How much does topsoil cost?

Prices vary by how the soil is processed. Across the market, rough unscreened fill is the cheapest, screened topsoil sits in the middle, and certified BS3882 planting soil costs the most because it is tested and graded. Every yard prices these differently, which is why quotes for a bulk bag of topsoil can be pounds apart.

TopTurf sells one grade: screened topsoil at £70 a bulk bag. That is a supply price, before delivery. Screened soil is the grade the vast majority of garden jobs actually need, so rather than run three lines we stock the one that gets used and keep the price flat.

Elsewhere you will see topsoil priced by the bulk bag and by the tonne. Bulk bags are priced by volume and a tonne is priced by weight, which is why the two figures differ. A bulk bag holds around 0.7 m3, and topsoil weighs roughly 1.5 tonnes per cubic metre, so a bulk bag is a little heavier than a straight tonne.

Economy fill is unscreened as dug soil, often with a bit of stone and root in it. Yards sell it for building up levels, backfilling behind walls, or bulking out ground before you cap it with something better. Do not plant straight into it and do not use it under a new lawn.

Screened topsoil has been passed through a screen to take out stones and debris. It is the general purpose garden soil most people want: fine enough for laying turf, topping up borders, and levelling before seeding. For the majority of jobs this is the grade to buy, and it is the one TopTurf stocks, at £70 a bulk bag.

Premium BS3882 topsoil is graded to the British Standard for topsoil (BS 3882:2015), so it is tested for texture, nutrients and contaminants. Some suppliers carry it for high spec planting schemes. For a normal garden, decent screened topsoil does the same job without the certificate.

Work it out by area and depth. A bulk bag of around 0.7 m3 covers roughly 7 m2 at 100mm deep, or about 14 m2 at 50mm. To size a job, multiply the area in square metres by the depth in metres to get cubic metres, then divide by 0.7 for bulk bags, or multiply by 1.5 for tonnes.

Sensible depths: a new lawn or turf wants 100mm to 150mm of decent topsoil over the base. Flower borders and shrub beds want 300mm or more of good soil for roots to get going. Levelling a lawn or topping up a thin border needs only 25mm to 50mm. Raised beds you simply fill to the brim.

A worked example: a 10 m2 patch for new turf at 100mm needs 1 m3, which is about one and a half bulk bags, or roughly a tonne and a half. A 5 m2 border dug to 300mm needs 1.5 m3, so about two bulk bags. Round up slightly, as soil settles once it is walked on and watered.

You will see topsoil sold three ways in the market: small bags from the sheds, bulk bags, and loose loads tipped by the tonne. For anything more than a wheelbarrow or two, small bags are the dear way to do it, and loose loads need hard standing to tip onto and a lot of barrowing.

TopTurf supplies screened topsoil in bulk bags only, at £70 a bag. A bulk bag is about 0.7 m3, covers roughly 7 m2 at 100mm, and gets set down where the driver can reach, so there is no pile on the drive to shift.

If the soil is going under a new lawn, we can also sort supply-and-lay of turf over fresh topsoil through Barrow Landscaping if you would rather not do the graft.

Delivery is on top of the soil price and starts at £20, set by your postcode and how much you order.

Topsoil is heavy. A single bulk bag is a bit over a tonne, so most cars and small trailers can only carry one safely. If you are moving several bags, delivery usually works out cheaper and easier than repeat runs, and saves your suspension.

Order by phone or email. If you are unsure of quantity, give the area and the depth you are after and it can be worked out for you before anything is loaded.

Economy fill is unscreened as dug soil for building up levels and backfilling, not for planting. Screened topsoil has the stones taken out and suits lawns, turf and general borders. Premium BS3882 is graded to the British Standard and tested for quality. TopTurf stocks the screened grade only, at £70 a bulk bag.

Aim for 100mm to 150mm of good topsoil over the base before you turf or seed. Less than that and the grass roots have little to work with, so it dries out and struggles in summer. Screened topsoil is the usual grade for laying turf.

Yes. Delivery from our Leigh base is from £20, worked out on your postcode and the amount you order.