Calculator - How to figure out cubic yards

[skijay]

I come to this site for more than snowsports related items than anywhere else! Last year I was going to have a driveway installed, and I finally did it this year. I went with asphalt as opposed to pavers or concrete. I now have 1700 sq feet of driveway and asphalt was more economical.

However since I widened my driveway, I did not realize how much my lawn sloped to where the old driveway was. I ended up with between a 4 to 6 inch ledge and I ended up with 5" tall flat top curbing on one side of my driveway to act as a retaining wall.

I now need to back fill between the curbing and my existing lawn and I need some help.

Does anybody know how to calculate how much top soil to purchase in yards?

The ones online do not seem right. I have 64 feet in length by 6 inches deep by 6 inches wide. How many cubic yards of top soil do I need? The one place I called told me I need 27 yards. That seems like quite a bit.

 

[hammer]

64 feet x 0.5 feet x 0.5 feet = 16 cubic feet
1 cubic yard = 3 feet x 3 feet x 3 feet = 27 cubic feet

Looks to me like 1 yard would do it...problem is that most places (at least those near where I live) won't deliver less than around 3 yards or so. If you have a place to put the excess I'd go with ordering 2 - 3 yards (whatever the min delivery is).

 

[skidbump]

when i did my drive way ,the house end was 5 inches higher for about 16 ft. I back filled and used my f150 to compact "key" didnt want to over shoot with vehicle and sink down 5 inches.I compacted the shit out of it ,then used some real good black soil to top and seed

 

[skijay]

Thanks hammer your calculation was the same as the company I am buying the soil from. I had to order 3 yards minimum. I will have extra, but I have use for it. The scary part is yesterday when I gave the person the size and she came back with 27 yards.

 

[Marc]

Thanks hammer your calculation was the same as the company I am buying the soil from. I had to order 3 yards minimum. I will have extra, but I have use for it. The scary part is yesterday when I gave the person the size and she came back with 27 yards.

I almost fell off my chair when I read 27 yards. You could fill your entire house and then some with that much fill. You'd have dump trucks lined up to come in your driveway.

 

[Greg]

I am the top soil master as I graded and seeded my entire lawn myself. I had 180 yards (yes, 180!) of screened top soil delivered. Ten triaxle dump truck loads. That's alotta dirt!

Since then, I had another 18 yards (one triaxle) delivered last spring to fix the edges of the driveway and a few other dips and low spots in the yard. This spring I had another 10 yards delivered to build elevated beds in front of the house. I am currently working on a masonry project of retaining walls, steps, etc., and plan to have another ten yards delivered to top off the new beds and align the walk with another elevated bed. There are plenty of other areas I'd like to tweak if I have extra.

Don't worry about overbuying. You can always find a place for extra top soil and it never goes as far as you think it will.

 

[nelsapbm]

Check with your town's planning and zoning office....I know in South Burlington anything over 20 cubic yards of fill needs permits - it's considered alteration of grade and can effect stormwater runoff, erosion etc. Maybe its different in CT, but Vermont is pretty serious about this kind of stuff.

 

[Grassi21]

I am the top soil master as I graded and seeded my entire lawn myself. I had 180 yards (yes, 180!) of screened top soil delivered. Ten triaxle dump truck loads. That's alotta dirt!

Since then, I had another 18 yards (one triaxle) delivered last spring to fix the edges of the driveway and a few other dips and low spots in the yard. This spring I had another 10 yards delivered to build elevated beds in front of the house. I am currently working on a masonry project of retaining walls, steps, etc., and plan to have another ten yards delivered to top off the new beds and align the walk with another elevated bed. There are plenty of other areas I'd like to tweak if I have extra.

Don't worry about overbuying. You can always find a place for extra top soil and it never goes as far as you think it will.

Holy S man. That's a lot of dirt. I was talking to my in-laws neighbor at the Cape. He was telling me the price he paid to have his property covered in good top soil so he could lay sod. Dirt isn't too expensive, but having it trucked up to the Cape is a killer.

 

[Greg]

Holy S man. That's a lot of dirt. I was talking to my in-laws neighbor at the Cape. He was telling me the price he paid to have his property covered in good top soil so he could lay sod. Dirt isn't too expensive, but having it trucked up to the Cape is a killer.

Yeah - it can get expensive. Luckily now, I have a better relationship with the builder who is still putting up houses in the neighborhood. He'll drop off ten yards for $150. I negotiated that big 180 yard delivery at $310 per truckload.

 

[Greg]

Check with your town's planning and zoning office....I know in South Burlington anything over 20 cubic yards of fill needs permits - it's considered alteration of grade and can effect stormwater runoff, erosion etc. Maybe its different in CT, but Vermont is pretty serious about this kind of stuff.

He's only getting 3 yards. Pretty silly that 20 yards is considered "alteration of grade". Sure, maybe if it's left in one big pile... :roll:

 

[nelsapbm]

Ya....I hear ya (re: 20 yards). When we have people in our office complaining, I have to remind them that we don't make the rules, just enforce them. Boy do I have some stories to tell! I think the city wants to make sure that wetlands or streams are not being impacted. The City has strict stormwater regulations.
If anyone ever has any sort of land use quesitons, let me know.
SkiJay & Greg - Good luck with your projects!!

 

[hammer]

I am the top soil master as I graded and seeded my entire lawn myself. I had 180 yards (yes, 180!) of screened top soil delivered. Ten triaxle dump truck loads. That's alotta dirt!

Since then, I had another 18 yards (one triaxle) delivered last spring to fix the edges of the driveway and a few other dips and low spots in the yard. This spring I had another 10 yards delivered to build elevated beds in front of the house. I am currently working on a masonry project of retaining walls, steps, etc., and plan to have another ten yards delivered to top off the new beds and align the walk with another elevated bed. There are plenty of other areas I'd like to tweak if I have extra.

Don't worry about overbuying. You can always find a place for extra top soil and it never goes as far as you think it will.

You are the soil master.:wink: Holy crap...how do you move that quantity of dirt? If you're going one shovel at a time, you sure don't need to worry about any other forms of exercise...

And you're right about the excess...I always find ways to use the extra loam that I end up with.

 

[Greg]

You are the soil master.:wink: Holy crap...how do you move that quantity of dirt? If you're going one shovel at a time, you sure don't need to worry about any other forms of exercise...

And you're right about the excess...I always find ways to use the extra loam that I end up with.

We rented this tractor/bucket loader thing with a york rake. It was barely large and powerful enough for the job. We really could have used a small dozer. We had ten of these babies:

The 18 yards I got last spring was moved by hand with a shovel and a wheelbarow! :-o This spring's 10 yards was moved with a shovel and a trailer and my lawn tractor which made it pretty easy. I was extending the capability of the trailer though which is really meant to haul just leaves and brush... :lol:

 

[hammer]

We rented this tractor/bucket loader thing with a york rake. It was barely large and powerful enough for the job. We really could have used a small dozer. The 18 yards I got last spring was moved by hand with a shovel and a wheelbarow! :-o This spring's 10 yards was moved with a shovel and a trailer and my lawn tractor which made it pretty easy. I was extending the capability of the trailer though which is really meant to haul just leaves and brush... :lol:

I moved about 5 yards of loam, 3 yards of mulch, and 2 yards of stone last season by shovel using a 10 cubic foot trailer and my JD tractor. It was a definite improvement over trying to haul everything in a wheelbarrow.

Had a few times when I filled the trailer up pretty high and I'm sure I exceeded the recommended weight limit...could have used some chains on the tractor wheels.

 

[skijay]

Before they coud do the driveway they had to tag the street in front of my driveway with CBYD. They had to wait until the gas co, electric, water and sewer people came out and sprayed the appropriate color & symbols in my yard and driveway to indicate where things are. They would not start anything until all were marked.

CBYD = Call Before You Dig