivery (Lawn Love, Dec 2025). Delivery is extra and local prices vary.