Frequently Asked Questions
A yard of dirt is the same as a cubic yard: 27 cubic feet, a cube 3 feet on each side. It covers 324 square feet at 1 inch or 81 at 4 inches. A loose truck yard holds less soil than a yard in the ground, because excavated dry earth swells about 25 percent.
A cubic yard of dirt fills about 9 standard 3-cubic-foot wheelbarrows, or about 14 smaller 2-cubic-foot ones, because a cubic yard holds 27 cubic feet. A 6-cubic-foot contractor barrow needs about 4.5 level loads, but at roughly 90 pounds per cubic foot each one weighs about 540 pounds, so crews often run partial loads.
Thirty-six 40 lb bags make one cubic yard when each holds 0.75 cubic foot, the volume an MSU Extension answer gives for a 40 lb topsoil bag, since a cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. By weight, Caterpillar's 1,600 lb per loose cubic yard of topsoil equals 40 bags, so check each bag's stated volume.
Bagged fill dirt shows up at some Lowe's stores, which list a 0.5 cubic foot Oldcastle bag, while both Lowe's and Home Depot mainly stock bagged topsoil, and stock varies by store. Bags suit patching holes, since a cubic yard takes 36 bags at 0.75 cubic foot. Bulk fill suits bigger jobs.
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