Find it locally
Topsoil Near Me
Screened topsoil, garden soil and compost — what to ask for, how much you need, and where to find it locally.
Everything you plant lives or dies in the top eight inches of soil, so this is the one material I never buy blind. "Topsoil" isn't a regulated word — it can mean beautiful screened loam or the scraped-off subsoil from a construction site with a fancy name. After thirty-plus years of ordering it by the tri-axle, here's how to buy soil that actually grows things, and how to find a good yard near you.
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How to buy topsoil like a pro
Ask for SCREENED topsoil
Screened means it's been run through a ½-inch (or finer) screen — no rocks, roots or clay clods. Unscreened is cheaper and fine under a lawn base, but for planting beds and raised beds always pay for screened.
For beds, buy the blend
A 70/30 topsoil-compost mix (some yards call it garden mix or planting mix) is worth the few dollars more per yard. It drains, holds moisture and feeds the first season. Pure compost is an amendment, not a soil — don't fill a bed with it.
Smell it, squeeze it
Good topsoil smells earthy and crumbles when you squeeze a damp handful. If it smells sour or like a swamp, it's been sitting wet and anaerobic. If it smears like modeling clay, it's subsoil. Drive to the yard once and look at the pile.
Order by the cubic yard
One cubic yard covers about 100 square feet at 3 inches deep — or fills a 4×8 raised bed to about 10 inches. Topsoil is heavy (a yard weighs close to a ton), so once you're past a few bags, bulk delivery beats the big-box store on both price and your back.
Don't bury your grade
Adding soil around a house? Keep it 6 inches below siding and sloped away from the foundation. Around existing trees, never pile more than an inch or two over the roots — trees suffocate slowly and you won't see it for two years.
Linda's Tip 🌿
Order topsoil after the spring mud dries out. Wet soil delivered onto a wet lawn leaves ruts you'll be fixing all summer — and the pile itself compacts into a brick.
Written by
Landscape Designer & Contractor · 38+ years of hands-on landscape construction in the Northeast. Every article here comes from real jobs, real soil and real mistakes — not a content farm.
Common questions
Where can I buy topsoil near me?+
Landscape supply yards, mulch and soil yards, and many garden centers sell bulk topsoil by the cubic yard and deliver. Backyard Buddy's Local Marketplace searches topsoil, compost and garden soil suppliers near your zip code.
How much does a yard of topsoil cost?+
Screened topsoil typically runs $25–$50 per cubic yard, topsoil-compost blends $40–$70, plus a delivery fee that's usually flat regardless of quantity — so bigger loads are cheaper per yard.
What's the difference between topsoil and garden soil?+
Topsoil is the natural top layer of soil, screened for debris. Garden soil (or planting mix) is topsoil blended with compost and sometimes sand for drainage — better for planting beds, unnecessary under sod.
How many yards of topsoil do I need?+
Multiply the area's square footage by the depth in inches and divide by 324. Backyard Buddy's free Material Calculator does the math for beds, lawns and raised beds.
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